PE PIPE PRODUCTION PROCESS, QA/QC REQUIREMENTS &

STANDARDS

MWANZA SEMINAR

22nd July 2015

PRODUCTION PROCESS

Plastic conversion process

The manufacturing processes related to Polyethylene involve the melting of the raw material and then its conversion to form a finished product

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Common process Manufacture of

EXTRUSION Pipes, Films etc.

INJECTION MOULDING Pipe fittings and other complicated shapes

BLOW MOULDING Bottles etc.

ROTO MOULDING Tanks, Large containers

A Modern HDPE Extrusion Line

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Constant speed

Simplified Diagram of an Extruder

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The Pipe Extrusion Process

Extruder BarrelDie

Sizing / Calibration

Cooling /Haul Off

Finished Pipe

Electric Heaters

Screw

Material Hopper

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The Pipe Extrusion Process

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HDPE RAW MATERIAL MOLTEN MATERIAL

FROM DIE HEAD

FINISHED PIPE

The Pipe Manufacturing Process

The extrusion process is used in manufacturing of solid wall

pipes for pressure systems

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State-of-the-art Machines

PLASCOs latest European made large diameter PE pipe production line, can produce HDPE pipes of up to 630mm OD The largest size covered by the international standards

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State-of-the-art Machines

Vacuum tank and Ovality Control Unit

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State-of-the-art Machines

Ultrasonic Pipe Scanner for continuous wall thickness measurement

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HDPE Pipes for water and other applications

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HDPE pipes can be produced in straight lengths for pipes up to 630mm OD and coils for pipes of up to 125mm OD.

Plasco Gas Pipe Production

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Plasgas 355mm PE100 SDR11 Gas Pipe

Marking of Pipes.Traceability

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Marking of Pipes.Traceability

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ALL pipes from PLASCO are clearly marked with the

following information :

Manufacturer name

Diameter

Pressure rating

ISO Standard

Manufacturing details

Marking of Pipes.Traceability

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OF PIPES WITH NO MARKINGS.!!!

THEY MAY BE CHEAPER BUT.. DO THEY MEET THE REQUIRED STANDARDS ???IT WILL COST YOU MORE IN THE LONG RUN !

International PE Pipe Standard ISO 4427

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HDPE Pipes from Plasco are produced to the latest revision of the international standard

International uPVC Pipe Standard ISO 1452

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uPVC Pipes from Plasco are produced to the latest revision of the international standard

QA/QC REQUIREMENTS& STANDARDS

QUALITY ASSURANCE

Tests for Raw Materials

Melt Flow Index Test

Bulk Density Test

Oxidation Induction Time Test

Moisture Content Test

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Why use raw material from reputed producers?

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Did you know that

All PE100 materials are not the same

High performance grades designed for gas pipe extrusion

Not all the raw materials meet the demanding requirements of the

PE100+ association

Using PE100+ endorsed raw material guarantees consistent

quality that ensures a long pipe life

QUALITY ASSURANCE

Tests for Finished Products (Pipes and Fittings) Dimensions Test Thermal Reversion Test Impact Test Long Term and Short Term Hydrostatic Pressure

Tests @ 20C or 80C Rapid Crack Propagation (RCP) test for Gas Pipes Tensile Strength and Compression Test

We can supply Quality and Test Certificates

with all our products

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Potential problems & consequences

Low quality of raw material

Addition of Fillers

Sub-standard machinery

Incorrect tolerances

Poor quality control

Lack of testing facilities

Non-compliance with specified standards

No after sales service

Problems with installation

Pipe failure

Safety issues

Downtime

Production losses

Increased cost ie doing the job twice

Must consider long term costs

PROBLEMS CONSEQUENCES

Are you getting value for your money ?

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How do we do it..

Fully equipped Laboratory for testing Raw Materials & Pressure pipes

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Quality Control & Assurance at Plasco

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Plasco deploys state-of-the-art automated, European equipment to

ensure high quality product output

and minimize manual errors

Quality Control & Assurance at Plasco

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Service Agreement with SCITEQ,

Denmark

Maintenance of our quality control equipment is of high priority -

annual service agreement with

SCITEQ is in place.

Calibration, maintenance and necessary repairs are carried out

at regular intervals.

A long, reliable lifetime of the equipment is ensured resulting in

reliable and accurate test results.

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From Raw materials to Finished goods, our quality control regime ensures top class products being

delivered to our customers

Quality Control & Assurance at Plasco

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Pressure tests are carried out round-the-clock with 10 test stations

that are monitored by PC-software

and temperature control tanks.

Quality Control & Assurance at Plasco

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Rapid Crack Propagation (RCP) testing:

For determining arrest or propagation of a crack initiated

in a thermoplastic pipe intended for the supply of gases

or liquids at a specific temperature and internal pressure.

Small-scale steady-state test (S4 test).

Quality Control & Assurance at Plasco

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Tensile strength and elongation testing:

For determining tensile strength properties of raw materials

Quality Control & Assurance at Plasco

RAPID CRACK PROPAGATION TEST

RAPID CRACK PROPAGATION TEST

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Classic example of a RCP failure on site

RCP failure

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Figure represents a creep rupture curve where the ductile-brittle transition signals the onset of a SCG.

RCP failure

THANK YOU

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PLASCO LTD.

Your one-stop-shop for

piping solutions

www.plasco.co.tz

plascosales@plasco.co.tz

Sales Hotlines : +255 717 752 726 / +255 686 350 543 / +255 769 756 495