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Transair Specification DocumentAluminium pipework for compressed air & vacuum

Transair diameter 168 mm (6")

INTRODUCTION

This document is intended to be used by organisations working with compressed air networks and

centralised vacuum networks, to help them write their project specifications.

Aluminium piping systems are a relatively new technology and their use is becoming more and more

frequent. It is important to list the certifications and guarantees that an aluminium pipework should

have to ensure safe and efficient use.

The Transair specification document lists all requirements that a compressed air or vacuum system should meet in terms of safety, reliability, efficiency and sustainability.

GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS

To ensure the quality of the manufacturer and of their solution, importance should be placed on com-

pliance to ISO 9001 certification: this certifies the quality management system of the manufacturer.

The safety of equipment under pressure is regulated by two main standards: ASME B31.1 and

B31.3 for North America and the Pressure Equipment Directive 97/23/CE in Europe. Compliance

AD 2000 Merkblatt confirms that a system has been assessed by TÜV Rheinland.

Finally a manufacturer, who has proven experience and a certified management system, is able to

give a 10 year guarantee on their products.

PIPES

All pipework within a building has to be easily identifiable, the best way being to use different colou-

red pipe for each network. Our suggestion is to use blue (RAL 5012, equivalent to BS 1710) or grey

(RAL 7001). The pipe should have the QUALICOAT label which guarantees the quality of the pain-

ting process, the chemicals used, the finished quality and resistance of the pipe’s exterior surface.

Installers and end users will need to create drops and take off points from the main network; these

drops could be vertical or horizontal. The piping solution should offer an easy way of aligning these

drops along the pipe. Therefore, two marker lines should be printed on each pipe (at an angle

of 0° and 90°) and the two lines should have a maximum deviation of 3 mm throughout the total

length of the pipe.

To allow easy handling and to avoid bending under stress, the length of 16.5 mm pipe should be 3

m or 4.5 m. On diameters 25 mm, 40 mm, 63 mm, 76.3 mm, 101.8 mm and 168.3 mm, the pipe

should be 3 m or 6 m.

Pipe is the main part of any system; major attention should be given to the

quality of the pipe in order to guarantee safe and efficient use.

On compressed air or vacuum networks the following aluminium alloy

should be used: either AW-6060 with a T51 thermal treatment or AW-

6063 with a T5 thermal treatment. Conformity of the alloy is given by three

different attributes which correspond to three different standards: the che-

mical composition is defined in EN 573.3 and ASTM B241 (for the US),

conformity of the thermal treatment is defined in ISO 2107 and the me-

chanical characteristics are defined in EN 755-2. For safety reasons and

to ensure a good connection with the fittings pipe must be calibrated

according to Transair standards.

FITTINGS

To ensure easy handling without affecting the performance on smaller diameters, the fittings should

be made of high quality plastic. Fibre glass reinforcement will increase impact resistance wit-

hout increasing the weight.

The stainless steel gripping ring is a main safety feature: it keeps the pipe connected to the fitting.

The mechanical characteristics of this ring are dictated by the type of alloy used, since there are

various grades of stainless steel. The gripping ring material should be Z10 CN 18 (as defined in

EN 10151 standard) to guarantee optimal resistance to bending under pressure or unintentional

disconnection.

One of the main advantages of modular aluminium piping systems is a continuous leak free connec-

tion. This is possible with the use of high quality seals, some NBR may become damaged over time

or due to temperature variations. We have completed stringent testing on our seals and conclude

that NBR HD50 or NBR HD70 is suitable for chemical resistance to moisture and compressor oils

over time, and for temperature variations within our specifications.

For fire resistance, the UL94 certification defines the reaction of products when exposed to fire. For

a compressed air network, the fittings should be at least of HB class and the support clips rated

V2.

Under use, several changes may be required to the initial layout of the system. For ease of modifi-

cation and improvement of the network, the piping solution should be capable of lateral dismant-

ling (i.e. the possibility of dismantling a pipe or a fitting without having to disassemble other parts

of the system).

Diameters 16.5 mm (1/2"), 25 mm (1") and 40 mm (1 1/2"):

The safe and secure connection is due to the application of the correct torque

setting being applied to the fitting. Therefore, it is a key safety point to have a

visual torque indicator on every connection. If no indicator is present, there is

no visual confirmation that the system has been safely connected.

Diameters 76.3 mm (3"), 101.8 mm (4") and 168.3 mm (6"):

In the same manner, the connection technology for these three larger diameters should have the

highest performance.

For 76.3 mm and 101.8 mm the use of treated steel clamps with high quality plastic car-

tridges will give optimal resistance without increasing the weight of fittings. For the 168.3 mm, as

the mechanical constraints are even greater, we recommend the use of a cast aluminium clamp

with a ZAMAK cartridge.

For all these three diameters, the same grade of nitrile seals should be used (NBR HD70).

On these diameters constraints are higher: Therefore, the connection method

should be adjusted accordingly. We recommend the use of a cartridge and

clamp to ensure that the failure mode will be limited to leakage, preventing

disconnection or bursting of the fitting.

Diameter 63 mm (2 1/2"):

Larger diameters require a more secure and stronger means of connection due to an increased

force being applied. Aluminium will provide a more suitable solution to allow greater resistance and

is easier to handle than traditional steel materials.

Similar to smaller diameters, the quality of the rubber seals will determine sealing integrity over time:

We recommend the use of NBR HD50 or NBR HD70.

On this diameter the constraints are higher: Therefore, the connection me-

thod should be adjusted to suit. We recommend the use of a double clamp

technology to ensure that the failure mode will be limited to leakage, preven-

ting disconnection or bursting of the fitting.

FEATURE OF THE NETWORK

Specification:

To cover all kind of applications the products used should cover a wide range of pressures and

temperatures:

• Continuous performance from atmospheric pressure to 16 bar (13 bar for 168.3 mm) at 45°C,

13 bar at 60°C, 7 bar at 85°C and a minimum temperature of -20°C with a minimum safety factor

of three. It is important to underline that the performance should be continuous starting

from the atmospheric pressure to guarantee efficiency and secure tightness even during the

loading and unloading phases of the compressor.

• For vacuum the minimum pressure should be 13 mbar (absolute pressure).

HOSES

Flexible hoses for compressed air and vacuum applications are regulated by different standards:

ISO 8030 for under pressure applications and EN 12115 for vacuum. These standards determine

the rules and the quality target in terms of performance and to fire resistance of the hoses.

QUALITY OF THE CONVEYED FLUID

Another important quality of aluminium pipe is it’s resistance to corrosion. Thanks to this feature

the flow will not be adversely affected by rust. It does not mean, however that the system will be

totally clean; fittings can cause the presence of plastic or metal particles, whilst grease and oil are

used to lubricate the seals.

The quality of compressed air for industrial applications

is defined by ISO 8573 standard (consult our dedicated

brochure for more information). Make sure the solution

you specify is rated ISO 8573-1 for class 1.1.1 applica-

tion and silicon free in order to maintain fluid consistency

throughout the network.

For the environment:

RoHS and REACH standards guarantee that no hazardous substance is present in the product

used.

A Green Building Council can issue an approval, in many cases, based on the following crite-

ria: environmental impact during manufacturing, energy efficiency, recyclability and conformity to

manufacturing standards.

The manufacturer should be able to carry out a life cycle analysis on their aluminium pipework to

ensure a lower environmental impact, especially for the largest diameter (168 mm).

The modularity of the system is key. Once installed, the layout of the network will have to remain

adaptable to meet evolving production needs. It is essential to look at two main features of the

solution: the ability to assemble and disassemble the fittings and the pipes laterally and also

to carry out under pressure drilling in order to add drops without incurring expensive production

downtime.

For energy savings:

A compressed air system can be a large energy

consumer. There are three ways to reduce this

consumption: limit pressure drop, limit leakages

and correct sizing of the pipe.

The main source of pressure drop on an aluminium

system could be diameter restriction in each fitting:

make sure that the system chosen has full flow fit-

tings.

For maintenance & modularity:

To prevent leakages make sure that the seals are specially designed for the application and are

placed before the gripping ring to ensure optimal sealing. Ensure a ball valve is installed on

every drop to isolate downstream equipment from the network when not in use.

To guarantee production efficiency and to anticipate future needs for compressed air and vacuum,

optimal sizing and system layout are essential from the early stage of the design study. Therefore

the manufacturer should provide adequate sizing software tools and support.

Transair diameter 40 mm (1 1/2")

Transair diameter 168 mm (6") Transair diameter 76 mm (3")

Transair diameter 63 mm (2 1/2")

Certification

TRANSAIR: Advanced pipe systems

Working temperature -20°C to 85°C

CompatibilityLubricated or oil-free compressed air, industrial vacuum, nitrogen (99,99% purity), inert gases.

Aluminium range:

Diameters (in mm)16.5 - 25 - 40 - 63 - 76 - 100 -168

Maximum working pressure 16 bar (from -20°C to +45°C) up to 100mm

13 bar (from -20°C to +60°C) for all diameters

7 bar (from 20°C to +85°C) for all diameters

Colours Available in blue - grey - green Other colours upon request

Calibrated aluminium pipesQualicoat painting

EPDM or FKM seals CompatibilityCooling water, industrial water with additives, lubricating oil, compressed air, inert gases.

Stainless steel range:

Diameters (in mm) 22 - 28 - 42 - 60 - 76 -100

Stainless steel pipes AISI 304 or 316L

NBR seals

Maximum working pressure 10 bar (from -10°C to +60°C) for all diameters

7 bar (from -10°C to +90°) for all diameters

Working temperature -10°C to 90°C

Vacuum level98.7% (13 mbar absolute pressure)

TRANSAIR: Tools and services

Our Website: www.parkertransair.comgives you access to extensive information about the Transair system, technical data, examples of existing networks and a download centre for catalogues, manuals, software and brochures.

The Transair Vacuum Calculatorsizes your vacuum network with the most suitable diameter, with an estimation of any change in vacuum level.

CAD drawingsyou can view or download Transair product images in real time and in 2D or 3D.

transair.quotation@parker.com gives you a budgeted or detailed quotation for your project and its implementation.

Our quotation service

The Transair Flow Calculator• defines the recommended diameter for your project• estimates pressure drops • gives the maximum flow rate by diameter

The Transair Energy Efficiency Calculatorevaluates the energy cost of your network and the return on investment from installing a Transair system.