1. Pipe and Fitting Manufacturer’s Implementation Tracking and Traceability
Heath Casteel
Sr. Technical Engineer, Performance Pipe
Division of Chevron Phillips Chemical company LP

2. Purpose of Presentation
Information
The Problem to be Solved
Current Solutions
Quality and Scanning
Lessons Learned to Date
Future Steps

3. What the codes look like
ASTM F2897
Base 62
Manufacturer Code
Unique Lot # to ID Resin and Mfg Information
Date
Material
Type of product
Size
Skip this if someone else has covered it. Otherwise,
Touch on the information that is captured, that its capture in a base 62 format including upper case, lower case and numbers….. and point to the example of what it looks like.
Just set the stage.

4. The Problem to be Solved
The problems include:
A change in date isnt a simple index from 1 to 2 to 3, or Jan to Feb.
Instead the date change becomes more complex – show example.
Additionally it is difficult to tell the difference between lower case ‘L’ and number ‘1’, between upper case ‘O’ and zero.
For us to provide reliability in our production, we can’t rely on our operators to manually load the characters.
The 1D bar code is a code the 2D bar code is a QR code.
Additionally, we need to provide a method where the end user can also capture the number and avoid errors, so it needs to be presented as a bar code. -- see example.

5. The Problem to be Solved
The previous method of permanent print is not suitable
Explain how the indent print wheel worked --- manually loading the print slugs, and manually indexing the counter blocks.
Reiterate that it isnt well suited due to the operator intervention, Unable to have the counters developed, and unable to generate a bar code.

6. The Problem to be Solved
Ink is often used to print bar codes
Ink doesn’t stick to polyethylene
Surface treatment methods have limitations of effectiveness and reliability.
Ink jet printing is not permanent.
The technologies used to improve ink adhesion on PE films don’t transfer as well to pipe (heavier wall and shape). Flames can be used to improve adhesion, but the proximity of flame and ink thinners prevented it from being used.
Plasma treaters provide a method of improving the adhesion of inks to PE pipes.
There are limitations to the speed that they can handle, and they are subject to mechanical reliability issues.
These are still used, but are most effective only on pipe sizes.
Blown arc air plasma treater

7. The Problem to be Solved
Laser printing/etching is used to print bar codes.
Significant Expense
Reliable even at high speeds
Reduced Contrast
Permanent

8. The Problem to be Solved
Labels are an effective method to place bar codes on fittings
Fittings can be very small
Moved to a 2D/QR bar code

9. Current Solution Encode the 16 character from a central location
Push the 16 character code to the production locations for printing
Print labels for each fitting and box
Laserjet print smaller diameter sizes (in process)
Inkjet print and indent print larger diameter sizes
Verify that the bar code is legible on line
QA to verify that the 16 character code is correct.

10. Current Solution – Pipe
BEFORE
ENCODING CURRENT

11. Matrix of Pipe Print Methods
Function
Cost
Reliability
Safety
Permanence
Indent Printing
Low
High
Medium
Yes
Ink Jet Printing with Surface Treatment
High ≥3” No
Laser Printing
High, focus on ≤2”

12. Ink Jet Pipe With Verification
Print Head
Verifier
Indent print is at 90 degrees to the inkjet print
Surface treatment is upstream from the print head.
The corona arc is inside the plastic covering of the print heat
Read dot on the printline is the verifier
Leave this out of the packet given to AGA

13. Pipe Quality Tests Weatherability (ASTM D2513-14)
simulated 3 years (6600 hrs) in Florida sunlight/rain
samples pulled at 3300 hrs and 6600 hrs
No effect of weathering
Fusion (49 CFR )
Butt fusion: all joints passed
Saddle and Socket fusion: all joints passed
Of course also did 80C sustained pressure.

14. Barcode Scanning Quality
Barcode Graded “A”
RJS 4000 grading scanner
Lower contrast between print and pipe on Laserprinting
requires capable scanner
cell phone not recommended
however; Cortex Scan (iOS) is the best available app

15. Barcode Scanning Suggested Scanners Cognex Honeywell Dataman 9500
(discontinued)
Dataman 8600
Honeywell
Granit i1910 (corded)
Granit i1911 (Bluetooth)
Matt has these two scanners if you want to borrow them for show and tell.

16. Lessons Learned
You’ll need to print extra labels due to packaging obscuring the pipe print.

17. Lessons Learned Where there are two print lines (inkjet and indent)
Inkjet changes dates automatically
Indent dates are changed manually
Procedures to get the dates to agree.

18. Lessons Learned Assemblies have Multiple Dates
Date Assembled
Date Body Molded
Date Cap Molded
Date of Cutter
Internal system tracks component information
Users need track only the final date shown on label.

19. Lessons Learned Verification of bar code readability is critical
Good Code Read
The difference can be just in the distance of the print head from the pipe.
Bad Code Read

20. Lessons Learned
If the size is not in the ASTM F2897 tables, some decoders may err the whole 16characters, some decoders may bring a zero for the missing value.
Example: 1” CTS x .125 wall is not in chart
Asim is going to develop one (its on his list)
In the meantime I have an excel spreadsheet that covers most of our products.

21. Lessons Learned Readers don’t necessarily decode
You will want some access to a decoder
Result of a Reader: PE3k8j9uXB811bT0
Result of a Reader/Decoder:
Manufacturer Performance Pipe
Lot Code
Production Date December 31, 2015
Material PE2708
Type Tapping Tee Saddles heat Fusion by Butt fusion Outlet
Size Large 4” IPS SDR 11
Size Small 1” CTS .101 Wall
0ther 0
Asim is going to develop one (its on his list)
In the meantime I have an excel spreadsheet that covers most of our products.

22. Future Steps Continue to update with new Products.
Complete installation throughout all plants and all extrusion lines.
Look forward to newer technologies
RFID
If there is technology available for RFID or other methods, we will be active in considering.

23. FAQ

24. Thank you. Heath Casteel Sr. Technical Engineer, Performance Pipe
Division of Chevron Phillips Chemical company LP