Plastic Pipe  Technology Tidbits

A conference was held in Cologne, Germany, in December 2007 centered around production methods for plastic pip fittings and pipe joining technologies. Here are some items coming out of that conference that are of interest to various PVF e-News subscribers.

• The European market for plastic pipe is growing with applications in sewer, water, plumbing, road drainage, gas and DWV. "The fittings industry in Europe has enjoyed strong growth in recent years", remarked consultant Jon Nash, "and can look forward to a robust future despite the predicted slowdown in construction."
• An Austrian company, Agru Kunststofftechnik , has examined polypropylene pipes after 21 years of exposure to 20% sulfuric acid. The aged pipes showed a white brittle inner layer deposit (from zinc-sulfide pigments reacting with acid) and an outer chalky brown layer. Tests showed that the material was still in good condition with impact properties similar to new pipe -- the outer layer simply flaked away.
• The U.K.'s TWI has looked at different joining methods for plastic pipe. Hot plate welding is used for PE, PP and PVDF (63-1600 mm OD) in applications such as gas and water distribution, and can be automated. Socket fusion welding is used with the same materials at diameters up to 1500 mm -- mainly in industrial piping. The equipment is portable and the technique is manual. Electrofusion welding is used mainly for PE up to 710 mm OD and is useful in narrow trenches. Infrared welding (up to 225 mm OD) is employed for piping in the semiconductor and pharmaceutical industries. Solvent welding is employed for PVF, CPVC and ABS joining and requires very little equipment. Extrusion welding is used in non-pressure systems to join PP and PE pipes and to fabricate fittings.
• A U.S. company, Fast Fusion, demonstrated technology for joining HDPE pipes using standard butt fusion equipment inside the moving cab that follows the pipeline. It picks up and joins the pipe ends as it travels.
• Georg Fischer described the issues of joining large diameter PE pipe, where ovality can cause unacceptable gaps. Various solutions include re-rounding the pipe, or the coupler can contract down during the welding process. The company has extensive field experience and developed practical techn0logy to solve the problem cost-effectively

The conference was sponsored by Applied Market Information Ltd., a market research company serving the global chemicals and plastics industries with offices in the U.K. and U.S.  

Management Transition Takes Place At RJS

James Bokor, Jr. has taken over as president of Buffalo, NY-based stainless piping distributor Robert-James Sales, Inc., following the retirement of father James Bokor, Sr., and an uncle, Robert Glidden, who were co-founders of the company in 1972. The senior Bokor and Glidden remain on the board of directors as chairman and vice chairman, respectively.  Also retiring is executive vice president William Barto, who has been with the company since its founding. Shown in the photo is the new top management team at RJS: (from left)  Sales Manager Scott Hughes; President James Bokor, Jr.; National Sales Manager Jeffrey Parrish; and Treasurer Joseph McIntosh.

Anti-dumping Duties Imposed On China Welded Pipe
The Commerce Department will impose anti-dumping duties on China  circular welded steel pipe exports at an average rate of 25.67%.  Individual company margins range from zero to 51.34%.  These anti-dumping duties are in addition to the anti-subsidy duties imposed by the Commerce Department on November 6, 2007, when it was determined that the government of China was illegally subsidizing Chinese pipe makers.   The trade suit, filed in parallel with the International Trade Commission (ITC) and the Department of Commerce on June 7, 2007, was brought by the Ad Hoc Coalition for Fair Pipe Imports From China and the United Steelworkers.  The Ad Hoc Coalition includes Allied Tube & Conduit, IPSCO Tubulars, Northwest Pipe Co., Sharon Tube Co., Western Tube & Conduit Corp., and Wheatland Tube Co.

Smith-Cooper Buys Fine Stainless
Smith-Cooper International (SCI) has announced the acquisition of Fine Stainless Piping Products of Paramount, CA. Founder and namesake Arnie Fine will stay on as vice president of national sales for what is now the Stainless Div. of SCI. Fine is a veteran of more than 30 years in the industrial PVF business, mainly in the stainless arena. He started Fine Stainless Piping Products as a stainless master distributor in 1999, selling exclusively to other distributors primarily in the Western U.S. The purchase follows on the heels of SCI's recent acquisition of Sharon Piping & Equipment and its Sharpe Valves Div.

Zurn To Buy GA Industries
Rexnord LLC announced that its affiliate, Zurn Industries has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the stock of GA Industries, Inc., which includes the Rodney Hunt Co.,  for a cash purchase price of $76 millon. Based in Cranberry, PA, GA manufactures automatic control valves and other flow control products for the water and wastewater industry. Combined sales of GA and Rodney Hunt are around $60 million. The acquisition is expected to close by the end of the first quarter 2008.

The Politics Of Health Care ...

Rests on a mass illusion, writes Newsweek columnist Robert Samuelson. Most Americans think that someone else pays for their care. Read why they're wrong.

What People Say ...

May not be as important as the gestures they display in saying it, according to this insightful article about the role of body language in selling.

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PME's Hydronics Webinar Series Continues in 2008