Composite Pipeline Coating Mold for Versatile Section Shapes
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing mold equipment for pipeline section coating is costly, time-consuming, and limited in versatility, as it is typically made from solid steel and designed for specific shapes, making it inefficient for various pipeline configurations.
Innovation Solution
A mold comprising a shell of impervious material reinforced by a non-distensible exoskeleton, made from steel parts that can be assembled into different configurations, and a shell body made from glass-fiber reinforced plastic, allowing for quick adaptation to different shapes and sizes of pipeline sections.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a mold is made from solid steel, then it has high strength and rigidity, but it is costly and time-consuming to manufacture
Solution Approach 1:
The mold is constructed using composite materials: a shell made from impervious material (such as plastic or rubber) reinforced by an exoskeleton of metal components. This composite structure provides the necessary strength and rigidity while significantly reducing manufacturing cost and time compared to solid steel molds.
Solution Approach 2:
The mold is divided into separate components: a shell portion and an exoskeleton portion with multiple metal struts. This segmentation allows each component to be manufactured independently using appropriate processes, then assembled together, reducing overall manufacturing complexity and cost while maintaining structural integrity.
2Stability of the object's composition
If a mold is made from solid steel, then it has high structural rigidity, but it is heavy and complex
Solution Approach 1:
The combination of a flexible shell material with a strategic framework of metal struts creates a structure that achieves the required rigidity without the weight and complexity of solid steel. The exoskeleton provides structural support only where needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The shell portion is made from relatively thin impervious material that would be insufficient structurally on its own, but when reinforced by the exoskeleton, it achieves the necessary rigidity. This approach dramatically reduces weight and complexity compared to solid steel construction.
3Manufacturing precision
If a mold is designed for a specific shape, then it provides precise coating for that shape, but it cannot be used for various pipeline configurations
Solution Approach 1:
The mold is divided into a shell portion that defines the coating shape and an exoskeleton portion providing structural support. The shell can be manufactured in different configurations for various pipeline shapes, while the exoskeleton components (struts) can be reused across different mold designs, providing versatility.
Solution Approach 2:
The exoskeleton components, particularly the metal struts, are designed as universal support elements that can be used across multiple mold configurations. This allows the same structural components to serve multiple functions and be reused for different pipeline shapes and sizes, enhancing versatility while maintaining coating precision through custom shell portions.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution results in a lighter, cheaper, and more versatile mold that can be used for various pipeline shapes, reducing production time and costs while maintaining structural rigidity and adhesion, enabling efficient coating of polypropylene or polyurethane materials.
Implementation Method 1
a mold comprising a shell of impervious material reinforced by an exoskeleton of non-distensible material
Implementation Method 2
All but the ends of the pipeline section is enclosed by a heavy duty steel mold that defines a cavity around the uncoated pipeline section, which is subsequently filled with molten polypropylene from an IMPP injection molding machine
Implementation Method 3
Once the polypropylene has cooled and solidified, the mold is removed to leave the factory-applied coating in place on the pipeline section
Implementation Method 4
An IMPP coating is typically applied while the steel pipeline section is heated by induction heating, for instance
Data Source
AI summary
A mold for coating a pipeline section with molten coating material from an injection molding machine, wherein the mold comprises a shell of impervious material reinforced by an exoskeleton of non-distensible material. An assembly for supporting a mold comprising a plurality of mutually separable shell bodies for coating a pipeline section, wherein the assembly comprises motorized opening and closing of the shell bodies in a straight line. An assembly for supporting a bent pipeline section wherein the assembly comprises a base and a pair of arms extending from the base, wherein each arm comprises a respective clamping collar for clamping a bent pipe section between the arms. A vehicle for induction heating a bent pipeline section, wherein the vehicle comprises: a helical induction coil; and wheels arranged to guide movement of both ends of the induction coil through a tubular inside face of a bent pipeline section.