Standardization and Practice of Inspection Process for Fiberglass Pipe Winding Equipment
As the core equipment in the manufacture of fiber-reinforced plastic (GRP/FRP) pipes, the inspection process for GRP/FRP pipe winding equipment is crucial for ensuring stable equipment performance, accurate process parameters, and reliable product quality. This process spans all stages of equipment manufacturing, installation, commissioning, and operation. Under strict standard guidance, systematic inspection and verification are necessary to eliminate potential defects and ensure long-term stable operation of the equipment under design conditions.
During the equipment manufacturing stage, the inspection focus is on the precision of the mechanical structure and key components. The mandrel, as the reference carrier for winding, must be inspected item by item for its inner diameter, roundness, straightness, and surface roughness to ensure it meets design tolerance requirements and avoids uneven fiber layer thickness or stress concentration caused by geometric deviations. The transmission system requires dynamic balancing tests and no-load operation assessments, monitoring speed stability, vibration values, and noise levels to determine the assembly quality and operational smoothness of the drive unit. The carriage travel mechanism should verify the straightness of the guide rails, transmission clearance, and repeatability accuracy to ensure that the axial movement trajectory perfectly matches the CNC program. The electrical control system requires checks on wiring tightness, signal response time, and sensor calibration status. Key actuators such as servo motors and encoders must be used within their valid calibration periods, and complete testing records must be maintained.
Upon entering the installation and commissioning phase, the testing process shifts to matching and verifying process parameters. During the first-piece trial production stage, the fiber tension control range and its stability must be verified to ensure that different batches of fibers maintain constant tension during transport, preventing buckling or breakage. The temperature and resin viscosity of the impregnation tank must be compared with design values to ensure sufficient fiber wetting and the absence of dry spots. The winding pattern should be confirmed through both CNC system playback and actual measurement; the helix angle and number of layers must match the design drawings. For thick-walled pipes, the continuity of the circumferential and helical winding transition zones must also be checked. Curing regime testing includes tracking the temperature rise curve and testing the pipe wall temperature uniformity to prevent excessively rapid heating that could lead to internal stress cracks or insufficient curing that could affect strength.
After commissioning, the testing process extends to finished product quality sampling and equipment status monitoring. Visual inspection focuses on surface smoothness, absence of bubbles, delamination, and exposed fibers; dimensional measurements verify that the outer diameter, wall thickness, and socket accuracy meet specifications. Pressure testing applies water or air pressure according to product grade and maintains pressure for observation to determine sealing performance and pressure resistance; non-destructive testing, such as ultrasonic or X-ray, is used to investigate potential problems such as internal porosity and delamination. All test results must be reported; anomalies must be analyzed for causes and corrective measures implemented, and production can only continue after a successful re-inspection.
Effective implementation of the testing process relies on professional personnel and equipment management. Testing personnel must be systematically trained and certified, and testing instruments must be regularly calibrated and maintained in good working order. A testing log and a full-process traceability mechanism should be established to ensure complete and traceable testing information for each piece of equipment and each batch of products. By strictly implementing the testing process during the manufacturing, commissioning, and operation phases, the reliability and process stability of GRP/FRP pipe winding equipment can be significantly improved, providing a solid guarantee for the manufacture of high-quality composite material pipes.
