Krauss Maffei supply special pipe extrusion line to Tyco Germany

Krauss-Maffei GmbH Extrusion of Munich Germany, have supplied a pipe extrusion line to Tyco Electronics plant located in Ottobrunn Germany. Tyco is one of the world’s leading suppliers of engineered components, network infrastructure and wireless systems. The two companies have been in consultation since June 09, working on a solution for the production of heat-shrink tubing for insulating cable connections.

Krauss Maffei has supplied a line headed by two single-screw extruders – a KME 45-36 B/R and a KME 60-36 B/R – and a Vac GE 90K x 24D rubber extruder. All critical system components, including the rubber extruder were integrated into a C5 system controller.

The tubing produced on the line has an insulating elastomer inner layer, a heat shrinkable insulating middle layer, and an electronically conducting heat shrinkable outer layer.

Following extrusion, cross-linking takes place and the tubes are stretched radially to around four times their initial diameter. In the field, the tube section is positioned over a cable connection and heated.

The heat causes the outer and middle layers to shrink together moulding the tube around the structures which need to be sheathed, to ensure a perfect insulation. All the materials used in the tubes are specialty materials developed by Tyco Electronics.