TUBE PRODUCTION, PRE-INSULATED TUBULAR RODS

Abstract

A method and production plant for producing pre-insulated tubular rods, includes: feeding an endless medium tube to a transport unit of a production plant, transporting the endless medium tube in the axial direction, applying a foamed insulating layer to the outer circumference of the endless medium tube during transport of the endless medium tube, applying an outer layer to the outer circumference of the insulating layer, dividing the pre-insulated endless tube into individual pre-insulated tubular rods, wherein individual tubular medium rods are fed to the production plant and are connected to one another to form the endless medium tube.

Claims

1. A method for producing pre-insulated tubular rods comprising: feeding an endless medium tube to a transport unit of a production plant, transporting the endless medium tube in the axial direction, applying a foamed insulating layer to the outer circumference of the endless medium tube during transport of the endless medium tube, applying an outer layer to the outer circumference of the insulating layer, dividing the pre-insulated endless tube into individual pre-insulated tubular rods, wherein individual tubular medium rods are fed to the production plant and are connected to one another to form the endless medium tube.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein transport takes place continuously.

3. A method according to either of claim 1, wherein the outer surface of the endless medium tube or of the tubular medium rods is treated to improve adhesion of the insulating layer.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the outer surface of the endless medium tube is plasma-treated.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the individual tubular medium rods are fed in succession to a connecting station by means of a feed station at the start of the production plant.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the tubular medium rods fed in are joined together at their ends during the continuous transport.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein the tubular medium rods fed in are butt-welded during the continuous transport.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein the tubular medium rods fed in are connected by means of a tube connector.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein the tube connector is arranged on the inner circumference of the two successive tubular medium rod ends, and a frictional engagement is formed between the tube connector and each of the two tubular medium rod ends in order to ensure the transport of the endless medium tube in the axial direction.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein the division of the pre-insulated endless tube into individual pre-insulated tubular rods takes place at the position of the connection point of the individual tubular medium rods.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein identification of the connection point is accomplished by way of section tracking or by detection.

12. A production plant for producing pre-insulated tubular rods according to claim 1, comprising a transport unit for feeding and transporting an endless medium tube in the axial direction, an insulating station for applying a foamed insulating layer to the outer circumference of the endless medium tube, a jacketing station for applying the outer layer to the outer circumference of the insulating layer, and a dividing station for dividing the pre-insulated endless tube into individual pre-insulated tubular rods, wherein the production plant has a tubular medium rod connecting station.

13. A production plant according to claim 12, wherein the production plant has a feed station for feeding in the tubular medium rods.

14. A production plant according to claim 12, wherein the insulating station has a reaction casting machine and a corrugator.

15. A production plant according to claim 12, wherein the production plant has a treatment station for treating the outer circumference of the medium tube.

Description

[0040] An exemplary embodiment of the invention is described with reference to the FIGURES, wherein the invention is not restricted only to the exemplary embodiment. In the drawing:

[0041] FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of a production plant according to the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

[0042] The image depicted in FIG. 1 shows a schematically illustrated production plant 1 according to the invention. The production plant comprises at least one transport unit 2 for feeding in and continuously transporting the endless medium tube and also the pre-insulated endless tube in the axial direction. Arranged after this in the transport direction, the production plant 1 has an insulating station 3 for applying a foamed insulating layer to the outer circumference of the endless medium tube. For jacketing the insulating layer, the production plant 1 has a jacketing station 4 after the insulating station. This forms the extruded outer layer around the outer circumference of the insulating layer. In order to cut the pre-insulated endless tube into pre-insulated tubular rods, a dividing station 6 is arranged at the end, the said station subdividing the pre-insulated endless tube into pre-insulated tubular rods. Wherein the subdivision takes place at the connection points of the tubular medium rods. This is preferably identified by the plant by means of section tracking or by detection by the insertion at the connection point of a detectableobject, e.g. a metal element.

[0043] Arranged at the start of the production plant 1 there is preferably a feed station 8, which feeds the tubular medium rods to the production plant 1 or the tubular medium rod connecting station 7. These are then connected to one another in the downstream tubular medium rod connecting station 7. This is accomplished, for example, by means of a butt-welding machine or by inserting a tube connector into the ends of the tubular medium rods and connecting the tube ends to the tube connector by frictional engagement. It has proven advantageous if the insulating station 3 has a reaction casting machine 10 and a corrugator 9 in order to apply the insulating layer and enable it to cure.