Pipe manufacturers aiming to be competitive in production these days need extrusion lines which are powerful, flexible and quickly adjustable, as well as cost-efficient in operation. Precisely these features are what the complete pipe extrusion line from battenfeld-cincinnati Germany has to offer, which was demonstrated for the first time at two customers' events in mid-February. Equipped with the new fast dimension change (FDC) system, the highly effective internal pipe cooling system (EAC), as well as melt cooling integrated in the die (VSI-T+) and a special execution for quick color change, this high-speed 4-layer co-extrusion line provides an enormous amount of flexibility. Pipe dimensions can be changed quickly and automatically during production, and so can the color of the stripes or the pipe's outer layer. "On the two days we demonstrated the equipment, our customers were shown the world's most modern extrusion line for this application so far. With this, we offer our customers added value which is unique in the industry", Rainer Kottmeier, Division Manager Infrastructure, emphasizes.The roughly 70 customers from Europe and the Near and Middle East responded with enthusiasm about the quality of the 4-layer polyolefin pipes produced at the demonstrations of the co-extrusion line with a total output of 1,500 kg/h. The excellent quality of the pipe surface and the precise wall thickness distribution, which was immediately within tolerance again even after a changeover in dimensions, convinced even extremely skeptical visitors. "The customers congratulated us on this excellent system", Kottmeier remarks with pleasure. He continues to be sure that "with the FDC technology in combination with our high-speed lines, we are optimally prepared to hold our own in an environment of increasingly intensifying competition."
Special attributes of the dimension change system from battenfeld-cincinnati are its adjustability within an extremely wide range of dimensions, its easy-to-operate water flow adjustment system in the inlet zone of the calibrating sleeve, and the optimal roundness of the pipes. The latter is achieved by the calibrating sleeve, which consists of rolled sheet metal and ensures absolutely circular pipes with excellent wall thickness distribution by means of its cylindrical design. With optional pipe die centering, the wall thickness distribution lies within the bottom third of the tolerance margin required by the DIN standard. The even water cooling in the inlet zone of the calibrating sleeve is responsible for the homogeneous pipe surface without water marks and consequently for the high quality of the pipes. With the line on display, which was specially designed for a European customer, a range of pipe dimensions from 200 to 800 mm can be covered. This is why this line comes with two adjustable calibrating sleeves. While the first of these allows automatic adjustment of pipe dimensions between 200 and 355 mm, the second covers the range from 400 to 630 mm. In this case, flexibility also means that not only standard dimensions but also intermediate sizes and customized sizes can be produced without modification of the line. For the pipe dimension range from 710 to 800 mm, standard calibration systems are used in this customized version.
