Innovative PVC foam-core pipe line delivers impressive performance

Krauss Maffei Extrusion of Munich, Germany – understand that raw material costs can account for as much as 90% of the manufacturing cost of plastic pipe. With this in mind, they have been developing machines and systems that will reduce raw material consumption and/or costs while maintaining the highest pipe quality.

A new development demonstrated last month at the Krauss Maffei test facility in Munich Germany to a select group of International customers was the foam-core pipe line series.

Headed by two twin-screw extruders (KMD 90-36 B/R and KMD 75-36 B/R) plus a completely reengineered multilayer pipehead (KM 3 LRK 43), the line produced  PVC foamcore pipe with 400 mm diameter and 11.7 mm wall thickness at a rate of 900 to 1000 kilograms per hour.

Foaming reduced the density of the pipe’s core layer to as little as 0.6 Kg per cubic decimeter. This has the effect of reducing the total density of the 3 layer pipe by up to 30% - with commensurate savings in raw material costs.

A typical application for PVC foam-core pipe is the pressure-less wastewater pipe market.

The line, complete with all downstream components including the belling and socketing machines and palletizing unit will be delivered as a turn-key project for a Russian customer.

This new development has further reinforced Krauss Maffei’s reputation as a global leader in plastic pipe and extrusion manufacturing systems