American Pipe & Plastics is a premier manufacturer of extruded PVC pipe located in Kirkwood, NY. Established in 1977, the company serves the plumbing, water, and sewer industries, as well as telecommunications, power utility, and fiber optic conduit sectors.

Recently, when preparing an extrusion line for their AmlinerII Sewer rehabilitation liner, American Pipe discovered that the heat transfer fluid’s temperature control system was significantly fouled with sludge and carbon—an outcome of years of continuous operation.

Seeking a solution, the company consulted the extruder’s original equipment manufacturer, who recommended contacting Duratherm Extended Life Fluids.

Following a thorough consultation, including fluid sampling and analysis, it was determined that DuraClean Ultra would be most effective in restoring the system. Engineered to remove carbon and sludge deposits rapidly, DuraClean Ultra aligned perfectly with American Pipe’s demanding production schedule. According to Mark Fransiscovich, Maintenance Technician at American Pipe, “With the severity of the system’s sludge deposits, we were initially skeptical that a cleaning product could replace days of manual cleaning and disassembly.

However, after just six hours, we were thoroughly impressed—the system was spotless, and all hard buildup was eliminated, a level of cleanliness we believed was only possible through offsite tank cleaning.”

Encouraged by this success, American Pipe again engaged Duratherm for another challenging application.

While commissioning a line for their AMFO Multi Fiber Optic Conduit system—featuring their proprietary snap clip technology—the process required extremely tight tolerances, achievable only through consistent temperature regulation across multiple extruder zones. American Pipe evaluated various options including water cooling jackets, air cooling fans, and conventional heat transfer fluids. Despite past issues with fluid fouling, Duratherm recommended their flagship product, Duratherm 600. This fluid delivered the precise temperature control necessary while minimizing downtime and the risk of fouling that had occurred with previous products. Duratherm 600’s advanced formulation ensures reliable, long-term operation, especially in open-to-atmosphere extrusion systems, due to its exclusive additive package.

Fransiscovich noted, “We have completely redesigned our preventive maintenance procedures to use Duratherm fluids exclusively in all extrusion lines. As a result, we have experienced fewer issues, reduced downtime in our thermal transfer units, and significantly longer runtimes between shutdowns—a considerable financial benefit.”

ABOUT AMERICAN PIPE & PLASTICS

American Pipe & Plastics, Inc. is a privately held corporation incorporated in New York in 1977. The company specializes in the manufacturing and marketing of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipe and related products.