(plasticstoday.com) -- Calling the system a "world first," KraussMaffei Berstorff has delivered an extrusion line to produce extra-large smooth-walled high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipe in diameters up to 2400 mm and with hourly (HDPE) output of 1700 kg. P.E.S. Co., which is a longtime KraussMaffei Berstorff customer, has been producing HDPE pipe on a range of KM's single-screw extruders for almost a decade, including extra-large pipe up to 1600-mm in diameter. Produced in the Persian Gulf, the large pipes are primarily used to supply seawater to desalination plants and cooling water to oil refineries.
In addition to KM's single-screw extruder, the system utilizes a spiral-distributor and runs high melt strength polyethylene (PE) XLS12B from Total Petrochemicals. A KM spokesperson said that to his knowledge, this is the first extrusion line in the world for the production of smooth plastic pipes with a diameter up to 2400 mm, eclipsing the usual limit of 1600 mm and the "extremely seldom" 2000-mm line.
The extra large pipe-extrusion line will allow P.E.S. to add smooth-walled HDPE pipes in diameters of 1800-, 2000-, 2200-, and 2400-mm. The system includes a KME 150-36 B/R single-screw extruder and a KM-RKW 40-2400 pipehead. The spiral-distributor design accounts for a material's rheological properties and utilizes a KraussMaffei Berstorff calibration system. By minimizing wall-thickness variations, the line can result in substantial material savings in the large pipes. That consistency also results in more uniform pipe dimensions, which help ensure tight joints in installation.
KraussMaffei Berstorff believes its 36D single-screw extruder, spiral-distributor tooling, and efficient calibration and cooling systems have helped it gain market share in the large-pipe-extrusion market. The company notes that in pipe production, material costs can account for up to 90% of total manufacturing cost, making stringent adherence to tight tolerances a money saver.