Water, Sewage & Effluent Mar Vol 30 No 2 | Page 33
industry
debate
infrastructure
Napoleon Potlo is production manager: injection moulding at DPI Plastics.
tech news
DPI Plastics breaks the mould – to create a better one
networking
DPI Plastics, a major manufacturer of PVC and HDPE water reticulation and drainage
pipe and fitting systems, has embarked on various capital-intensive projects to boost the
quality and productivity at its Johannesburg and Belville manufacturing facilities.
These initiatives include a continuing mould replacement programme in Johannesburg,
which has seen the production of a brand-new mould for 50mm bend pipe fittings.
“We are replacing the older moulds and fittings, in most cases opting for new multi-cavity
moulds,” says Renier Snyman, sales and technical manager at DPI Plastics, explains.
“First of all, this will improve the quality of the fittings, without altering the dimensions.
Secondly, it will also result in a dramatic increase in production output,” he says.
He says this is a capital-intensive programme as these moulds are costly to produce. Snyman
says the company will take delivery of its new P-trap mould from Portugal by March.
Another major development is the addition of a second large-bore extrusion line at the Johannesburg
facility. This follows on from the installation of the original Krauss Maffei 630mm bore extrusion line
in 2013. DPI Plastics will be adding a new smaller extrusion line dedicated solely to research and
development purposes, which makes it exclusive among pipe manufacturers in South Africa.
New guidelines for steam electric power
Late last year the US Environmental Protection Agency released a final rule that revises the Effluent Limit
Guidelines for the steam electric power generating category, establishing limits on the levels of toxic metals in
wastewater that can be discharged from power plants. The new guidelines are based on technology improvements
in t