Industrial project management and installation company Ocean 24 aims to introduce its PlomyClick piping solution onto the food and beverage market this month by demonstrating the product’s antibacterial advan- tages to manufacturers in the industry, states Ocean 24 project estimator Colin Rothery.

PlomyClick was locally launched at the beginning of last year and it offers industries an alternative method for compres- sor air-line installations, replacing the heavy and expensive galvanised material traditionally used.

The product is manufactured from polyethylene, which is cleaner and lighter than galvanised material, Rothery says, noting that the PlomyClick fittings click together, which simplifies the installation process, decreases labour costs by about 70% and reduces downtime in the event of a ruptured pipe.

“Polyethylene has become a common material in the food manufacturing industry and is typically used to supply compressed air to packaging lines and to transfer liquid in bottling plants,” states Rothery, adding that the PlomyClick is a cost- effective alternative to stainless steel in the food and beverage industry.

It is suitable for laboratories and commercial kitchens, as the material is wear and abrasion resistant, with antibacterial properties which are crucial in hygienic environments.

PlomyClick piping is multilayered, with a cross-linked polyethylene peroxide (PE-Xa) and ethylene vinyl alcohol oxygen barrier.

The risk of damage to the piping in a workshop is low, as the piping is usually mounted on a beam, says Rothery.

The PE-Xa contains cross-linked bonds in the polymer structure that changes the thermoplastic to a thermoset, which results in the thermoset becoming permanently hard and rigid when heated or cured.

The product is inert to various glues, gases, acids, cleaning chemicals and oils and is resist- ant to ultraviolet rays. It is not affected by corrosive water or other agents and prevents lime scale and the build-up of Legionnaire’s disease bacteria. It has a life expectancy of 50 years and can withstand temperatures of up to 70 °C at a pressure of up to 10 bar.

The product is suitable for use in compressed-air applications of quarter-inch, half-inch and one-inch galvanised water piping used in laboratories; for panel and spray painting at service stations, motor dealers and vehicle manu- facturers; and in workshops where computer numerically controlled machines have been installed.

Rothery adds that the fittings are reusable, as the connections can be separated by using a separator tool supplied by Ocean 24.