MACHINERY | PIPE WELDING


Right: McElroy has helped install vent release pipes at a landfill site to capture


methane gas


Smooth scraping Ritmo of Italy says its RTC 500 allows smooth scraping during the process of pipe joining. The new device is


effectively a combination of its RTC 315 and RTC 710 models. The precise, versatile scraper has a wide working range (external diameters from 180mm to 500mm, internal diameters of 110-485mm). Smooth rotation is a feature of RTC scrapers, says the company – which is highly effective as working diameters increase. A tensioner allows a quality chip with constant thickness even with oval pipe. The blade arm is telescopic. This extension of scraping length up to 465mm allows chip removal up to the full length of the electrical coupler, says the company. The scraper can handle both PP and HDPE, and is supplied in a portable carrying case.


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Capturing gas McElroy has helped to install vent release pipes at a landfill site in Ohio – as a way of capturing renewable energy. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), methane makes up about 50% of landfill gas, which is a natural by-product of decomposing organic material. Installing vents stops methane and other gases from building up underground, reducing the risk of accidents on site. It can also be collected and used as a green energy source. Installing vents at the landfill is part of this


process – and they are added as needed, which was the case during this project. Morain Sales and Service, a local equipment company, provided the


McElroy fusion equipment for this and other phases of the project. “Each vent takes about two or three hours to install,” said Pat Sims, Morain’s outside sales representative. “But that time can vary, depending on how long it takes for excavation.”


During a period of mild


temperatures, crews worked to expose existing pipeline and temporarily cinch it closed – allowing them to cut a segment out of the line and install a T-shaped branch with a vent attached


to the vertical end. Using a Pit Bull and the


DynaMc Hand Pump, the crews butt-fused an existing line to the new T-branch and removed the cinching device, resuming service to the entire line. “One crew can do two or three of those vents in


a day,” said Sims. The DynaMc line incorporates the features of


McElroy equipment into smaller units for tight working environments. In this case, a DynaMc Hand Pump allowed operators manual control over the fusion pressure applied. Pit Bulls were built for in-ditch work. These rugged machines are used for operations that call for flexibility in close quarters.


Intuitive welding UK-based Pinweld has won additional funding to develop its ‘intuitive’ welding technique. The company has attracted £1.3 million (US$1.6m) from Innovate UK to develop the system – which incorporates artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning. The 24-month project also involves The Welding Institute (TWI), Lancas- ter University, a medical engineering company and a specialist in software integration. “The offering for the end user will be highly


Pinweld has won more funding to develop its new pipe-joining technology


22 IMAGE: PINWELD


automated welding, with quality control over the weld and benefits such as strength, ductility, infill and surface finish,” said Stephen Perris, commercial director at Pinweld. Pinweld says that the process could speed up the job of welding pipe: it has already been tested on polyethylene sheet, showing a four-fold increase in welding speeds compared to electrofu- sion and butt fusion. The process can also be used in dusty or wet environments The low-energy technique oscillates a pin within the joint of the weld to generate heat. The latest phase of the project will also look to introduce a level of digital control to the technique. One


PIPE & PROFILE EXTRUSION | November/December 2023 www.pipeandprofile.com


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