PIH - Pipeline Induction Heat

In order to provide a totally compatible field joint coating system for 3 layer polyolefin coated pipelines, PIH developed a new heat assisted spirally wrapped tape application machine.

The system utilises existing equipment for abrasive blasting / surface preparation and application of a fusion bonded epoxy (FBE) plus chemically modified polypropylene (CMPP) or polyethylene (CMPE) dual powder base layers. This is now followed immediately by the new machine applied single layer polypropylene (PP) or polyethylene (PE) tape.

This ensures:

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• Total integration between factory and field joint coatings
• Comparable performance (i.e. no 'weak-link')
• Better quality
• Automatic machine application - repeatable results
• Faster cycle - times
• Reduced material wastage Improved mechanical / physical properties
• A tougher coating (with high early strength)

This polypropylene tape field joint coating system provides vastly superior technical and operational performance when compared to other currently available polypropylene field joint coating systems. Furthermore, close examination of the field joint has shown no discernible interface between the factory and field joint coatings.

The concept of polypropylene single layer heat-assisted tape, results in complete fusion between both the individual layers of spirally wrapped tape to one another and to the factory coating overlap.

This system now has an extensive track record of use on overland and offshore pipelines, as well as in spoolbases.

By careful material selection (i.e. same brand and type / temperature rating as the factory coating) together with PIH's new automatic application machine, the finished coating exhibits total fusion, not only between the progressive layers of spirally wrapped tape, but also between the field joint and factory polyolefin systems.