Machinery News

Large diameter pipe machinery to Norway

Pipelife Norge specialises in manufacturing pipes of enormous lengths and is the only company worldwide to produce pipe segments with a length of up to 600 m for offshore applications. For this purpose, the pipes are extruded directly into the sea, then bundled and towed to the desired place of installation. The advantages of laying pipe segments in such lengths are low transport and installation costs, a reduced risk of damage to the pipes in transit, and simple, quick laying with only very few welded joints.

With the line from Battenfeld-Cincinnati (BC), Pipelife Norge will extend its product portfolio to pipes of up to 2,500 mm in diameter. To this end, the line is equipped with a 120 mm single-screw extruder from the BC's new 40D solEX series. The extruder is capable of plasticising up to 2,200 kg of resin/hour with optimal melt homogeneity.

BC says its compact processing machine comes with an anti-wear coated barrel/screw combination, is equipped with a maintenance-free AC drive and is easily set and monitored via an integrated control system in the extruder. The two-step helix 2500 VSI pipe die model selected, featuring a lattice basket combined with a spiral mandrel is characterised by an optimal wall thickness distribution without corrugated inner surfaces.

Pipelife Norge has chosen several die change sets capable of producing pipes with a wide range of diameters from 1,200 to 2,500 mm and with wall thicknesses ranging from 48 to 96 mm. Also custom-made for the Norwegian application is the haul-off system, which BC will deliver together with the extruder and main extrusion die at the end of this year. The caterpillar haul-off, also a customised product made to measure, is equipped with 14 caterpillars, each with its own drive, and laid out for pipes with diameters ranging from 1,200 to 2,500 mm. According to the customer's specifications, the caterpillar haul-off comes with special safety gates, which allow access for servicing and adjustments of settings during production. Finally, the caterpillar haul-off also has its own BMCtouch control system which allows each caterpillar to be set individually.

Pipelife International was established in 1989 as a joint venture of the building materials manufacturer Wienerberger and materials producer Solvay, both based in Vienna. For the last fiscal year, Pipelife, also headquartered in Vienna, has reported a turnover of EUR716 million. Pipelife produces plastic pipe systems including all fittings for transporting fresh water, waste water and gas, as well as for the protection of electric cables.