Problem Solving Forum
April 28 - May 2, 2014
How does one apply thin polymer coatings to installed tubes or pipes with diameters of one to three inches and lengths of 20 to 60 feet?
Selected Answers
From
Gary Burke of Carlisle Fluid Technologies on
May 1, 2014:
If it is the inside diameter, Binks and DeVilbiss ...read more
If it is the inside diameter, Binks and DeVilbiss have gun extensions that come in various lengths and with different nozzle set-ups for a wide range of material viscosities.
From
Steve Brunner of Indepenent on
April 28, 2014:
In the past I have participated in and inspected h ...read more
In the past I have participated in and inspected hundreds of shell and tube heat exchanger lining projects. These used thin- film coatings which were pinhole free. Application is both difficult and easy.
Before you try this in your shop, consider using a company that is equipped for this task such as Curran of a Saekaphen applicator. My familiarity with Curran is they developed specialized equipment to apply coatings to tubes as small as ¾ in diameter.
If you do it yourself, first you need to prep the metal. Second, what coating are you using? I ask this as the old school method flows the coating down the pipe while rotating. In single-component coatings the excess can be captured and reused. In 2K systems there can be waste. The aforementioned specialized equipment lends itself well for 2K systems. After the coating is applied, low-pressure air is normally used to evacuate solvent vapors from the pipe.
With all that stated there is a third option. Binks can custom- manufacture extended-length spray equipment, which is costly, but could do the job. In this option operator skill is essential.
Bottom line, for a few tubes hire out.