SPECIAL PRINT | CONCRETE PIPES AND MANHOLESUnique new packerhead system helps Coastal Pipeline Products meet market demands

APRIL

20132Concrete Plant InternationalNorth America Edition

SPECIAL PRINT CPI 13/02

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CONCRETE PIPES AND MANHOLES

Change needed to stay competitive

Recently, Coastal took a major step to helpit continue to grow and meet the needs ofits predominately municipal and state DOTcustomers. “Even before the recession hit us,we were looking at a number of differentoptions for upgrading or replacing our 12 to36 inch diameter pipe production system,”Raymond explains. The original Hydrotilepackerhead system, installed when the plantopened its doors in 1988, served Coastal’sneeds very well until recently. “Pipe is a relatively small, but critical part ofour business,” says Raymond. The firm be -gan life as a pipe producer—hence the com-

pany name—however it quickly realized thatit needed to diversify its product catalog inorder to compete in a highly competitivemarket, often against much larger firms. Inaddition to its original Hydrotile packerhe-ad system, the firm also uses a Teksamvibratory pipe system to produce 42 to 72inch pipe and a Prinzing vibratory systemfor dry cast manhole risers. “Our ‘small’diameter pipe system was pretty worn outand it was starting to impact our quality,which is critical in our market. Every pieceof pipe we make is inspected and certified.Nothing but the best is acceptable. Our in-plant rejection rate was rising and that wasunacceptable.” Up to 20 % of Coastal’s revenues are deri-ved from the sale of reinforced concretepipe (RCP). The bulk of its revenues comefrom a vast range of other precast products.The firm’s 30,000 square foot main build -ing (see figure 1) houses the dry cast pipeand manhole riser production areas, aswell as a portion of the wet cast production

(i.e., most wet cast production is conductedoutside, except during inclement weather)for manholes up to 120-inch inside diame-ter, drainage rings up to 12 feet in diame-ter, and a full line of catch basins, inlets,meter pits, box culverts, and custom pro-ducts to 120,000 lbs per section. The firm isalso licensed to produce StormTrap® storm-water detention/retention systems, andContech Vortechs® hydrodynamic separa-tor systems.

One-stop shopping provides added value

The capability to provide a full line of highquality RCP (see figures 2 & 3) in additionto its vast range of wet cast products enablesCoastal to offer its customers one-stop shop-ping. “We are confident that our ability tosell a complete package of products givesus a competitive advantage,” Raymondstresses. “Many suppliers won’t fill an orderif they can’t fill up a truck. Even if a custo-mer needs only a few pieces of pipe, we

Unique new packerhead system helps CoastalPipeline Products meet market demands

HawkeyePedershaab, Mediapolis, Iowa, 52637, USA

In late October 2012, Superstorm Sandy brought much of the East Coast to its knees with hurricane force winds, torrential rains and flood -ing storm surges. Sandy’s economic impact could exceed $70 billion according to recent estimates. One company in the storm’s path thatmade it through relatively unscathed was Coastal Pipeline Products Corp. located in Calverton on the eastern end of Long Island, New York.While the 95,000 ton-per-year precaster’s lights barely flickered in the storm, many of its 50 employees were not so lucky. “I live on the sou-thern coast of Long Island and we were hit pretty hard,” notes operations manager Don Raymond. “We lost power at my house for about sixdays, but many others were hit much worse. Many in this region lost everything.” Today, the area continues to recover and rebuild. CoastalPipeline and many other precasters in the area are beginning to fill orders for storm-related reconstruction projects and, at the same time,are experiencing an overall uptick in construction investments.

Figure 2: Coastal Pipeline Products producespipe from 12 to 72 inch inside diameter.Here, recently “tipped out” 15-inch pipe islaid out in preparation for yarding.

Figure 3: Here, 30-inch “green” pipe is placed in the curing area. A fabric curingtent will be deployed to control the curingprocess.

Figure 1: The 20-acre Coastal PipelineProducts facility features a 30,000 squarefoot main building housing all dry cast production as well as a portion of the wetcast operation. The majority of wet cast pro-ducts are produced outside, except duringinclement weather.

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PRECAST CONCRETE ELEMENTS

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At HawkeyePedershaab we deliver more than machines. We deliver solutions.

The Americas506 S. Wapello StreetMediapolis, Iowa 52637 USAPhone: +1 (319) 394-3197Telefax +1 (319) 394-3977

Africa, Asia, Australia, Oceania, EuropeSaltumvej 259700 Bronderslev – DenmarkPhone: +45 9645 4000Telefax: +45 9645 4040

info@hawkeyepedershaab.comwww.hawkeyepedershaab.com

e P a k

Designed from the ground up, the ePak machine represents a major leap forward in packerhead production technology. At

the center is the machine’s revolutionary eDrive rollerhead drive system. Powered by two gearless 30-pole direct

drive permanent magnet motors, for turning the inner and outer drive shafts, the eDrive develops

much higher than conventional torques and has a wider torque/speed operating band -

allowing precise packing control throughout the machine’s entire production range.

Mechanically, the ePak’s unique frame design permits the toptable, rollerhead drive unit, and bellpacker to continu-ously bear and smoothly travel on the machine frame, operating at speeds up to 25% faster than conventional frame designs. The machine also features a

sophisticated synchronized four-shaft bellpacker to direct up to four times more

vibration into the pallet for better bell compaction. It all adds up to making higher

quality packerhead pipe – faster. Learn more about ePak. Contact us today!

E l ec t ron i c D i r ec t -D r i ve Ro l l e rhead rede f i ne s packe rhead p ipe p roduc t i on

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CONCRETE PIPES AND MANHOLES

can usually fill up that truck with other pro-ducts the customer needs for the same orrelated job. That helps us be efficient andprovide excellent, responsive service.”Raymond and others at Coastal kept aclose eye on the development of new pa-ckerhead and other pipe production tech-nologies for about five years before the firmchose the path they would take into the future. “I attended the bauma show inGermany and stayed in touch with variousinnovators who were developing new typesof systems. We determined that the cost torefurbish our old system would have beenabout 60 % of the cost of a new system. Wedidn’t believe that rebuilding our old systemoffered us enough benefits going forward.”

New packerhead system includes manyindustry firsts

In early 2012, Coastal agreed to be thefirst to install the new HawkeyePedershaabePak pipe production system (see figure 4)as the replacement. “The ePak system is anentirely new type of packerhead design

that offers many unique features that can’tbe found on any other single machine onthe market today,” Raymond emphasizes.“We believe this system allows us to consi-stently and efficiently deliver the highestquality pipe possible. It also provides uswith the greatest flexibility in configuration,control and speed.” The HawkeyePedershaab ePak 1200 sys temoffers the following key features and advan-tages: • Gearless electronic twin-motor eDrive

(see figure 5) delivers precise powerto dual counter-rotating drive shafts formaximum control of packerhead tor-que and speed. This new type of drivefeatures permanent magnet motors thateliminate the conventional transmissionand hydraulics found in most packer-head systems, reducing maintenanceand electrical usage.

• Uniframe design of the ePak system(see figure 6) provides a rigid structurewithout the need for multiple supportlegs thereby providing a smallermachine footprint, including a smallerturntable, allowing for faster rotationspeeds and greater production flexibili-ty. Two-piece uniframe design allowseasier installation in existing facilities.

• Synchronized four-shaft vibrating bellpacker delivers up to 12 tons ofimpact force to ensure dense compacti-on of the pipe bell; self-cleaningdesign directs residual concrete to asingle point for easier cleaning.

• PC- and PLC-based controls continuouslymonitor and adjust all pipe productionvariables, including concrete feed rate,crosshead lift with variable speed, pak-kerhead shaft torque, bell packer liftspeed, top table control, turntable con-trol and concrete feeder water spray.The automatic control system stores allmix recipes, machine settings for eachpipe size, and production historyrecord for every pipe produced.

• Concrete Feeder provides a three-yardholding hopper, including hydraulicagitator, hydraulically controlled frontgate for accurate control of mix flow,and a 24 inch wide troughed convey-or belt with variable speed drive. TheePak Concrete Feeder is fed by con-veyor from a two cubic yard ColumbusBin dry cast mixer.

• Compatibility with HawkeyePedershaabtooling as well as most other toolingfrom other manufacturers, including

both single direction and bi-directionaltooling (e.g., bi-directional tooling forsmaller pipe sizes and single directiontooling for larger sizes), is helpingCoastal save money.

“We weighed the risks of investing in abrand new system against the advantagesof working with a strong, global suppliersuch as HawkeyePedershaab,” Raymondsays. “We knew they would stand behindtheir system and saw that the system was, atits core, a compilation of technologies thathad been around for some years and there-fore not completely unproven. While itrequired a leap of faith to some extent, itwas a carefully calculated risk that is alrea-dy paying off for us.”

Coastal helps guide final ePak design

Raymond, a mechanical engineer and oneof the first Coastal employees, worked clo-sely with the design engineers at Hawkeye-Pedershaab to fine tune the new ePaksystem design to meet the firm’s needs.Because of the two-piece uniframe design,which essentially allows the main supporttower to be assembled in modular pieces,

Figure 4: The HawkeyePedershaab ePakRCP production system at Coastal PipelineProducts features PC- and PLC-based con-trols that continuously monitor and adjust allpipe production variables, including concretefeed rate, crosshead lift with variable speed,packerhead shaft torque, bell packer liftspeed, top table control, turntable controland concrete feeder water spray. The auto-matic control system stores all mix recipes,machine settings for each pipe size, andproduction history record for every pipeproduced. In this photo, the elevated bin onthe platform directly in front of the operatoris a 3-yard Concrete Feeder that holds thedry mix concrete coming from the mixerand feeds it at a precise rate as needed bythe ePak packerhead system, seen just to theright of the Feeder.

Figure 5: The eDrive system found in theePak packerhead pipe production systemfrom HawkeyePedershaab features twogearless permanent-magnet electric motors(top section in photo above) that providedirect control of the packerhead torque andspeed and help reduce maintenance andenergy use. Dry mix concrete is fed into thepipe form by a troughed conveyor throughthe Top Table Assembly (at bottom of photo).

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CONCRETE PIPES AND MANHOLES

Coastal was able to install the new systemin its existing facility without major modifica-tions to the building structure. In addition,the new system was able to use existing uti-lities such as air, water and the originalsystem’s 400-amp electrical service. “Thefirst thing you notice when you walk into theplant and see the ePak (see figure 7) is theopenness around the system and the turnta-ble,” Raymond observes. “That center legthat all other packerhead machines use thatcomes down in the center of the turntable iseliminated with the ePak. The open turnta-ble makes it easier to set up and changeforms, easier to maintain the system, andlets us optimize the space we have.”

HawkeyePedershaab reports that the newePak direct drive, using permanent magnetmotors, develops much higher torque densityand a wider torque/speed operating bandthan conventional geared transmissions.This system means the system permits roller-head speeds as low as 90 rpm and uses upto 20 % less electricity. The direct drive also eliminates much of therotating mass found in conventional packer-head systems, Raymond points out.

“We haven’t used it long enough yet toknow if our electrical bill has gone down;however, given that we’re using the sameelectrical service as our old machine andgetting far greater power and speed,”Raymond notes. “I would say it is clearlymore efficient and definitely more powerfulthan our old packerhead system. The elimi-nation of all the gears and a reduction inthe rotating mass that other machines usemakes the system far more controllable andresponsive. Everything this machine does isso fast and precise; it’s a little scary whenyou first see it operate.”He continues, “The ePak designers have opti -mized every aspect of the pipe productioncycle, from the time it takes to rotate theturntable to the time it takes to lower thepackerhead tools to the bottom of the form.Seconds have been shaved from every stepand they all add up by the end of the pro-duction shift. We’re using our old forms andtooling, but achieving higher product qualityand producing pipe at a higher rate thanever before.”

Increased strength offers advantages

According to Raymond, three-edge bearingtests on pipe produced with the ePaksystem show a 10 % increase in strengthwith no changes in mix design. Coastalmaintains a New York State DOT-approvedlaboratory with two full-time quality controlstaff. He notes, “The ePak system’s morepowerful and uniformly accurate compactionis not only producing better looking pipe,but also greater strength. That gives us theoption to potentially reduce costs by adju-sting our mix design to reduce cement use.”Coastal is able to fill its pipe orders in lesstime and with fewer in-plant rejections. Infact, the plant has been able to run virtual-ly rejection free for weeks at a time. “We’regetting our work done sooner and moreefficiently, which gives us time to preparefor our next project, whether it’s running theePak again the next day or another system.We’ve been able to eliminate the overtimewe used to have with the old packerheadsystem.” The new controls that came with the ePaksystem provides Raymond and his staff withfar greater control over every aspect ofpipe production. “I’ve always maintainedthat producing quality dry cast productstakes the right technology and little bit ofmagic,” Raymond says. “Where our oldpacker head system was far more sensitive

to any variation in speed, mix changes, andother factors, the ePak is far more forgivingand accurate.

“This was a major investment for us at atime when even much larger companies areholding back on new equipment,” he notes.“It’s not unusual to walk into a plant andfind equipment that’s 50 years old and stillbeing used. We think differently and webelieve that by investing in a state-of-the-artsystem now puts us in a better position toremain competitive for the next 20 years.”

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Figure 6: The new HawkeyePedershaabePak packerhead pipe production system atCoastal Pipeline Products in Calverton, N.Y.,is used to produce from 12 to 36 inch insidediameter dry cast pipe. The ePak systemfeatures a uniframe structure that eliminatesthe multiple support legs found on conven-tional systems, direct drive permanentmagnetic motors provide gearless operationfor greater torque and accuracy, and clo-sed-loop PC-based controls.

Figure 7: The uniframe ePak main tower eliminates the support legs found on mostpackerhead pipe production systems, allowing the use of a smaller turntable andfree access to molds and other system components. At left, the ePak control PC isWindows based for intuitive operation ofthe entire pipe production cycle.

FURTHER INFORMATION

HawkeyePedershaab506 S. Wapello St.Mediapolis, Iowa, 52637, USAT +1 319 3943197 ·F +1 319 3943977info@hawkeye-pipe.com www.hawkeye-pipe.com

HawkeyePedershaabSaltumvej 259700 Brønderslev, DenmarkT + 45 9645 4000 · F + 45 9645 4040pedershaab@pedershaab.dk www.pedershaab.com