Updated: 13th February 2017 Poly Fusion pipe is a term for thermo plastic pipe made from high density polyethylene (HDPE) material that can be heated until molten and then reformed. It is robust, semi-rigid, and very strong, without being brittle or prone to cracking. It has outstanding chemical and environmental 'stress crack resistance' and has been successfully used in a wide variety of piping applications for well over 40 years. The exceptional benefits of Poly Fusion piping makes it the perfect choice for all of your future requirements.
BUTT FUSION WELDING
One very popular type of HDPE welding is butt welding. Butt-fusion involves the heating of two plastic pipe butt ends to a set temperature, then bringing them together to cool whilst under significant pressure, to form a permanent, monolithic, leak-free system.
Unlike the welding process developed for other plastics, the Butt Welding process for Poly Piping is proven and has been used by the water and gas industries for over 30 years. Butt welding is not difficult to perform and if required, your personnel can be easily trained in the process in one to two days. We like to view it as an investment in the reputation of your company.
Below is a 4 minute video of an automated CNC Ritmo butt fusion weld in process.
Electrofusion WELDING
Electrofusion is widely accepted in the piping industry as being the easiest and most cost effective method of jointing HDPE. Electrofusion involves a simple coupling which contains a winding of copper wire within the plastic, which, when connected to an electrofusion welder, heats the electrofusion socket and the poly, melting the plastic. If correctly prepared, the electrofusion socket and the pipe become homogeneous (permanently joined together to form a common part) and cannot be separated, even with a considerable amount of force, the joint will not fail.
Alternative Jointing Methods
Additional methods can also be used for jointing, such as with Poly Stub Flange or Mechanical jointing systems, i.e. gibaults or compression couplings. These types of jointing are generally known to be more prone to leaking, however in some instances onsite power is not required.
Resistant to Corrosion
Corrosion is one of the most commonly known problems associated with all types of metallic piping systems. It occurs both inside and outside the pipe and affects flow performance. Unlike metallic types, Poly Fusion Piping does not rust, rot or corrode and is resistant to almost all types of biological growth. This means a vastly extended service life and long term cost savings, with substantial return on investment and minimised maintenance costs due to negligible downtime, maximising the profitability of our clients and improving their reputability.
UV Resistance
Poly Fusion Piping is UV resistant, being UV stable and it will not structurally degrade from UV light. After a lengthy period of direct UV light, the external surface of the pipe changes visually to a slightly waxy look, but this does not affect the performance of the pipe and is removed by rotary scraping prior to electrofusion welding.
Resistant to Fatigue
Outstanding resistance to fatigue is one huge benefit that cannot be overlooked. Unlike other plastic piping, HDPE is designed and pressure rated to handle the kind of occasional and recurring surge events that are common in water distribution systems. In many instances, this will enable you to utilise a thinner wall thickness compared to other types of polyethylene piping. HDPE’s ability to withstand ground movement means that it was the only type of pipe system to endure the major quakes in Kobe, Japan in the mid 1990s and has since been utilised in the vast majority of new pipelines installed in New Zealand since the devastating Christchurch earthquakes of 2011. Being a very safe and exceptionally durable product, we can guarantee with huge amount of confidence, that it's the ideal material for your upcoming underground piping infrastructure project. Why not start today?
Service Life
The service life of polyethylene piping is estimated to be between 50 to 100 years, depending on application, design and installation. In Australia, polyethylene piping has been used in pipeline installations since the 1980’s, whilst overseas, especially in Europe, it has been used successfully since the early 1970’s, with virtually no longevity failures recorded to date. You can confidently expect a correctly installed HDPE pipeline to outlast your lifetime and quite probably your children's lifetime also. We have many satisfied clients who say that they chose polyethylene pipe because they knew that it would last not only their lifetime, but also their children's lifetime without needing replacement or repairs. Using HDPE for your pipeline material gives you so much confidence, because of its ability to withstand whatever nature will chuck at it for years to come.
