TPI July 2013

products & developments

Self seal pipe insulation production

the ease of application reduces the cost and time of installations.

The self-adhesive tube version of elastomeric pipe insulation product Class O Armaflex is now being manufactured and supplied directly from Armacell’s UK plant in Oldham. New production lines and expertise have been brought in-house for applying the self-adhesive strips and tapes to ensure greater control over quality, stock levels and lead-times for future supplies. The Class O Armaflex Self Seal pipe insulation product is fully slit longitudinally along the length of each tube, with strips of double sided self adhesive tape pre-applied to both of the slit surfaces. The product is specifically designed to provide high performance insulation where fast, secure installation is required. It is also suitable for applications where working space is restricted, with Class O Armaflex Self Seal easily applied to existing pipework by simply fitting the tube onto the pipe, peeling back the protective covering strips from the self adhesive tapes and pressing the seams firmly together to achieve a dirt/ moisture proof seal. A fast and secure gluing of seams is achieved over the entire length of the installation, while

As with all Armaflex products, Class O Armaflex Self Seal has a closed cell structure with an in-built vapour barrier, offering a high resistance to water vapour transmission and reducing the risk of condensation. By preventing moisture ingress and condensation, damage to the insulation and subsequent losses of thermal performance and corrosion issues are prevented, and the efficiency and life span of chilled water and heating and plumbing services prolonged as a result. The built- in Microban ® anti-microbial protection also reduces the potential for mould and bacterial growth. The Self Seal tubes are available in four insulation thicknesses – 9, 13, 19 and 25mm – with pipework maximum OD sizes from 15 to 89mm, to provide condensation control, frost protection and prevent heat losses across a range of applications and temperature conditions.

Class O Armaflex tube insulation with self-sealing adhesive fastening

developments in elastomeric insulation technology, including the high temperature, UV resistant HT/Armaflex product and the high performance acoustic foam material ArmaSound RD. Armacell claims to be the only UK manu- facturer to produce both elastomeric (Class O Armaflex, ArmaSound RD) and polyethylene (Tubolit domestic pipe insulation), supplying to specialist thermal insulation distributors and heating and plumbing merchants throughout the UK and Ireland.

Armacell UK Ltd – UK info.uk@armacell.com www.armacell.com/uk

The Oldham production plant has been responsible for key landmark

Tube and pipe cleaning technology The Compri system, from Alka Srl, cleans tubes by shooting a special projectile with a jet of compressed air. The system can be applied to tubes with an internal diameter from 2mm up to a few hundred, and lengths of 10, 100 or products. Production scraps (eg from cutting or welding) can also be removed. The system can be used for product recovery in dosage tubes or as an instrument for regular maintenance, and for quality control on new tubes.

New tubes are often dirtier than one might expect, and can cause contamination of the product circulating in them as well as the malfunction of the connected components. In regular maintenance, dirty tubes represent a serious problem in the industry: they are the cause of inefficiency of systems and sudden production standstill. Compri can be used on rigid or flexible tubes, and is compatible with any material.

even 1,000m (depending on the air capacity), and can also be used in the presence of 90° curves, T or Y couplings or ball valves. The system can clean all sorts of tubes, from those used in hydraulic systems, to air conditioners, from the food industry to pharmaceutical applications. It can degrease, lubricate and disinfect efficiently, in a short time using, if necessary, minimum quantities of chemical

Components of the Compri Tube Clean system

Alka Srl – Italy info@alka-srl.com www.alka-srl.com

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July 2013 Tube Products International