core sector communique

Pooling of know-how in PE-Xa pipe production

Cooperation between KraussMaffei Berstorff and Crosslink Finland Oy

(Munich, October 28, 2011) – KraussMaffei Berstorff and Crosslink Finland Oy, a manufacturer of infrared crosslinking ovens based in Tampere (Finland) and a source of expertise with many years of experience in the crosslinking of polyethylene pipes, have signed a cooperation agreement. Through this exclusive cooperation, two innovative and leading suppliers in the field of Extrusion Technology for hot water pipes are pooling their competencies in order to develop and jointly market complete systems for the extrusion of peroxide crosslinked polyethylene pipes.

"I am delighted that we have found a cooperation partner in Crosslink Finland Oy. In our opinion, the company is the most competent and most innovative partner in the area of polyethylene pipe crosslinking. Thanks to this cooperation, we will be able in future to offer our customers tailor-made solutions regarding the production of PE-Xa pipes since all system components can be perfectly matched to one another. We will therefore attain perfect quality during the production process“, said Dr. Hans Ulrich Golz, Managing Director of KraussMaffei Berstorff.

High-performance extruders from KraussMaffei Berstorff

KraussMaffei Berstorff has developed a special system technology for the production of PE-Xa pipes. The complete line from the twin-screw extruder with a conical processing unit and the pipe head through to the calibration and cooling system is perfectly matched to processing of a ready-mixed compound. The premixed compound consists of polyethylene, a stabilizer and peroxide. After these three components have been mixed, a diffusion process takes place: the liquid peroxide is absorbed by the granulated polyethylene. This produces an extremely homogeneous material mixture since the peroxide then not only lies on the outer layer of a single PE grain, but is also homogeneously distributed inside the grain. The system also ensures extremely reliable and constant process conditions, i.e. perfect product quality with a consistently high degree of crosslinking.

Crosslinking oven from Crosslink Finland Oy

The actual crosslinking of the PE pipe takes place in the infrared crosslinking oven, which is supplied by the partner Crosslink Finland Oy and is integrated in the overall system concept. "I am proud to be able to cooperate with KraussMaffei Berstorff, one of the leading international extrusion system manufacturers“, enthused Aarne Heino, Managing Director of Crosslink Finland Oy. Heino is looking to the future with optimism: "I am anticipating much more interest in PE-Xa pipe extrusion and especially in our solution.” "We are also focusing on a long-term partnership with Crosslink regarding further development in the areas of higher production speeds, larger pipe diameters and multi-layer pipes“, emphasized Dr. Golz.

Effective crosslinking process using the inline method

In the PE-Xa pipe extrusion concept, the crosslinking process takes place inline, i.e. the PE pipe is also crosslinked with the molding process by means of infrared rays; consequently, there is no need for another downstream production step which is absolutely essential with other crosslinking methods. The manufacturer profits from drastically reduced costs for working hours, space requirements, handling and transportation.

Peroxide crosslinked pipes in numerous application areas

Peroxide crosslinked pipes are characterized by different product properties, for example high flexibility and great resistance to heat and cracking. They are used in panel and radiator heating systems, as well as in the supply of hot water, drinking water and gas. PE-Xa pipes are also being used to an increasing extent for alternative laying methods.