Pipe Joint Coating Using Thermal Tape and Melted Plate
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for connecting thermoplastic-coated steel pipes, such as those with PP or PE coatings, face challenges in achieving a strong and seamless joint, particularly due to difficulties in adhering different materials and the vulnerability of seams to environmental conditions like rain and wind during thermal welding, which is also difficult to automate and time-consuming.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a sheet-shaped, bendable material with a glass fibre layer on one surface, which is cut into strips to remove fibre edges and formed into recessed plateaus, combined with a thermal tape for heat treatment to create a solid and air-tight connection, ensuring the pipe coating is seamless and resistant to environmental factors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If thermal welding is performed on thermoplastic-coated steel pipes, then the joint can be connected, but the process is difficult to automate and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual thermal welding with an automated mechanical expansion system. A mandrel is inserted into the pipe, and expanding elements are mechanically actuated to expand the pipe ends radially outward, creating interlocking joints without thermal processes. This mechanical substitution enables automation and significantly increases welding productivity.
2Reliability
If a sheet-shaped material with glass fibre layer is used to protect the joint, then the joint is protected from environmental factors, but the fibre edges create vulnerability seams
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the vulnerable glass fibre edges from the sheet material before applying it to the joint. By trimming or removing the edges that would create seams, the protective coating is applied without the harmful fibre edges that compromise integrity, eliminating the vulnerability while maintaining environmental protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a composite material structure combining sheet material with protective coating, where the sheet serves as a substrate and the coating provides environmental resistance. This composite approach allows the removal of vulnerable fibre edges while maintaining the protective function through the remaining material and coating system.
3Reliability
If the pipe coating is made seamless and hermetic, then protection is improved, but the manufacturing process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-coating the pipe ends with protective material before the expansion and joining process. This preliminary coating ensures that when the pipes are expanded and joined, the coating is already in place and will form a seamless hermetic joint, achieving reliable protection without adding complexity to the main manufacturing process.
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
This method provides a strong, hermetic, and seamless joint that is resistant to environmental influences, reducing the risk of damage from soil conditions and simplifying the welding process by using a thermal tape for efficient heat treatment, allowing for automation and improved durability.
Implementation Method 1
a thermal tape for heat treatment to create a solid and air-tight connection
Implementation Method 2
which can be molten together with the material of the mantles
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5
AI summary
A method is described for arranging a protective coat around a section (7) of a pipeline (1) that consists of a metal pipe (2, 3) provided with a plastic protective mantle (5, 6), which protective mantle (5, 6) is interrupted or removed at the location of said section (7). Around said section (7) and partly overlapping with edge parts of the protective mantle (5, 6), a plate (10) is bent, the plate being made of a plastic material that can be molten together with the material of the protective mantle (5, 6), with thermal tapes (50) interposed at the location of interfaces (35) between the protective mantle (5, 6) and the plate (10). The plate is attached to the edge parts of the protective mantle (5, 6) by Ohmic heating.