Press Release 02/2010:
More safety for pipe systems for potable water

In the last three years, IPT and SKZ have participated in a research project promoted by the Bavarian government. Our task in this project was to further the development of a new test system that would make it possible for manufacturers of pipes and fittings, raw material suppliers and compounders to carry out long-term internal pressure tests on the effects of chlorine and the flow of plastic pipes with an external diameter of up to 32 mm. This means that the resistance of such plastic pipes to chlorinated water can be determined, both under operating conditions and in time-compressed form.

The system was delivered to our project partner SKZ in Würzburg at the beginning of 2009; the company will be using it for research work and make it available to other companies that wish to carry out tests on its products. The equipment is in constant use, works reliably and has met expectations. Once the evaluation tests had been successfully concluded by SKZ, the companies IPT Institut für Prüftechnik Gerätebau GmbH & Co. KG and SKZ invited their customers to a joint open day in Würzburg on 28 October 2009 to present the device to a wider public.

Anton Neukäufer, head of the IPT development department, reported on the project idea. He discussed the challenges faced during its implementation and explained the technical opportunities offered by what is currently the only commercially available chlorine test device. "The device can be used, among other things, to conduct tests in accordance with the US standards ASTM F 2023 and NSF P 171. As metal ions are to be kept out of the test medium during testing with chlorinated water, all parts of the device that are in contact with the test medium have been lined with technical plastics (fluoropolymers). Many components are special constructions that must take into account the high level of requirements for the test device.“

Dr Mirko Wenzel from SKZ, the project partner, spoke about commissioning the test device at SKZ in Würzburg, highlighting the wide range of test options it offers. "The measuring and adjustment accuracy data for the device mentioned in the IPT description with regard to chlorine concentration, pH value, redox potential, conductivity and oxygen content of the test water could be verified by SKZ and were in some cases even exceeded during the validation phase," stated Dr Wüst of SKZ.

The test system has been designed for test items with a diameter of up to 32 mm and a length of 1.0 m, with a flow speed of approximately 4 cm/s, depending on the test pressure (max. 16 bar). With some modifications, however, the system can also be adapted to other requirements.

SKZ had chosen IPT as a partner because of its excellent technology, its long-established position in the market and the high quality of service it offers.

For the past 40 years, IPT has been an international leader in the construction of test systems for pipes and plastics. This enables our business partners to profit from our wide range of experience, especially with regard to complex laboratory system technologies.

If you would like to know more, you can download our data sheet or call us at: +49.8237.966-0. We will be pleased to provide more information.