System Targets Large-Diameter Pipe

The PipeMaster from Conair is a complete line of downstream equipment and tooling that reportedly offers processors rugged, reliable, and cost-efficient performance in six size ranges for pipe diameters from 0.4 to 24.9 in. in up to 5-layer construction. The package comes with Conair-designed mono- and multi-layer tooling, tailored for PVC, polyolefins and other materials.

The line represents a big change for Conair, whose range of pipe processing equipment has, until now, served sizes of 8 in. or less, says Ernie Preiato, Conair’s v.p. Extrusion. “Pipe processors compete in a very robust and cost-conscious market and can choose equipment from all over the world, with various levels of quality and price points. Our feedback from processors was that they wanted a reliable U.S. source for equipment that delivers high-end quality, output, service and support, but without the huge price tag.”

Preiato says the key in Conair’s new line is found in its simplicity and attention to the fundamental needs of processors: “This equipment—spray tanks, puller/haul-off units, saw cutters, and drop-off tables—combines very rugged construction with simple, but well-engineered controls. It is complemented by an extensive range of the extruder tooling, including pipe dies and calibration sleeves, that most processors need but often have difficulty finding or building at a competitive price. And, the entire PipeMaster line is backed by Conair’s factory service and support.”

The PipeMaster line includes:

• Monolayer and multilayer pipe extrusion dies optimized to different material types (PE/PP, PVC and others), and for pipe diam ranges of 2.5, 4.3, 6.2, 9.8, 15.7 and 24.9 in. Each die is mounted on a movable, height-adjustable stand and features polished, heat-treated internal surfaces. Interchangeable die pins and nozzles allow dies to produce multiple sizes of pipe. Multilayer extrusion dies can extrude up to five layers in a single pipe.
• Output rates ranging from 550 to 3520 lb/hr.
• A full range of pipe calibration tools, with options for dry sizing or water-ring cooling and sizing.
• Vacuum immersion, vacuum-spray, or immersion-only cooling tanks with single or dual chambers. All tanks feature 304 stainless steel construction on internal/wetted surfaces, durable painted-steel exterior surfaces, simple frame-mounted controls and fully-adjustable stands.
• Cleated puller/haul-off units that automatically synchronize speed with extruder screw speed control and integrate with gravimetric material dosing for stable production and consistent pipe unit weight. Inside each puller’s fully-enclosed safety cabinet, brushless AC-vector motors provide steady pulling force using soft, non-marking cleated pads.
• Servo-driven pipe cutting units, also synchronized to line speed, which measure and cut pipe in a variety of lengths to meet application requirements. Multiple cutter types accommodate different pipe sizes and application requirements, including rotating disc cutters for chipless displacement cuts and planetary cutters for milled or chamfered cuts.
• Pneumatically operated pipe tilting/dump off tables synchronize with line speed to receive and automatically dump finished pipe lengths into stacks for easy removal, packaging, shipment or storage.