Water management from a single source
Pipe extrusion lines have been one of battenfeld-cincinnati’s core product portfolios for many decades. The machine manufacturer not only provides solutions to cover the complete range of plastics to be processed and all applications, but also offers all machine components as a complete line concept from a single source. At this year’s K in Düsseldorf, battenfeld-cincinnati will demonstrate its expertise in both drip irrigation and large-diameter pipes. Currently, the extruder specialist is the first company to deliver two pipe extrusion lines able to produce huge pipes 2.7 m in diameter with a melt throughput of 2.4 t.
battenfeld-cincinnati is well known for its large-diameter pipe extrusion lines. In past years, after all, the machine manufacturer has repeatedly been the first to attain larger and larger dimensions with its machine concepts. Now they have been able to set a new record: for the first time worldwide, battenfeld-cincinnati is delivering two pipe extrusion lines to manufacture pipes of up to 2,700 mm in diameter. In addition to the enormous dimensions of all line components, which are perfectly matched to each other, these lines also offer two special features, among others. A device known as the Optimelt system is installed between the extruder and the pipe die. This component provides ideal melt homogenization and lowers the melt temperature before the melt enters the pipe die. This enables the entire line to be run with a melt temperature 10 to 15 degrees below those in conventional lines. Especially in large-diameter lines, this leads to less sagging and consequently better pipe quality. With the second special feature of the large-diameter pipe extrusion line, battenfeld-cincinnati takes into account the dimensions and the associated transport difficulties. For the first time, a new vacuum tank and spray bath design is used in the lines, which is realized in the form of 4 m long segments. These individual aggregates are easier to transport and can easily be assembled on the production site.
Besides large-diameter pipe extrusion lines for handling large masses of water, another integral part of battenfeld-cincinnati’s product portfolio are extrusion lines to produce drip irrigation pipes used in agriculture for continuous distribution of water in very small quantities. At its K booth, the machine manufacturer will present its new line for this segment. The outstanding feature of the latest drip irrigation pipes are the drippers itself. They come with a new design, both simple and ingenious, to ensure a perfectly even distribution of water. The new drippers, developed by battenfeld-cincinnati with a partner company, are shot through the pipe die into the pipe during the extrusion process and thus fully welded into the pipe while it is still hot. Subsequent drilling or punching is not required for the water outlet on the dripper. Instead, all that is necessary to open up the water outlets is to cut off the humps formed by welding in the drippers. In addition to higher product quality combined with lower investment and operating costs, the new drippers prove their worth in practice: their geometry prevents soiling and limescale deposits and protects the irrigation tubes against the entry of plant roots as well which would otherwise block the water outlets. The new drippers can also be used in combination with thinner pipe walls, thus making the entire system more sustainable and more economical.
Apart from the two extremes just described – large-diameter and drip irrigation pipes – battenfeld-cincinnati offers perfect coordinated complete extrusion lines to produce pipes in a wide range of different diameters, including special features such as the Fast Dimension Change (FDC) system
