Self seal pipe insulation production brought to the UK

The self-adhesive tube version of leading elastomeric pipe insulation product Class O Armaflex is now being manufactured and supplied directly from Armacell’s UK plant in Oldham.

New production lines and expertise have been brought in-house for applying the self-adhesive strips and tapes to ensure greater control over quality, stock levels and lead-times for future supplies.

Bringing the production to Oldham has also led to an increase in the local production team by four in order to carry out the new processes.

The Class O Armaflex Self Seal pipe insulation product is fully slit longitudinally along the length of each tube, with two strips of double sided self adhesive tape pre-applied to both of the slit surfaces. The product is specifically designed to provide high performance insulation where fast, secure installation is required.

It is also ideal for applications where working space is restricted, with Class O Armaflex Self Seal easily applied to existing pipework by simply fitting the tube onto the pipe, peeling back the protective covering strips from the self adhesive tapes and pressing the seams firmly together to achieve a dirt/moisture proof seal. A fast and secure gluing of seams is achieved over the entire length of the installation, while the ease of application reduces the cost and time of installations by up to 30%.

Like all Armaflex products, Class O Armaflex Self Seal has a closed cell structure with an “in-built” vapour barrier, offering a high resistance to water vapour transmission and reducing the risk of condensation. By preventing moisture ingress and condensation, damage to the insulation and subsequent losses of thermal performance and corrosion issues are prevented, and the efficiency and life span of chilled water and heating and plumbing services prolonged as a result.

In addition to preventing moisture ingress and condensation the built-in Microban® anti-microbial protection also further reduces the potential for mould and bacterial growth.

The Self Seal tubes are available in four insulation thicknesses of 9, 13, 19 and 25mm, with pipework maximum O/D sizes from 15 to 89mm to provide condensation control, frost protection and prevent heat losses across a range of applications and temperature conditions.  

The Oldham production plant has been responsible for key landmark developments in elastomeric insulation technology including the high temperature, UV resistant HT/Armaflex product and the high performance acoustic foam material ArmaSound RD. Class O Armaflex, developed to meet the influential British standards on product fire performance was first developed in Oldham almost 50 years ago.
Today Armacell is the only UK manufacturer to produce both elastomeric (Class O Armaflex, ArmaSound RD) and polyethylene (Tubolit domestic pipe insulation), supplying to specialist thermal insulation distributors and heating and plumbing merchants throughout the UK and Ireland.