Ignacio Muñoz
Papers # 2012 Barcelona
The present global crisis has pushed the need for efficient, reliable and affordable solutions for water transportation. The interest of pipe manufacturers in PVC-O as one of the most cost effective solutions has increased, but at the same time new demands for widening the range of applications and overcoming traditional weak points in PVC-O pipes have arisen. New challenges for PVC-O pipe technologies that have been solved with the new air systems. The first challenge has been to design a system to produce pipes above the traditional limit of 400mm (16”) , under the following conditions : - Not increasing the difficulties of manufacturing Not lowering the orientation degree and decreasing the material quality Applicable for any pressure range. The second challenge has been to upgrade the socketing systems to adapt to new market trends and solutions. New trenchless applications, self-restrain systems, etc, require different ways of making sockets, and a more sophisticated variety of solutions. At the same time, where the usual way of socketing pipes is the “rieber” system, (integral system where the seal makes its own grove) , this has constituted a deterrent for the PVC-O implementation. A new system for socketing, flexible and able to incorporate any kind of joint in an automatic way has been developed and integrated with the new water free systems, without any kind of orientation lose or brittle effect on the socket. These new developments open the door for the next PVC-O pipes expansion.
