TPT July 2018

T E CHNOLOG Y

New thermoplastic composite tape for pipe and pressure vessel reinforcement

pipe and pressure vessel designs for transport and installation.” The tape offers light weight and high strength, and is a replacement for metal and other traditional materials. Featuring SABIC’s HPFIT, which quickly and precisely enables the spread and combination of thousands of glass or carbon fibres with a thermoplastic matrix, the UDMAX GPE 46-70 tape has 70 per cent fibre by weight content. “Maximising fibre content can raise tensile strength up to 957 MPa, which in turn affects the burst pressure resistance of a pipe or vessel – a key performance indicator,” said Joris Wismans, technical director, SABIC FRT. HPFIT also enhances UDMAX tape in several other ways, by offering good fibre distribution for uniform performance; twist-free fibre orientation (twisting reduces mechanical properties); and a uniform and consistent tape thickness that helps optimise the conversion process and product design. Reinforcing pipes and pressure vessels with UDMAX tape offers designers new options. For example, the use of UDMAX™ GPE 46-70 tape can enable pipes to withstand higher loads, while reducing the number of tape layers for less-demanding environments, and lowering overall weight for easier transport and installation.

and storage tanks, users can increase mechanical performance while reducing weight, and help improve corrosion resistance in demanding environments. “As pipe and pressure vessel manufacturers face rising demand for higher performance, longer life and greater safety, advanced thermoplastic composite technologies from SABIC can offer a practical solution for various industrial applications,” said Hans Warmerdam, commercial director, SABIC Fibre Reinforced Thermoplastics (FRT). “Our new UDMAX GPE 46- 70 tape delivers the exceptional strength needed to meet tough industry challenges, and promotes more efficient

SABIC has introduced UDMAX™ GPE 46-70 tape, the newest addition to its expanding portfolio of UDMAX unidirectional fibre-reinforced thermo- plastic composite tape products. Commercially available worldwide, the new glass-filled high-density poly- ethylene grade is designed for reinforc- ing industrial applications, such as pipes and pressure vessels. The product has among the highest glass content available, combined with optimal thermoplastic resin impregna- tion, using SABIC’s proprietary high- pressure fibre impregnation technology (HPFIT™). By using UDMAX tape to reinforce oil, gas and water pipes, boilers

The new UDMAX GPE 46-70 tape is designed for reinforcing industrial applications, such as pipes and pressure vessels

SABIC – Saudi Arabia Website: www.sabic.com

Convincing design THREE times within a short period of time, Bültmann has convinced steel and aluminium manufacturers in Germany, Mexico and Poland with its ten-roll tube straightening machine.

The machines are also prepared for the implementation of the Bültmann 4.0 Systems. The company’s two-roll and ten-roll straightening machines for steel bars, working with a straightening speed of up to 3m per second, are operated in many enterprises.

Adjustment and positioning of the straightening rolls are hydraulically controlled. The straightening rolls are clamped with patented steel clamping bushes developed by Bültmann. The systems are also equipped with straight- ening force measurement systems and quick roll-changing systems. With automatic machine setting when changing the tube dimension and long maintenance intervals, high throughput rates can be achieved.

The machines work in a dimensional range of 15 to 100mm for steel and aluminium tubes; in addition, aluminium bars up to a diameter of 80mm can be straightened. The straightening systems are individually tailored to special applications in order to meet quality requirements.

Bültmann GmbH – Germany Fax: +49 2394 18 171 Email: info@bueltmann.com Website: www.bueltmann.com

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JULY 2018