Reduce the Risk of Concentrate Pipeline Failure
It’s 4am and Hector Villareal’s phone rings. As Pipeline Integrity Manager for a large copper mine, he knows what it means when his boss calls early in the morning. He grumbles a few choice words and leans over to pick up the phone. The panicked voice on the other end of the line confirms Hector’s fears: the pipeline carrying the mine’s copper concentrate has plugged again – for the sixth time this year!
Every hour the pipeline is down costs the mine more than $300,000 USD. The clock is ticking.
His name has been changed to protect confidentiality, but this is a true story that occurred in 2016. Why does the mine’s concentrate pipeline keep plugging? Because the loose HDPE liner the mine uses to protect the interior from corrosion and abrasion is not adhered to the pipe wall. When certain conditions occur, the liner collapses on itself.
Fortunately, Pipeline Managers like Hector don’t have to worry about liner collapses anymore. The Joint Lock Ring™ system allows for welded joints on rubber and polyurethane lined pipe and, for the first time ever, lined pipe can be constructed just like a bare pipeline. Sections of existing pipelines with HDPE liners can easily be replaced with rubber or polyurethane lined pipe.
Compare the differences:
Existing HDPE pull thru liner
- 15-20 year average design life in low abrasion applications
- Not adhered to pipe wall; can collapse under vacuum
- Slower construction; liner must be pulled through and flanges welded on
Polyurethane or Rubber-lined pipe with welded joints
- 30+ year design life in low abrasion applications
- Adhesion of lining to pipe wall easily withstands vacuum
- Pipeline is constructed just like a normal bare pipeline
Learn More About Joint LockTM On the Goodwest Website
- Overview
- How Joint Lock™ Works
- Welded vs. Mechanical Joints
- Rubber-Lined Carbon Steel vs. Other Pipe Materials
- Comparison to HDPE Liner
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