Pipelines for oil, gas and water require the printing of text and logos for long-term coding purposes and short term delivery identification. These pipes can have diameters up to 1.4 meters and can be treated continuously in-line prior to cutting or after being cut to length.
Printed codings can appear on both ends of pipelines. Coding heights can reach 50mm, and pipeline manufacturing speeds can require print coding heads to travel at speeds as high as 250 mpm. In order to meet regulatory agency compliances (ICBO, ICC, SBCCI, NFPA, etc.), coding inks must also successfully penetrate through lubricants, coatings, mill scale and other surface contaminations – a tough and sometimes impossible challenge.
Enercon’s Atmospheric Plasma Surface Treatment Systems are designed to remove pipeline surface contaminations to enable successful printing of codings for long-term adhesion in harsh environments. Specifically, surface contaminations are ablated with in-line, continuous plasma treatments to expose the surfaces of base substrates such as steel, cast iron, copper, plastics or elastomers. Surfaces will also be micro-etched and functionalized to promote excellent anchorage of inks and coatings.