Business News: Plastic Pipes Inspection Methods Report Now Available

Plastic Pipes Inspection Methods Report Now Available

The Plastics Pipe Institute, Inc. (PPI) has published a new document that provides an overview of non-destructive testing and evaluation techniques that have been introduced into the plastic pipe industry. Included in “TN-60, Inspection of Plastic Pipes, Fittings and Joints Using Non-Destructive Test Methods and Evaluation,” are sections about research, NDT/NDE considerations, inspector qualification and evaluation procedures.  It is available for free on the PPI webpage.

“This is the first document of its kind for our industry,” stated Sarah Patterson, technical director of PPI.  “The goal of TN-60 is to bring awareness to a number of factors when using NDT for the inspection of plastic pipes, fittings and joints, while emphasizing that careful due diligence is needed when selecting an NDT technology and inspection team.  There is a high degree of complexity in reading the scans from an NDT inspection. It is analogous to a medical x-ray. While a qualified technician can take the x-ray, a board-certified radiologist medical doctor is the one to review the results and provide the analysis.” 

Orbis Intelligent Systems Signs Distribution Agreement with Wolseley Canada

Orbis Intelligent Systems is pleased to announce it has signed a multi-year distribution agreement with Wolseley Canada, a wholesale distributor to plumbing, HVAC/R, waterworks and industrial markets in Canada.

Wolseley will be the Canadian distributor of the Prodigy SmartCap, an intelligent fire hydrant and pipe monitoring device packaged into a fire hydrant cap. The SmartCap screws on to most standard fire hydrants enabling remote leak detection as well as monitoring for tamper, freeze and flow events. It uses the latest IoT technology for real time alerts and data sent to municipalities via cellular connections.

“We’re excited to work with Wolseley Canada, the premier distributor of waterworks products in Canada,” said Danny Krywyj, president of Orbis. “Adding the SmartCap to the Wolseley product lineup will enable municipalities across Canada to start proactively reducing leakage and unnecessary customer supply disruption and, more importantly, ensure the safety of our water and assets."

Industrial Flow Solutions Acquires Direct In-Line Pumping Technology

Industrial Flow Solutions acquired a direct in-line pumping technology for industrial, commercial, and municipal wastewater applications. This new system offers direct, gravity fed pumping from the point of entry without the need for a wet well.

This Direct In-Line Pumping System provides a low-maintenance, durable and economical pumping solution. The system provides the following significant advantages, including the prevention of dangerous gases, elimination of smells, prevention of sand and grease accumulation, resistance to corrosion and structural erosion, elimination of obstructed float switches and perpetual access safety.

By eliminating the wet well and utilizing the self-cleaning capabilities of the patented impeller, this system ends the need for workers to enter the well to remove clogs or conduct other maintenance. Besides the safety aspect, this is a significant time and cost savings.

U.S. Water & Novozymes Settle U.S. Patent Infringement Action Relating to pHytOUT Technology

U.S. Water Services Inc. and Novozymes have settled a U.S. patent infringement action U.S. Water brought against Novozymes alleging infringement of U.S. Patent Nos. 8,415,137 and 8,609,399, and the validity of the patents was upheld by the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. The terms of the settlement are confidential.

The United States Patent Office issued U.S. Patent Nos. 8,415,137 and 8,609,399 relating to U.S. Water’s pHytOUT deposit control technology in 2013. This technology is designed to control mineral deposit scaling, reduce back-end fouling and greatly reduce sulfuric acid use, among other benefits.It solves a common problem for ethanol producers: the formation of scale forming deposits in processing equipment. These deposits impede heat transfer and flow and compromise the proper operation of mechanical devices used in ethanol processing.

Utilis & ESRI Partner to Provide Satellite Analytics to Customers in North America

Utilis Inc. North America, a provider of space-based condition assessment for leaking pipes, announced a partnership with Esri, the global Geographical Information System (GIS) technology company, at WEFTEC. The new relationship will allow both companies to improve product compatibility for current and future customers in the U.S. and Canada. 

“Today Utilis achieved a key milestone in our growth by being recognized for our innovation in water infrastructure condition assessments,” said James Perry, vice president of business development for Utilis. “The purpose of any partner program is to solve together, in order to grow together. Utilis is honored and proud to team with our friends at Esri.”

Utilis and Esri work together to provide delivery to utility and engineering clients and increase the capability of municipalities to reduce water loss and save energy otherwise used for end-to-end transportation of water. Utilis entered the Esri Partner Network at the Silver level, joining other providers of content, solutions and services with a goal to extend the reach of its technology.

Networking News

• United Rentals announced Mick Ebeling, founder & CEO of Not Impossible Labs, and Paul McDonnell, executive vice president and CCO of United Rentals, as keynote speakers for the 2019 Total Control & Innovation Conference.