Reinforced Plastic Pipe Welding With Partial Tape Fusion

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

The existing methods for producing reinforced plastic pipes, which involve heating the entire contact surface of tape layers for welding or fusion, result in inefficient throughput due to slow heating times and high costs, and lead to irregularities and failure of the product due to thermal expansion and mechanical weakness from excessive tape layers.

Innovation Solution

Implementing local or discrete welding or fusion of plastic tape layers on a plastic core pipe, where only specific points or lines are welded instead of the entire contact surface, allowing for partial welds such as spot or strip welds, and varying their distribution based on pipe diameter and tape width, to reduce heating and enhance mechanical strength.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the entire contact surface of tape layers is heated for welding or fusion, then adhesion between tape layers and pipe is improved, but production time increases and costs rise

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveadhesionVSAvoidproduction time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The welding process is segmented from full-surface heating to localized spot welding or line welding at specific positions along the tape layer contact surface. This segmentation maintains sufficient adhesion through targeted welding zones while dramatically reducing the heating time and production cycle

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of applying uniform heating across the entire contact surface, the invention applies heating locally at specific spots or lines where welding is most critical. This local quality approach concentrates thermal energy where needed for adhesion while avoiding unnecessary heating of other areas, thus reducing overall production time

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Reliability

If the entire contact surface of tape layers is heated for welding or fusion, then adhesion between tape layers and pipe is improved, but manufacturing costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveadhesionVSAvoidmanufacturing cost
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The welding operation is divided into discrete spot welds or line welds rather than continuous full-surface welding. This segmentation reduces the total energy consumption and material usage (such as welding rod or heating medium), thereby lowering manufacturing costs while maintaining adequate adhesion at critical locations

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Heating and welding resources are concentrated locally at specific contact surface positions rather than being distributed uniformly across the entire surface. This local quality strategy reduces energy consumption and operational costs while achieving sufficient adhesion where it matters most for structural integrity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Reliability

If multiple thin glass fiber reinforced tape layers are applied, then thermal insulation properties are improved, but thermal expansion irregularities occur

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvethermal insulationVSAvoiddimensional stability
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The heating process is segmented into localized spot welds distributed across multiple tape layers rather than continuous full-surface heating. This segmentation allows each spot to reach welding temperature quickly without causing cumulative thermal expansion across the entire pipe structure, thereby maintaining dimensional stability while achieving the required thermal insulation through multiple layers

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The welding process applies heat periodically at discrete locations and times rather than continuously across the entire surface. This periodic action allows thermal energy to be delivered in controlled bursts that achieve adhesion without causing excessive or irregular thermal expansion of the pipe and tape layers

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

4Reliability

If full-surface welding is performed on each tape layer, then adhesion is improved, but mechanical strength decreases due to excessive tape layers

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveadhesionVSAvoidmechanical strength
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The welding process is segmented to apply adhesion only at critical spot locations or along specific line paths rather than across the entire contact surface of each tape layer. This segmentation reduces the total number of tape layers needed to achieve sufficient structural strength, as each spot weld creates a concentrated bond point that contributes more effectively to overall mechanical integrity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of applying full-surface welding (excessive action) on every tape layer, the invention uses partial welding at strategically selected positions. This partial action is sufficient to achieve the required adhesion while avoiding the creation of overly thick or redundant tape layer configurations that would compromise mechanical strength

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

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 reduces production costs, minimizes thermal expansion issues, and enhances the mechanical strength and durability of the reinforced plastic pipes by avoiding full-surface welding, resulting in a more efficient and reliable manufacturing process.

Implementation Method 1

welding the first tape onto the pipe 1 and welding subsequent tape layers onto underlying tape layers

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectWelding: Welding

Implementation Method 2

heating of the pipe 1 for successive adhesion, welding or fusion of the tape layers 2, 3

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectHeating: Heating

Data Source

PatentEP3931478B1Method of providing reinforced plastic pipes and resulting products
Publication Date: 2023.08.30 IFLEX LTD W L L
  • EP3931478B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3931478B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP3931478B1 patent drawingFigure 5

AI summary

Method of providing reinforced plastic pipes and resulting products, forming reinforced plastic pipe, comprising a plastic pipe (1), at least an inner tape layer (2) and a further tape layer (3), of which the innermost tape layer comprises a plastic tape wound on the pipe or onto an innermost plastic tape layer, and the subsequently arranged further tape layer comprises at least one further plastic tape, windingly layered on top of the inner tape layer, wherein the inner tape layer and the further tape layer comprise a joint partial weld relative to an inner contact surface thereof on either the pipe or the innermost plastic tape layer.