To consider the topic of manufacturing polypropylene pipes and fittings for water supply and heating pipelines, it is necessary to first provide detailed characteristics of the materials used for production.
Polypropylene pipes and fittings have a large number of advantages, which distinguish them from their steel counterparts:
Pipes and fittings made of polypropylene can last for decades. These are environmentally friendly products that are successfully used for pipelines of any level of complexity. Therefore, their production and manufacturing is widely established all over the world.
The use of fittings with chrome and brass inserts allows combine these blanks with steel pipes.
The design of these materials is very tight, and this application brings tangible economic benefits.
Polypropylene is the starting product of the polymerization of propylene and ethylene in specific quantities. The resulting material is called random copolymer PPRC.
In the domestic market today there is no worthy analogue to foreign polymers. For the production of polypropylene pipes, we use the Finnish RA 130E BOREALIS and the Hungarian TIPPLEN CS4-8000 TVK.
The essence of the pipe manufacturing process is simple, and it is not very labor-intensive. Speaking about it, we need to highlight the following features:
A complete polypropylene pipe extrusion line is a complete cycle of extrusion, calibration, cooling, exhaust, etc.
In addition to the extruder, lines for the production of plastic pipes also have the following equipment:
When choosing raw materials, the choice is granular polymer, but you need to carefully look at its shelf life.
But polypropylene and polyethylene are practically not limited by these indicators, which makes it more convenient to use.
From an economical point of view, copolymer and HDPE are beneficial.
IMPORTANT! When opening your own production for the manufacture of polypropylene pipes and fittings, it is advised to maintain cooperation with one supplier. Because changing raw materials requires changing equipment for producing polypropylene products.
The main equipment that processes raw materials and turns it into a polypropylene pipe or fitting is called an extruder. And the manufacturing itself takes place in the following sequence:
They are often produced in the same factories as pipes.
Only for the production of polypropylene fittings it is necessary to install additional equipment (machine).
It does not take up a large amount of space, but it makes it possible to increase the range of products. This becomes an important factor for companies, especially in highly competitive conditions.
Almost all countries of the world produce building materials. This also applies to polypropylene pipes and other plastic products, the production of which has been excellently established in Russia.
The main problem of the industry lies in the fact that domestic investors are not very active in financing the purchase of new modern equipment.
Many enterprises have to rely on old technologies that are losing their relevance at the moment.
A one-time capital expenditure could be the key to high profits in the future. But they don't do this. Therefore, they cannot create worthy competition with foreign analogues.
There are no external differences when comparing our and foreign polypropylene products. But practical use shows different results.
Domestic blanks do not withstand wear as well, are not as durable, and often have surprises in the form of defects, which cause a breakthrough.
For the reasons stated above, consumers often prefer more expensive but high-quality products from German and Turkish manufacturers.
And in the end, it must be added that the production of polypropylene pipes has been turned into automated production, which does not require huge energy and labor costs. Also, this production has almost no waste and does not harm the environment.
Over the past few years, the production of plastic pipes has significantly improved and expanded in scale. More and more companies are opening their own workshops for the production of these products.
The popularity of plastic pipe production is due to their widespread use. After all, these products are used for the construction of sewerage, heating systems, gas and water supply. This is not a complete list of all possible areas of application of plastic pipes.
Due to such popularity of products on the Russian market, there is considerable competition among manufacturers. Therefore, manufacturing technology is constantly being improved. And in order to beat competitors, it is necessary to produce high-quality products at an attractive price for customers.
The manufacturing technology of plastic pipes is simple and does not require careful study. But, before considering it, let's discuss the advantages of this product. Firstly, plastic pipes have a durable composition that will never rust or rot. The maximum withstand temperature reaches +170 degrees C. Unlike metal, there are no lime deposits on plastic.
Shelf life with proper use is approximately 50 years. As you can see, there are many advantages. But let's get back to manufacturing. The production of plastic pipes is based on so-called extrusion. That is, the product itself is created by extrusion from molten raw materials. Production begins with the raw materials being poured into the extruder receiver hopper, where the material is melted using high temperature.
After which the resulting mass enters the forming sector. There, the future parameters of the pipe are determined. Next, the product is cooled in a special bath. The calibrating mold completes the design formation stage. At the very last moment, the finished pipes are cut and laid.
The necessary equipment for the production of plastic pipes depends on the type of production required. One of the main devices is an extruder. It comes in several types, namely: screwless, screw and combined. The process of an extruder can be compared to a juicer. When the raw material enters it, it is completely crushed (melted).
The screwless device is equipped with a disk, where the main part of the work takes place. This type of extruder can process mixed materials. But, as statistics show, such an opportunity is useless in production. Therefore, screw extruders are most often used.
The full production cycle additionally requires the use of certain devices, such as a transport belt, a raw material supply system, a mixer, a pulling apparatus, a vacuum molder and storage tank, baths for calibrating and cooling the laying pipe, and a pipe cutting machine.
Each of these devices has its own personal performance indicators, which determine the speed of operation. The cost of a complete set of devices varies greatly depending on the exact characteristics of the individual devices. According to the latest data, all equipment for the production of plastic pipes costs 400 thousand rubles (this is the lowest price).
The production of plastic pipes can occur using various types of raw materials. The most commonly used polymers (both high and low pressure), polybutene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, etc. The choice of raw materials depends on the chosen type of production. When selecting materials, it is important to pay attention to quality and shelf life.
This is especially true for polymers. Polypropylene, as well as polyethylene, have a long shelf life (which is what attracts most manufacturers). The cost of raw materials depends on the quality and type. For example, polypropylene costs 50-70 rubles per kg. Polyethylene is a cheaper raw material - 32 rubles per kg. As a rule, at the stage of purchasing equipment, the main type of materials used should already be selected.
There are no special requirements for choosing a room. The main thing is that the machine for the production of plastic pipes and other necessary equipment fit. Of course, do not forget about a special room for working personnel. The building must also have a bathroom and storage area. It is prohibited to build such factories in the city. It is necessary to organize convenient entry for trucks. Depending on the amount of equipment, the building area should be from 40 to 200 square meters.
A plastic pipe production line must be operated by at least three workers. The list of personnel includes a technologist, an operator and an assistant. If workers have never encountered such equipment, they need to be given precise instructions on all machines. At first, you may need to control everything yourself.
As a rule, a technologist receives 50 thousand rubles, an operator – 25-30 thousand rubles. But depending on the load and location, the numbers will change. Also, do not forget that you will need to hire several work groups who will work in shifts. Each of them must appoint its own leader. This will make it easier for you to manage your staff.
The production of plastic pipes requires permission from a number of government agencies. If you have additional funds, you can use the services of specialized companies that help in collecting the necessary documents. Permission must be obtained from Gosnadzorohrantruda, fire inspection, gas service, sanitary and epidemiological station, local executive authorities.
In addition to the documents, there are a number of rules for transporting and storing plastic products. The conditions are established in accordance with GOST 18599-2001. Transporting finished products is permitted only in closed transport. The pipes themselves must be completely placed in protective packaging and equipped with plugs. During transportation, it is not allowed to transport pipes longer than 5.5 meters and weighing more than 1.25 tons (including packaging).
PVC pipes are pioneers among polymer pipes, which began their journey more than half a century ago in America and Europe. In the domestic market, PVC pipes gained popularity extremely slowly. This is explained both by the conservatism of the consumer and the lack of a full-fledged regulatory framework that allows the widespread use of PVC pipes in housing and communal services.
Slowly but surely, pipes made from polymers of this group are constantly expanding their sector in the pipe products market due to the improvement of the quality characteristics of pipelines. This is achieved thanks to the emergence of not only innovative technologies for the production of PVC pipes, but also new methods of installing pipeline networks.
The raw material for the production of PVC pipes is granulated PVC polymer.
To create a full range of required properties, a number of additives are used in the manufacture of these products:
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Other components can be added to the standard composition to impart certain properties to the product. Supplements, as a rule, are manufactured abroad.
An extrusion line for the production of PVC pipes provides a continuous cycle consisting of the stages of extrusion (pushing the material through the molding hole), calibration and cooling in baths, drawing, cutting the pipe to a given length and laying the finished product.
The extrusion line includes:
The extrusion head can have a design solution in the form of a single block with a flange for fixation to the material cylinder. Consists of the following elements: body, matrix, divider, mandrel holder.
The matrix is centered relative to the position of the mandrel using adjusting bolts. The uniformity of the diameter of the pipe wall thickness depends on the accuracy of alignment.
The German company Krauss Maffei specializes in the production of high-performance extrusion lines for the production of pressure and non-pressure PVC pipes. The largest plant for the production of PVC pipes in Russia, JSC Hemkor, uses several such lines. The quality of the plant's products has increased thanks to the introduction of a gravimetric dosing system for raw polymer.
The process of producing pipes from polymers is relatively simple, environmentally friendly, and requires little labor and electrical energy. The area required to install and operate a complete line for the production of polymer pipes is only about 100m2.
The production of PVC pipes begins with pouring granular polymer into a hopper 
extruder. In the extruder, a screw made of high-quality nitrided steel rotating inside a material cylinder mixes the incoming granules. During rotation, the material is heated to a predetermined temperature.
The molten polymer is fed into the extrusion head, where the forming elements of the cylindrical surfaces are:
At the exit from the extrusion head, a plasticized blank in the form of a pipe is obtained. To give the pipe blank the required outer and inner diameters, ensuring uniform wall thickness along the diameter, it is calibrated in a vacuum calibrator (bath).
The calibrator is a stainless steel container three meters long, at the ends of which rubber cuffs are installed to ensure tightness.
The outer diameter calibration device is located at the front of the bath and is a stainless steel cylinder with a central hole whose diameter is equal to the diameter of the pipe. Through the diaphragm of the calibrating device, the pipe enters the cooling bath, in which a vacuum is also maintained.
To stretch the pipe evenly, tracked or belt-type pulling devices are used. Pipe cutting is carried out with circular saws or guillotine shears. At the end of the line there are devices for laying products on a special rack or for winding small-diameter pipes. These devices can operate in both manual and automatic modes.
The production of PVC sewer pipes, which belong to the non-pressure category, can be focused on the production of pipes with a single-layer wall (monolithic pipes) or with a three-layer wall. The outer layers of a three-layer pipe are made of virgin uPVC. The intermediate layer has a porous structure, and is made from either our own recycled uPVC or a third-party recycled polymer.
The production of corrugated PVC pipes is most often carried out by the method of twin-screw extrusion of two-layer pipes. The inner surface is smooth cylindrical, the outer surface is corrugated wavy. Both walls are manufactured simultaneously using the hot method and form a single monolithic structure. The cavities formed between the outer and inner walls facilitate the construction of the pipe. The outer wavy wall helps achieve the required annular rigidity.
One of the innovations in the production of PVC pipes is the production of biaxially oriented pipes. These products have high impact strength and other mechanical characteristics while simultaneously reducing wall thickness, pipe weight, and, consequently, its cost.
Currently, two methods of biaxial orientation of PVC pipes are used:
Since the production of PVC pipes is not a very complicated and labor-intensive process, and the demand for such products is constantly increasing, this direction is promising for those who want to organize their own business. The payback time for the investment depends on the level of equipment utilization. At 50% utilization of the extrusion line, the costs are recouped in about a year.
The article will discuss the specifics of manufacturing plastic pipes, the necessary equipment and raw materials. A separate paragraph will describe the production technology.
Currently, the country is experiencing an expansion in the production of plastic pipes. This is due to the ease of manufacture and the high demand for this type of product. Plastic pipes are in demand when laying sewerage systems, water and gas supply systems, heating, and installation of “warm floor” systems.
This is due to their operational properties, in particular:
The following can be used as a basis for the manufacture of plastic products: polymers of various pressures, polybutylene, polypropylene and similar raw materials.
A machine for the production of plastic pipes is an extruder that forces the product through molten plastic through a forming hole.
Extruders are divided into three subtypes:
Let's move on to listing the equipment for the production of plastic pipes. As mentioned earlier, an extruder is needed to set up the process. But that's not all that's needed.
Necessary equipment:
Typically, granular polymers are purchased for production. Particular care must be taken to monitor their expiration date and quality. Polypropylene and polyethylene perform especially well. They have the longest shelf life, so these materials are considered the most profitable.
Polypropylene copolymer is also in high demand for pipe production. This is due to the low price per kilogram. And the most inexpensive raw material is low-density polyethylene.
An important nuance: when starting this type of business, it is preferable to always purchase from one plant, because when the raw materials used change, you will need different equipment for pipe production. And this state of affairs will be associated with various types of losses.
As has already become clear, the method of making plastic pipes is based on the extrusion method. This is a closed cyclical process. Let's study its nuances in detail, using polyethylene products as an example.
According to the technology for the production of plastic pipes, the raw materials are polyethylene PE-80 and PE-100, which contains special additives. With their help, the material is given the properties necessary for subsequent use.
The production of plastic pipes itself consists of 9 successive stages. It is very important to monitor the quality of the process at each of them.
Production stages:
After the pipes are manufactured, they should be sent to the quality control department, where the geometric dimensions of the products will be checked.
In particular, the following parameters are measured:
Laboratory staff, acting in accordance with the regulations, will select samples from the received batch for testing. If the studied parameters are normal, then a quality compliance document is attached to the batch. They are then sent to the customer.
Particular attention should be paid to the quality of manufactured products. Coordinated and extremely precise functioning of all elements of the technological process is required. This is the only way to deliver high-quality products to the consumer in accordance with the order. If things go differently, the business will not be successful and its owner will suffer losses.
If we summarize all of the above, it becomes clear that the process of manufacturing plastic pipes is distinguished by thoughtfulness and automation. It does not require significant expenditure of either resources or time. Among other things, production produces virtually no waste and has no negative impact on the environment. And the production line can be placed in a relatively small room; its area will take up less than 100 square meters.
The current supply on the plastic pipe market cannot satisfy all customer needs. This is due to the good functional characteristics and affordable cost of polymer products. That is why the production of plastic pipes is currently considered one of the most attractive segments for investment. But before you start purchasing equipment, you need to familiarize yourself with the specifics of production.
In general terms, the process of making plastic pipes is quite simple. One type of polymer is used as a raw material, it is prepared for heat treatment, and then products of the desired configuration are made using extrusion. But if you delve into the analysis of the processes, the production of pipes turns out to be much more complicated than at first glance.
The entire technological process consists of the following stages:
What equipment is required to carry out this process? Currently, manufacturers combine the above operations into one production complex. But first you need to decide on the type of raw material. The quality and characteristics of the products will depend on it.
There are several types of raw materials that can be used for the production of polymer products.
It is used for the manufacture of polypropylene pipes and connecting elements. It is obtained by copolymerizing ethylene and propylene in certain proportions. The result is white granules labeled PPRC. Unfortunately, there are no producers of this raw material in Russia, so suppliers from Eastern European countries are often chosen. In particular, the Hungarian chemical concern Tipplen offers a random polymer of the CS4-8000 TVK brand.
Sewer pipes and components for them are made from it. A feature of this material is fragility. Therefore, despite their low cost, products made from it can only be used for arranging internal non-pressure sewage systems.
In the vast majority of cases, low-density polyethylene (high density) is used. For this, it is recommended to use feedstock grade PE-80 or PE-100. Unlike older analogues, products made from this material can withstand fairly high mechanical loads.
Having decided on the raw materials, you can begin a detailed analysis of the production process.
Before starting the production process, it is necessary to check the packaging of the starting material. It should not contain foreign objects, metal, etc. If quality is poor, expensive equipment may fail during the production process. Therefore, it is recommended to purchase special sieves for sifting and removing debris. This is especially true for technology that involves the use of recycled materials.
The prepared plastic mass is loaded into the receiving chamber of the extruder. The screw ensures its movement through the heating chambers. You can set the temperature level in each zone. This is important for creating a homogeneous molten mass.
During the heating process, the raw material is plasticized and, having reached the optimal temperature, enters the workpiece formation zone. The temperature depends on the type of source material. For polyethylene it is 240°C. In the extrusion head, a blank is formed - a pipe. If the production of reinforced models is planned, then a foil feeder is installed at the outlet of the die. The molten mass flows around it, forming a reinforced pipe.
At this stage, the temperature of the product is such that even a slight fluctuation can cause a change in shape. Therefore, the workpiece immediately enters the cooling zone.
A plastic pipe production line must be equipped with a cooling device. Often it is part of a general production complex. Ordinary running water can be used as a coolant. To reduce the likelihood of debris entering it, it is recommended to pre-filter it.
At this stage, the products are calibrated using vacuum devices. This is done by changing the drawing speed. The product is pulled through a special nozzle, the diameter of which coincides with the internal dimensions of the pipe. At the same time, water flows from the nozzles act on the surface of the product. They give the pipe its final shape.
After this, the product enters the cutting line. Using a meter counter, the required length is measured and a cut is made from the total workpiece.
In addition to the production premises, a pipe production plant must have a properly organized warehouse for finished products. Packaged finished products are stored on its territory.
The room must meet safety rules and maintain constant temperature and humidity. An important nuance is the location of the products. It should only be stored horizontally, without external mechanical pressure. If this rule is neglected, then during storage the pipes may become deformed, which will lead to a deterioration in their performance.
When choosing equipment, you need to pay attention to its basic parameters. These include productivity (kg/hour), the ability to manufacture products from various types of polymer raw materials and the number of service personnel.
If your budget is limited, you can purchase used machines. But in this case, you need to carefully check their condition, equipment and possible manufacturer’s warranty. The average cost of a used extruder, calibration and broaching device can be up to 580 thousand rubles.
How profitable can the production of plastic pipes be? This largely depends on the organization and management. If a competent business plan has been drawn up in advance, a sales market has been identified and the cost of production has been calculated, then the probability of success of this enterprise is high. Therefore, each stage of planning must be approached carefully, taking into account all the nuances and possible complications.
