In today's complex world, political wars aren't the only ones being waged. Pipeline coatings manufacturers are slugging it out over economics, making the industry brutually competitive. But Polyken Technologies is bringing a new weapon to battle – and its introduction places the business unit once again at the industry's front line.
"The Synergy Fused Plant Coating System – a revolutionary concept in pipeline coatings technology – is the first product of its kind offering both the economical advantages of a tape and the tough mechanical protection of a fused coating," notes Ron Martin, Polyken's director of marketing-pipeline.
In the ever-changing global marketplace, good ideas alone aren't good enough. Fast follow-through on these ideas is essential for success. Last year, during a visit to one of Polyken's plant coaters in Midland, Texas, business unit president Fred Zeitvogel and a team from R&D and Marketing brainstormed the idea for this new product. From concept to commercialization, the Synergy System was developed within only twelve months.
According to Martin, what sets the Synergy System apart from conventional tape coatings is its unique heat fusion application process, which allows the inner and outer wraps (see sidebar) to melt together into a single coating. This eliminates any edges that could potentially slip, causing the pipe to be exposed -- and hence become susceptible to corrosion and stress-corrosion cracking.
Pipes coated with the Synergy System can withstand the mechanical abuse that often occurs during transportation, installation and backfill; ordinary pressure-sensitive tapes cannot.
|
