PE PIPE PRODUCTION PROCESS,

QA/QC REQUIREMENTS &

STANDARDS
MWANZA SEMINAR
22nd July 2015

PRODUCTION PROCESS

Plastic conversion process

Common process
EXTRUSION
INJECTION MOULDING
BLOW MOULDING
ROTO MOULDING

Manufacture of
Pipes, Films etc.
Pipe fittings and other complicated shapes
Bottles etc.
Tanks, Large containers

The manufacturing processes related to Polyethylene

involve the melting of the raw material and then its
conversion to form a finished product

A Modern HDPE Extrusion Line

Constant speed

Simplified Diagram of an Extruder

The Pipe Extrusion Process

Material Hopper
Extruder Barrel

Finished
Pipe
Die

Screw
Electric Heaters

Sizing /
Calibration

Cooling /
Haul Off
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The Pipe Extrusion Process

HDPE RAW MATERIAL

MOLTEN MATERIAL
FROM DIE HEAD

FINISHED PIPE

The Pipe Manufacturing Process

The extrusion process is used in manufacturing of solid wall
pipes for pressure systems

State-of-the-art Machines
PLASCOs latest European made large diameter PE pipe production
line, can produce HDPE pipes of up to 630mm OD The largest
size covered by the international standards

State-of-the-art Machines
Vacuum tank and Ovality Control Unit

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State-of-the-art Machines
Ultrasonic Pipe Scanner for continuous wall thickness
measurement

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HDPE Pipes for water and other applications

HDPE pipes can be produced in straight lengths for pipes up
to 630mm OD and coils for pipes of up to 125mm OD.

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Plasco Gas Pipe Production

Plasgas 355mm PE100 SDR11 Gas Pipe

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Marking of Pipes.Traceability

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Marking of Pipes.Traceability
ALL pipes from PLASCO are clearly marked with the
following information :
Manufacturer name
Diameter
Pressure rating
ISO Standard
Manufacturing details

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Marking of Pipes.Traceability

OF PIPES WITH
NO MARKINGS.!!!

THEY MAY BE CHEAPER BUT..

DO THEY MEET THE REQUIRED STANDARDS ???
IT WILL COST YOU MORE IN THE LONG RUN !
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International PE Pipe Standard ISO 4427

HDPE Pipes from Plasco are produced to the latest
revision of the international standard

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International uPVC Pipe Standard ISO 1452

uPVC Pipes from Plasco are produced to the latest
revision of the international standard

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QA/QC REQUIREMENTS
& STANDARDS

QUALITY ASSURANCE
Tests for Raw Materials
Melt Flow Index Test
Bulk Density Test
Oxidation Induction Time Test
Moisture Content Test

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Why use raw material from reputed producers?

Did you know that
All PE100 materials are not the same
High performance grades designed
for gas pipe extrusion
Not all the raw materials meet the
demanding requirements of the
PE100+ association

Using PE100+ endorsed raw

material guarantees consistent
quality that ensures a long pipe life

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QUALITY ASSURANCE
Tests for Finished Products (Pipes and Fittings)
Dimensions Test
Thermal Reversion Test
Impact Test
Long Term and Short Term Hydrostatic Pressure
Tests @ 20C or 80C
Rapid Crack Propagation (RCP) test for Gas Pipes
Tensile Strength and Compression Test
We can supply Quality and Test Certificates
with all our products

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Potential problems & consequences

PROBLEMS
Low quality of raw
material
Addition of Fillers
Sub-standard machinery
Incorrect tolerances
Poor quality control
Lack of testing facilities
Non-compliance with
specified standards
No after sales service

CONSEQUENCES
Problems with installation
Pipe failure
Safety issues
Downtime
Production losses
Increased cost ie doing
the job twice
Must consider long term
costs

Are you getting value for your money ?

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How do we do it..
Fully equipped Laboratory for testing Raw Materials & Pressure pipes

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Quality Control & Assurance at Plasco

Plasco deploys state-of-the-art
automated, European equipment to
ensure high quality product output
and minimize manual errors

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Quality Control & Assurance at Plasco

Service Agreement with SCITEQ,
Denmark
Maintenance of our quality control
equipment is of high priority annual service agreement with
SCITEQ is in place.
Calibration, maintenance and
necessary repairs are carried out
at regular intervals.
A long, reliable lifetime of the
equipment is ensured resulting in
reliable and accurate test results.
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Quality Control & Assurance at Plasco

From Raw materials to Finished goods, our quality
control regime ensures top class products being
delivered to our customers

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Quality Control & Assurance at Plasco

Pressure tests are carried out
round-the-clock with 10 test stations
that are monitored by PC-software
and temperature control tanks.

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Quality Control & Assurance at Plasco

Rapid Crack Propagation (RCP) testing:
For determining arrest or propagation of a crack initiated
in a thermoplastic pipe intended for the supply of gases
or liquids at a specific temperature and internal pressure.
Small-scale steady-state test (S4 test).

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Quality Control & Assurance at Plasco

Tensile strength and elongation testing:
For determining tensile strength properties of raw materials

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RAPID CRACK PROPAGATION TEST

RAPID CRACK PROPAGATION TEST

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RCP failure
Classic example of a RCP failure on site

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RCP failure
Figure represents a creep rupture curve where the
ductile-brittle transition signals the onset of a SCG.

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THANK YOU

PLASCO LTD.
www.plasco.co.tz
plascosales@plasco.co.tz

Your one-stop-shop for

piping solutions

Sales Hotlines :
+255 717 752 726 / +255 686 350 543 / +255 769 756 495
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