How to Make Corrugated Polyethylene Pipe

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How to Make Corrugated Polyethylene Pipe

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How to Make Corrugated Polyethylene Pipe

Samantha Parsons

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Polyethylene's uses extend beyond pallets to include piping, which has numerous applications and forms. Today, we will focus on one specific type: Corrugated Polyethylene Pipe. These pipes effectively prevent street flooding. Here’s how these pipes are made from high-density polyethylene plastic (HDPE):

• The factory blends three types of HDPE pellets (proportions depend on the pipe’s intended use):
  • Plain pellets
  • Recycled pellets
  • UV-resistant pellets
• A mixer transfers the pellets to an extruder, heating them to about 450°F to liquefy them.
• The extruder injects the liquefied HDPE into a corrugated pipe-shaped mold. Vacuum pressure ensures even distribution of the HDPE.
• A built-in cooling system hardens the plastic as the pipe is extracted from the mold and passes through cold water.
• Perforators puncture holes along the pipe's circumference, which serve two purposes:
  • Reduce the pipe’s weight, making transportation and installation easier
  • Allow water to enter and flow through the pipe to the drainage point
• A machine wraps the pipe in polyester filter cloth, completing the corrugated polyethylene pipe, which is then ready for packaging and shipping.
• The highly automated packaging line coils the pipe, securing it in multiple spots to prevent unraveling during transit. The filter cloth protects against dirt, moisture, and light.

How a Corrugated Pipe is Made

The twin-wall corrugated pipe is crafted from polyethylene or polypropylene, and is used in applications such as cable conduits or non-pressurized sewerage distribution networks, largely installed underground and outside buildings.

Production technology remains consistent across manufacturers with the primary difference being how ring stiffness is achieved, either by altering corrugation height/spacing or rib thickness.

The process, known as co-extrusion, involves an extrusion head that emits material from two concentric dies. The outer corrugation is formed by moving dies that mimic a caterpillar-like movement.

Steps in Manufacturing Twin-Wall Corrugated Pipes

• Polyethylene (or polypropylene) grains are transported from storage bins to extruder hoppers. The capacity of the two extruders varies based on material usage for the pipe’s walls, with the inner wall making up about 2/5 of the total mass.
• The external die creates a “pipe” by pushing and sucking the fluid material to conform to the inner die’s walls, forming the corrugation.
• The inner die extrudes a second pipe, shaping it through a cooling mandrel that controls its circular form and diameter.
• Near the cooling mandrel, the high-temperature corrugation merges with the inner layer. Extrusion and die feed speeds are calibrated for a uniform structure, with software controlling parameters and special valves managing vacuum and air.
• The co-extruded pipe is initially cooled by water-cooled dies maintaining a steady temperature before being water-cooled and cut to the desired length.

The result is an underground corrugated pipe featuring a smooth inner wall and a corrugated outer wall.

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