Polypropylene pipes due to operational parameters, aesthetic appearance and ease of assembly, are often used in the installation of engineering communications. Thanks to the reinforcement technology, the reliability and durability of pipes increase while maintaining all the technological characteristics of polypropylene, pipes are not only comparable in their qualities to metal pipes, but also surpass them.
However, for long-term and reliable operation of the piping system, proper processing is necessary, cleaning the ends when connecting.
The reinforced pipe is a product with three layers: two polypropylene and one reinforcing. Structural reinforcing shell ensures strength retention in case of sudden temperature changes.
Such an indicator as the coefficient of thermal elongation is 6% higher for pipes with aluminum reinforcement, which increases the durability and reliability of the pipeline in which reinforced pipes are used.
The presence of an aluminum layer in the polymer pipe allows you to maintain high temperatures and prevents breakage of communications in the system. Tempera tour jumps are compensated due to the flexibility of the reinforcing base. Reinforcement is performed in two ways:
- With fiberglass.
- With aluminum foil.
Reinforced products are produced both with a solid sheet of aluminum foil and in the form of a mesh with perforations. The viscous polymer flows through the aluminum holes and creates a strong bond with protective layer, increasing the reliability of tubular products even at elevated high-temperature loads.
Why is cleaning required?
If fiberglass reinforcement does not require additional cleaning of the ends of the pipes, then when installing with aluminum, it must be removed and cleaned.
During installation, molten aluminum does not provide a hermetic connection with propylene, and it is required to exclude metal contact with water at the junctions of pipes and fittings, and to avoid corrosive processes.
Attention! During the cleaning process, the oxidized layer is removed and different kind surface contamination polypropylene pipes. Thus, the edge of the pipeline is prepared for a reliable welding joint.
Cleaning methods and technology
Starting the installation of reinforced pipes, you must first select a stripping tool. It can be both manual and mechanical devices.
Metal in household communications is gradually being replaced various materials from polymers. The properties of polypropylene are especially attractive to the consumer, allowing it to be used for all household communications.
Polypropylene is resistant to corrosion and deposits, does not change properties under the influence of aggressive chemicals. Water transported through systems made of this material does not lose its properties. Important throughput due to the perfectly smooth inner surface.
Types of reinforcement
Unreinforced polypropylene is characterized by low thermal conductivity and resistance to high temperature. Over time, it changes shape. This property is called fluidity, which requires the installation of fasteners every 50 cm of the pipeline.
Fluidity is especially pronounced when elevated temperature internal environment. The main purpose of reinforcement is to reduce this quality. After reinforcement, the polypropylene material becomes more rigid, sags less when laid in a horizontal position, which makes the system more stable.
The aluminum tape reduces the coefficient of linear expansion to a level that is comparable to this indicator. metal products. In addition, aluminum contributes to a decrease in oxygen conductivity. Yet better quality when reinforced with fiberglass. This material makes installation easier than aluminum tape as there is no need for stripping prior to soldering. It is also important that products with fiberglass are cheaper than products with aluminum tape.
For reinforcement, solid or perforated aluminum foil can be used. It can be located near the outer shell or in the middle of the wall. The solid foil is bonded to the polypropylene with hot melt adhesive. The use of low-quality raw materials in the production entails delamination during operation.
A similar phenomenon is impossible if perforated aluminum is used for reinforcement. Holes in the foil make it possible to create a monolithic connection between plastic and aluminum without using glue.
When choosing polypropylene products, it should be borne in mind that some manufacturers, in order to reduce costs, use low-quality raw materials and make pipes have too thin walls. This entails delamination and instability to internal pressure. By external signs, it is quite difficult to distinguish a high-quality product from a low-quality one. You need to purchase material with the thickest walls (that is, one with a heavier running meter).
Recently, polypropylene pipes reinforced with fiberglass have appeared on the market. Sometimes they are called fiberglass. If an aluminum-reinforced product, in fact, consists of five layers, then the use of fiberglass makes it possible to obtain a material with a monolithic structure, since the middle layer is the same polypropylene, but mixed with fiberglass. All three layers are not glued, but welded, which completely eliminates delamination.
However, fiberglass-reinforced products still have one drawback - their linear expansion is 6% greater than when using aluminum. Why do we need stripping for polypropylene pipes before soldering. Some reinforced products must be stripped before soldering to remove the outer layer of polypropylene and aluminum foil, which prevents a strong connection with the fitting.
Stripping reinforced polypropylene pipes is always required when aluminum is used for reinforcement, and regardless of where the foil is located. The only difference is the tool used. If aluminum is located in the middle of the wall, a trimmer is used. Fiberglass reinforced material does not require stripping, since it is all made of polypropylene.
Stripping tool
The cleaning tool for polypropylene pipes makes it possible to work with products with a diameter of 16 to 110 mm. For diameters up to 63 mm, double-sided couplings are produced, which allows you to clean the ends with two different diameters if the aluminum layer is located at the outer surface. The knives of this tool are made of non-blunt steel.
If the foil is located in the middle of the wall, a polypropylene pipe trimmer is required, equipped with adjustable knives, which makes it possible to adjust the tool to any diameter. Just like the coupling, the trimmer has a double-sided design (for two different diameters).
Facing polypropylene pipes is cutting the foil from the end to the welding depth. If this procedure is not carried out correctly, aluminum will interfere with the creation reliable connection between the elements of the system, that is, the welding seam will not be of sufficient quality. During the operation of the system, water will interact with aluminum, which can lead to leakage and rust formation in heating appliances.
Another way to solve the problem of "how to strip a polypropylene pipe" is a nozzle on a drill (shaver). This method is used for a large amount of work to strip the outer layer of polypropylene and remove the reinforcing aluminum layer, if it is located at the outer surface. The body of the shaver is made of aluminum, the knives are made of tool steel.
Thanks to the shaver, stripping for polypropylene pipes is automated, facilitating and speeding up installation with a large amount of work.
Processing reinforced, polypropylene, plastic and profile pipes before welding is a mandatory procedure. It allows you to achieve a high-quality and reliable connection, which is completely resistant to physical and mechanical influences. The welded zone will not crack and detach when stretched.
By cleaning and removing the oxide layer from the pipe, it is possible to create the most suitable surface that will set well when electrofusion welding in domestic and industrial conditions.
All cleaning elements are divided into two categories - manual and electric. Hand tools include:
- duralumin stripping cylinder type, with knives made of tool steel;
- plastic scrapers with a sharpened blade;
- constructive, washer and trapezoidal chamfers;
- scrapers for removing the oxide layer from plastic pipes(in the form of solid structures);
- tools for cleaning pipes from burrs (cone and gripping type) and others.
For electric:
- mounted scrapers on a drill;
- stripping under the perforator;
- bevelers for a drill;
- as well as , shavers, various devices and machines.
Each tool has its own application features, which are based on criteria such as, - pipe size and type, material of manufacture of the product, fixture functionality, model and manufacturer.
In list top brands houses Reed, Virax, Ritmo, ADR Tech, Rothenberger, Ridgid and Rems. Stripping for plastic pipes of all these companies is implemented in the ProfTehSnab online store.
Why is it better for you to buy stripping tools from us?
Not every store has such an extensive collection of pipe cleaning equipment. different type. This catalog contains tools that perform cleaning and surface treatment of pipes before their direct welding.
If this is a reinforced pipe and you need to remove a plastic and partially aluminum layer from it, then the Ritmo shaver presented on the site is perfect.
If pipe preparation is required to remove burrs and oxide layers, then products from Reed, Rems, ADR Tech, etc. are suitable.
All products meet high quality standards and have the necessary certification documents from the manufacturer.
The company offers only reliable tools for different pipe diameters and types of welding. All of them have the following qualities:
- not heavy , are light in weight;
- simple and easy to use;
- sharp ends are protected from blunting;
- blades and others metal elements do not give in to the corrosive effect;
- housings are made of high quality plastic, steel and rubberized materials;
- equipped with comfortable removable handles;
- have a fairly low cost;
- them service maintenance possibly in ProfTechSnab.
Stripping for plastic pipes - this is an important event that should not be missed when welding. Otherwise, the connections will not be reliable and may be deformed at the very first loads of the coolant (if it is a pipeline for water supply and home heating), mechanical stress (if fiber optics are planned, electrical wires and communication cables) and chemical influences (when hazardous substances of gaseous, granular and liquid type are allowed through the pipeline).
The use of pipes in composite metal structures is very beneficial: pipes give joints increased strength and rigidity, while reducing the mass of the assembly. However, the pairing of pipes with each other is laborious and requires special preparation of the ends. This work can be facilitated by using special tools - pipe trimmers.
The principle of operation of the trimmer for metal pipes
The task of the pipe trimmer is to minimize the gaps that inevitably occur when fitting the ends manually, as well as to give the welded joint sufficient aesthetics.
It is known that when connecting and tie-in steel pipes, depending on the angle of their mutual inclination and diameter, the mutual conjugation curve can be a parabola, an arc, or even a straight line. Therefore, it is very difficult to perform a successful pairing by analytical calculation. The problem can be solved by spatial 3D modeling using the well-known KOMPAS or AutoCAD programs, but in practice they do things differently.
In serial production, pipe trimming is carried out using milling machine equipped with a dividing head. The method is accurate, but requires appropriate equipment, which is not always available. home master. At the same time, having a powerful drill for metal (from 1000 W) and a hole cutter, you can quickly profile the end of any pipe.
Industrial versions of such devices in the special literature are called tube notchers (slot cutters, although they are also capable of performing curved contours).
The pipe trimmer includes:
- A shaft, at one end of which there is a seat for a drill chuck, and at the other end there is a seat for a hole cutter.
- Bearing assembly, rotating in which, the shaft receives the necessary rigidity.
- Body, sometimes with a vise for clamping a tubular workpiece.
- Rotary device, with which the workpiece can be positioned at the desired angle.
- Adjusting screw.
With the help of the trimmers under consideration, it is possible to mate pipes with a diameter of 6 ... 75 mm, which in most cases is quite enough. The range of change of mating angles is from 45 to 210 0 . It should be noted that the crown cutter is not included in the device.
For processing long pipes, manual pipe trimmers with a chain clamp are used, and for short products, the supporting and guiding parts of the device are combined in one unit. The safety of work is ensured by the presence of retaining rings, which limit the longitudinal movement of the shaft.
The shaft is the most structurally complex element of the trimmer. First, it must receive longitudinal movement as the cutter penetrates the pipe metal. Secondly, during milling, vibrations are created, which are caused by a sharp fluctuation in the torque of the base power tool. Therefore, the shaft is made polished, has a sliding fit of high quality accuracy, and the bearings used are needle type, which allow compensation of axial and radial loads.
The price of such devices is from 8000 to 50000 rubles. At the same time, all pipe trimmers of the TT size range are quite compact devices that are fixed in a cartridge lathe. The electric drill is fixed in the same way. When processing pipes of small diameter, the device can rest directly on the floor of the workshop.
Do-it-yourself pipe trimmer
In the mass production of shaped profiled pipes (for example, in sports auto and motorcycle workshops, or in plumbing repair sites), a manual pipe trimmer can be made independently. For this, the initial scheme of the trimmer, which is shown in the figure, is made under the blanks available to the home master.
The design consists of the following parts:
- Base in which milled grooves are made for mounting a jig. In turn, the shape of the base can be adapted to the existing workbench, work table, etc.
- L-shaped bracket with three longitudinal grooves, the presence of which allows you to fix pipes of different diameters in the fixture.
- Crawlers with adjusting and clamping screw.
- Replaceable presser foot.
- A bracket that presses the foot to the crawler with screws.
- Bearing unit.
- A pivot arm that serves as a bearing surface for the bearing assembly.
- A shaft that does not structurally differ from a similar part of industrial trimmers.
For the manufacture of the shaft, you can use the front shock absorber strut of a car (for example, VAZ - they are easier to get in a car service). In addition, the steel grade of the shock absorber strut in terms of its strength and performance characteristics fully complies with the rigidity requirements for high-quality trimming of steel (and, especially, aluminum) pipes. The guides of the rack itself are suitable for guiding the shaft: they have a surface wear-resistant coating based on anti-friction alloys. The ends of the rack, of course, are subject to additional processing - for fastening in a drill chuck, and for installing a hole cutter.
Needle bearings should be pressed into the guides, the size of which is selected according to the dimensions of the guides. Two bearings installed in the guide from the return stroke cylinders of the decommissioned hydraulic press will provide the necessary rigidity and parallelism of the main working unit of the trimmer. Bearings are installed simultaneously from both ends of the housing.
The available advice regarding the installation of fluoroplastic guides should be taken with skepticism, since the bearing capacity of fluoroplastic is much lower than that of bearings.
For the manufacture of other elements of a home-made pipe trimmer, you can use shaped rolled products - corners or channels of the appropriate size. Profiling and making grooves are best done on a jig milling machine, thereby guaranteeing their accuracy and parallelism. It will not be difficult to make a clamping device, for which a new clamp with the required diameter and length is suitable.
The swivel lever must have sufficient rigidity, so for its manufacture it is necessary to use a strip with a thickness of at least 12 ... 16 mm. On the part of the body where the swivel arm is installed, it is worth applying angular risks, along which it is easier to position the pipe.
Trimmer for polypropylene pipes
The need to process the end elements of such pipes is due to the following:
- Low durability of reinforced polypropylene pipes, especially with significant temperature differences;
- Ensuring a stronger connection of the reinforced pipe with reinforcement parts, for which it is necessary to remove part of the aluminum foil;
- For fiberglass pipes, where the aluminum reinforcement is always located in the middle of the pipe wall.
Trimmer for polypropylene pipes with reinforcement includes:
- Two couplings sized to allow stripping of pipe ends of different diameters (typically 16 to 120 mm).
- Replaceable steel knives.
- Pair of rotary handles.
- Aluminium case.
- Nozzle for electric drill (shaver).
A shaver is required for external trimming of pipes. It consists of two parts - a guide, which is made of durable D16T duralumin, and a hard-alloy cutting part. When introduced into the pipe, the latter rests on the guide, after which the drill is turned on (you can also use a puncher) and a part of the reinforcing layer of the pipe is cut out. Since the shaver has a certain length, the trimming for different pipes is always done at the same length, which facilitates their subsequent connection.
The price of a trimmer-nozzle for polypropylene pipes depends on the diameter, and is 400 ... 2000 rubles. Manual type trimmers are cheaper: from 250 to 800 rubles.
Quite often, ridiculous situations happen to people. For example, when starting to repair the pipeline in the house, the owner calls the installers. Of course, specialists take a certain amount of money for their work. The final price is formed from the amount of materials spent, as well as the actions that they performed. Starting to understand, the customer does not always understand what kind of actions and why they were committed by specialists, as a result starting a dispute.
Undoubtedly, in this situation, the customer looks ridiculous, because, without understanding, he disputes the final cost. In order to avoid such a situation, especially regarding the replacement of old pipes with new ones, polypropylene, you should independently figure out what a trimmer for polypropylene pipes is and why it is needed.
Undoubtedly, they are the most popular today, as they are endowed with a number of advantages. However, in addition to a large number of advantages, polypropylene also has a number of features that should be considered when choosing this material. Do not forget two very important factors when choosing these pipes:
- the maximum temperature of the liquid should not exceed 95 degrees. Based on the current standards, such pipes can be used for laying hot water supply, since the water temperature, according to them, is limited to this particular mark. However, unforeseen circumstances also happen, but rarely;
- thermal expansion has a high coefficient. The flexibility of the material is able to compensate for this factor, however, in certain cases, the deformation of the pipe can adversely affect. An example is hidden pipes under plaster.
Reinforcement solves both problems to some extent. Of course, the reinforcement copes well with thermal expansion, in addition, it also prevents the plastic from softening and deforming at high heating temperatures. However, the correct installation of the pipeline from requires some knowledge, including how to use the trimmer.
To date, there are two options for reinforcing a polypropylene pipe:
- using aluminum foil. In this case, the aluminum layer varies between 0.1 mm and 0.5 mm. This layer can be located both outside the product and inside it. Connected aluminum with plastic by means of glue;
- with fiberglass mesh. The design of such pipes consists of three layers - polypropylene, a mixture of fiberglass and polypropylene, polypropylene.
Not many people know, especially when taking on an independent change and installation of a pipeline, that it is imperative to strip the reinforcement before installation. But this is very important!
What is it for?
The need for stripping
It is a simple process consisting of several stages. Each stage involves the use of a special tool, without which stripping cannot be done. One such tool is a polypropylene pipe trimmer. It should be noted that with fiberglass reinforcement, stripping is not required, since the mesh is securely hidden between polypropylene layers, which saves it from contact with water.
In the case of external or internal aluminum reinforcement, stripping is required in without fail. So, in the first version, the foil covers the upper surface of the pipe. Installation of the pipeline involves the connection of its individual elements by means of a fitting or gluing. In this case, a slight melting of both surfaces of the pipe is required. Of course, the polypropylene alloy will in some way weld with aluminum, which will negatively affect the reliability of the structure, and it will crumble over time. This can be easily avoided by stripping the foil.
The second option, when the foil is conveniently located inside the pipe, involves trimming polypropylene pipes, since aluminum will be in direct contact with water. If we omit the facing procedure, then the slightest potential difference will lead to the destruction of the structure as a result of electrochemical processes.
Instruments
The easiest way to remove the foil is for external reinforcement. Help in this matter simple tools– couplings with steel blades inside. They are easy to use, you just need to insert the pipe into the coupling cavity and turn, the blades will do their job quickly and clearly. It is very convenient to use double-sided couplings, with which it is easy to produce having a different diameter from each other.
Internal cleaning is carried out by means of a trimmer. Externally, the design of the trimmer is practically no different from the design of the couplings. So, this tool is a clutch, the blades of which are located on the side of the inner end of the device. As in the first option, it is necessary to insert the pipe into the cavity of the device and make several turns.
A universal tool with which you can remove reinforcement, both internal and external, is a drill with special nozzles. Outwardly, they differ from the same facer in the presence of a steel rod, which is necessary for installation in a drill socket.
Trimmer - what is it?
Above, a few words were mentioned about the trimmer and why pipes need to be trimmed. It is worth taking a closer look at this tool and understanding its device. Quite often you can hear another name for the trimmer - a stripping tool for stripping the middle layer. This name is fully justified by the specialization of the tool, with which it is easy to clean the internal reinforcement of the pipe.
The trimmer device for polypropylene pipes allows in no time to clean the pipe from the foil to the depth required to connect it to the fitting. Inside the tool are steel knives, which, when the tool is turned, carefully cut the foil to the required level.
It should be noted that modern trimmers are equipped with a system of adjustable knives. Thanks to this, it became possible to purchase a one-time tool that is suitable for working with pipes. different manufacturers. With the help of the regulator, you can quickly adjust the knives to any level of foil placement. In addition, there are trimmers on sale, on both sides of which there are cavities designed for pipes. various diameters. This approach also avoids spending money on the purchase of an additional tool.
When carrying out permanent cleaning work, it is recommended to purchase a nozzle for a drill in the form of a trimmer. In this case, a person does not need to clean the pipe manually. The drill allows you to process a large number of pipes in a short period of time without the use of physical force.
It is worth saying that automatic cleaning is advisable only for large and regular volumes of work. One-time trimming should be done manually. It is important to remember that polypropylene is a soft material, and the slightest deviation will damage the pipe. Manual trimming is incapable of harming the product.
Dimensions and cost
Today on sale you can find a large number of varieties of tools, and the trimmer is no exception. The cost of this tool varies from 300 rubles to 1000. Of course, you can find a product at a higher price. When choosing a tool, you must carefully examine its condition. There should be no damage or burrs. Any flaw may damage the pipe when it is placed in the trimmer, or the pipe may not enter it at all. No less attention should be paid to the condition of the blades. It is important that they are made of steel, the softer material may be damaged by contact with aluminum or fail to cut through it.
Replacement blades for the tool can also be found on sale. Of course, over time and with frequent use, they can become unusable. Replacing blades is much easier than buying a new tool. The most popular today are facers designed for pipes of the following sizes:
- 20/25 mm;
- 32/40 mm;
- 50/63 mm.
The cost of a product depends on its size. So, a trimmer for small pipes will cost much less than an analogue designed for pipes with dimensions of 50/63 mm.
