News

Colour coding for safety

More than 1.4km of colour coded water and air pipes were installed to supply processing equipment such as soy bean tanks and pneumatic machinery at the Fortune Soy facility in Padstow, NSW, a leading manufacturer of soy food products.

The initial installation commenced service in early 2005 and has been expanded and changed on an ongoing basis as production needs change.

Typically weighing eight times less than steel, CalAir Air-Pro and Water-Pro pipe systems are reusable, relocatable, and recyclable, as well as being permanently colour-coded for safety according to the gases and liquids they carry.

The system is typically three to four times quicker to install than traditional pipe lines.

Fortune Soy managing director Henry Aw was impressed by the flexibility of the pipes.

Benefits

Fortune Soy’s pneumatic pipe systems are coloured aqua and the Water-Pro pipes are coloured green in accordance with Australian Standard 1345-1995.

The other CalAir Systems are coded beige for gas, red for fire services, violet for acids and alkalines, brown for oil and black for waste.

“The initial installation commenced service in early 2005 and has been expanded and changed on an ongoing basis as production needs change,” said Fortune Soy managing director Henry Aw.

“In that time I have found that the pipe systems are inherently efficient and any problems are easy to fix.”

The non-corrosive, low-friction internal bore of the polymer pipelines means they will neither damage expensive tools by depositing particulates into the airstream, nor waste compressor energy by inhibiting air flow with the rust build-ups that can strangle traditional systems.

Maintaining the pipes is easy and safe for production workers because the permanent colours immediately identify the contents of the pipes they are working with.

In coming years, many existing traditional pipe systems may need to be replaced in the face of evolving health, safety and environmental regulations, such as those contained in the Australian Occupation Health and Safety Act.

This situation is mirrored in many international markets as an increasing trend.

Attractive alternative

CalAir introduced its colour-coded polymer pipe systems as an alternative to imported systems that typically costed more than twice as much.

The pipe systems are an increasingly attractive alternative to traditional steel pipe systems because they can provide a reduction of 40% in frictional losses and the high sealing efficiency to further reduce energy costs.

The piping system is a totally integrated system, with a comprehensive range of joints, cross-pieces, elbows, fasteners and fittings.

Unlike metal welded systems, which frequently have to be junked when production facilities change location, the CalAir system can be dismantled, cleanly packed away and reconverted to a new use.

Available in sizes from half-inch to four-inch nominal bore (12.5mm-100mm), the sizes involved in the Fortune Soy installation were:

• Air-Pro: A2 (25mm), A3 (32mm), A4 (40mm)

• Water-Pro: W4 (40mm)

CalAir has been recognised by the Australian Government with an Export Achievement Award in 1995 and accepted into the Government-sponsored Australian Technology Showcase in 2002 as a company with new and innovative products capable of achieving world markets.

CalAir also won the Manufacturers Monthly Endeavour Innovative Product Award for 2007.

calair@calair.net.au

www.calair.net.au

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