Blow-molded plastic pipe is a light weight cost effective solution for automotive fuel filling application.
This technology provides large flexibility in design to address any particular vehicle configuration. Filler pipes can be blow-molded in 2 or 3 dimensions, with constant or variable diameter, with or without degassing and recirculation...
It can accommodate most ways to fix the pipe to the tank: welding, using a rubber hose, fitting with a metal ring, or using of a quick-connector.
Similarly, filler head can be welded or crimped. Blow molding allows for larger head for better filling performances.
It is fully compatible with capless systems. INERGY developed and commercialized its own capless system: CLINFILL.
Pioneering advanced technologies, INERGY has developed a high productivity, low cost process to produce 3D filler pipes.
- Plastic raw material is molten and flows through the extrusion head of the blow molding machine to form the parison
- The parison is taken by a robot gripper and laid down into a shaping mask during the blowing cycle of the previous part without any loss of time
- Upon mold opening, the finished part is extracted from the top cavity and the shaping mask drops the parison into the lower cavity
- Both ends of the filler pipe are automatically removed by in-mold cutters achieving high part accuracy while reducing costly secondary operations.
- Mold closes again and blowing cycle restarts
 This 3D process is combined with INERGY’s post cooling process for optimal geometrical reproducibility. The filler pipe is processed further in the finishing line.
In addition to increasing productivity, INERGY’s 3D filler pipe blow-molding optimizes investment thanks to the process and machine flexibility which can operate in single or twin station mode.
Today, INERGY is already using this process for several programs.
Why use plastics for Filler Pipes?
As for Fuel Systems, the use of plastics for Filler Pipes has several advantages
- The light weight of plastics contributes to the reduction of CO2 emissions
- Plastic provides high flexibility and enables creation of the most complex shapes
- Plastic guarantees optimal safety thanks to its excellent shock resistance
- Plastic is corrosion free and ensures longer life
- Thanks to mono- and multi-layer technologies, plastic complies with the most stringent local and global environmental standards of the world |  |  |
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