StreetPrint Templates Care and Maintenance Guide

Transcription

1 StreetPrint Templates Care and Maintenance Guide Updated: Updated: Jan

2 TEMPLATES - DESCRIPTION StreetPrint templates, designed and manufactured by Integrated Paving Concepts Inc., are used to imprint a desired pattern into asphalt. Templates are manufactured using a special grade of steel wire which is woven to create a wire rope. The particular weave design resists permanent distortion and provides the flexibility necessary to conform to the pavement surface topography and to allow the templates to be rolled up against a curb or wall. A MIG welding process is used to fuse the wire rope pieces together, creating the templates into the desired pattern as detailed on the drawings and/or specifications. Templates come in a variety of standard patterns which may be viewed at custom designed templates are also available. STORAGE AND TRANSPORTATION New StreetPrint templates are rolled up in order to be shipped. This method of transportation is acceptable due to the fact that no impact force has yet been put on the template. Once impact force has been applied to the templates, rolling them for transportation should be avoided as the bending puts stresses on welded joints and may weaken the joints. If rolling is absolutely necessary, the internal diameter of the roll should be as large as possible and not less then 24 (60 cm). We recommend that the templates also be stored indoors away from the affects of the weather and stored in a FLAT position in order to reduce stresses on welded joints. WHILE PRINTING: DO S AND DON T S TO EXTEND TEMPLATE LIFE There are a number of factors that will affect the life of the template. The better you take care of the template, the longer it will last. Follow these DO s and DO-NOT s to maximize the useful life of the template: 1. DO NOT force the StreetPrint template into HMA pavement that is too cold as it will damage the template by causing breakage at the weld joints and distortion of the template pattern. The template life will be drastically reduced. 2. DO make sure the HMA pavement is hot and soft enough to accept the print. Typically, HMA pavement surface temperature of approximately 300F is sufficient. Check to ensure the HMA pavement is ready for imprinting by pushing a screwdriver into the heated surface. It must go in at least ¾ with little force. 3. DO take into account the factors that affect the ease with which the template can be imprinted: Pavement design. Stiff mix designs with large aggregate are more difficult to imprint than is a more tender mix. Residential driveway mixes are typically more tender than commercial mix designs. Pavement age. Older HMA pavement is typically more difficult to imprint due to the release of the asphalt oils as the natural aging process of the pavement occurs. The effectiveness of the re-heat process to soften the pavement to receive the template is dependent upon the amount of oil within the pavement; therefore it is important to recognize that older pavements have less asphalt oil remaining making these more difficult to imprint. Ambient air and pavement temperature. Pavement cools very quickly on cool days. Therefore, once the re-heat part of the process is complete, it is especially important to complete the imprint part of the process as soon as the StreetHeat machine is moved away from the re-heated area. Do not delay. The density of the template being used. When using very dense templates such as the Eurofan template which has more welds and wire rope than average, you will have to imprint at a slightly higher temperature.

3 TEMPLATES - DESCRIPTION StreetPrint templates are designed using a variety of stock, and custom patterns. We fabricate our swaged wire rope templates using metal inert gas (MIG) welding, and swaged wire rope. STORAGE AND TRANSPORTATION StreetPrint templates are initially rolled up and crated for shipping. After Templates are used in the field, it is acceptable to roll them for storage. We recommend keeping the diameter of a rolled template at approximately 24 (60cm) or larger to avoid excess stress on the welds. We also recommend templates be stored indoors, either laid flat, or hung to avoid excess stress on the welds Tips when using StreetPrint Templates: Never stamp any templates before the asphalt has reached optimal temperatures. Stamping with insufficient heat will drastically reduce the life of a template. Always test the surface when it has reached approximately 300F, use a screw driver to confirm heat penetrated has reached a least ¾. Remember to consider ake into account the factors that affect the ease with which the template can be imprinted: Pavement design. Stiff mix designs with large aggregate are more difficult to imprint than is a more tender mix. Residential driveway mixes are typically more tender than commercial mix designs. Pavement age. Older HMA pavement is typically more difficult to imprint due to the release of the asphalt oils as the natural aging process of the pavement occurs. The effectiveness of the re-heat process to soften the pavement to receive the template is dependent upon the amount of oil within the pavement; therefore it is important to recognize that older pavements have less asphalt oil remaining making these more difficult to imprint. Ambient air and pavement temperature. Pavement cools very quickly on cool days. Therefore, once the re-heat part of the process is complete, it is especially important to complete the imprint part of the process as soon as the StreetHeat machine is moved away from the re-heated area. Do not delay. The density of the template being used. When using very dense templates such as the Eurofan template which has more welds and wire rope than average, you will have to imprint at a slightly higher temperature.

4 WHILE PRINTING - Follow these DO s and DO-NOT s to maximize the useful life of the template: 1. DO NOT force the StreetPrint template into HMA pavement that is too cold as it will damage the template by causing breakage at the weld joints and distortion of the template pattern. The template life will be drastically reduced. 2. DO make sure the HMA pavement is hot and soft enough to accept the print. Typically, HMA pavement surface temperature of approximately 300F is sufficient. Check to ensure the HMA pavement is ready for imprinting by pushing a screwdriver into the heated surface. It must go in at least ¾ with little force. 3. DO take into account the factors that affect the ease with which the template can be imprinted: Pavement design. Stiff mix designs with large aggregate are more difficult to imprint than is a more tender mix. Residential driveway mixes are typically more tender than commercial mix designs. Pavement age. Older HMA pavement is typically more difficult to imprint due to the release of the asphalt oils as the natural aging process of the pavement occurs. The effectiveness of the re-heat process to soften the pavement to receive the template is dependent upon the amount of oil within the pavement; therefore it is important to recognize that older pavements have less asphalt oil remaining making these more difficult to imprint. Ambient air and pavement temperature. Pavement cools very quickly on cool days. Therefore, once the re-heat part of the process is complete, it is especially important to complete the imprint part of the process as soon as the StreetHeat machine is moved away from the re-heated area. Do not delay. The density of the template being used. When using very dense templates such as the Eurofan template which has more welds and wire rope than average, you will have to imprint at a slightly higher temperature. 4. DO check the burners on your StreetHeat machine to ensure these are all working properly. For maximum template life, you must ensure there is even heat distribution across the area you are heating; if there is not even heat distribution, cold spots will occur within the print area. Printing in these cooler areas will negatively affect the template life. 5. DO NOT expose the StreetPrint template to extreme heat DO NOT reheat the HMA pavement with a StreetHeat machine or torch while the StreetPrint template is still in place. The extreme heat followed by rapid cooling can make the template "brittle" resulting in breakage. 6. DO (if possible), flip the template over between prints in order to distribute stresses more evenly and limit deformation. 7. DO examine the pavement while imprinting to ensure the oil has heated enough so that the aggregate rocks are pushed rather than crushed. 8. DO examine the template at the end of each day and complete any maintenance that may be required. 9. DO store your templates as outlined above. 10. DO NOT allow your templates to get rusty.

5 IDENTIFYING PROBLEMS CAUSED IN MANUFACTURING Templates are scrutinized thoroughly before they leave the manufacturing plant. Occasionally however a defect can get by undetected. Therefore, upon receipt, it is always best to examine your new template for possible defects. Should you come across a defect in manufacturing, it is your responsibility to contact IPC immediately at to report the problem and provide all details including pictures of the defect(s) and the history (if any) of template usage. Typical defects include Incomplete Penetration of the Welds, Undercut and Missed Welds, and Deformation of the template pattern. Explanations of these are as follows: INCOMPLETE PENETRATION The welds holding the pieces of wire rope together are to be full penetration, which means that the wires should be fused throughout the full thickness of the rope. Failure to achieve full penetration as required by the welding procedure may lead to complete separation of the joined pieces of rope and premature failure. The following picture illustrates a weld where the core of the wire rope was not properly fused: After outer wires are broken, the core of the rope can be easily separated from the adjacent member leaving visible cavity in the weld. If several joints on a template show failure of that kind, the workmanship is faulty and the problem is to be rectified by the manufacturer. Undercut

6 DEFORMATION Deformation is normally a manufacturing defect related to set-up and assembly of the template prior to welding, as noted below in the picture. Note that deformation can also occur in shipping - these can generally be repaired by hand. Deformation defects should be repaired prior to using the template to preserve high print quality. The templates should display uniform pattern throughout the entire body. This is an example of a manufacturing defect where the cross pieces are too long. Inconsistent pattern with excessive deformities need to be corrected prior to usage. Manufacturing defects should be reported to IPC immediately complete with pictures and details of template usage history. Either a replacement template will be provided or other arrangements will be made in order to bring the template to acceptable condition. IDENTIFYING MAINTENANCE ISSUES Excessive Deformation of Pattern StreetPrint templates are subject to wear and tear and it is normal that some maintenance of the templates will be required in order to keep them in good condition and ready for the next job. The following pictures demonstrate typical signs of wear and tear and suggested repairs: Breakages in the template as seen on the left edge of the weld should be repaired as soon as possible or the wire will start to unravel and future repair will be more difficult or impossible. Broken outer wires

7 Breakages in the template as seen on the left edge of the weld were not repaired on time and the wires were allowed to unravel, it s the last moment to correct the problem before any repair will be more difficult or impossible. Broken outer wires Breakages in the template edges of the welds should be repaired as soon as possible or the wire will start to unravel and future repair will be more difficult or impossible. Broken outer wires

8 This template was not repaired on time and the wire already unraveled. To repair, sections of the wire rope have to be replaced with new ones Broken outer wires WELDING MAINTENANCE OF TEMPLATES Templates may have as many as 500 welds where the wire rope is joined together to create the template pattern. By the nature of the welding process, when the weld metal solidifies the area immediately adjacent to the weld (Heat Affected Zone) becomes more brittle and is more prone to breakage, and this is where the failure usually occurs. Combine this fact with the environment in which these templates perform and it is not surprising that there is an occasional weld failure from time to time. The breakage usually starts with the outer most strands of the wires and progresses deeper if the maintenance work is not performed. Timely maintenance will extend the life of a template significantly - it should include checking at the end of a printing day for cracks and if found, touch up the minute cracks in the welds. Small touch up welding performed shortly after the breakage of the top strands will stop the progression of the damage. If the wire has already un-raveled, the best way to deal with the situation is to completely cut out the damaged wire rope (as shown on the sketch). The most suitable tool to cut the wire rope is a zip cut abrasive blade mounted on an angle grinder. Inserting new wire rope section and welding will make the template usable again.

9 Welding For best results use MIG welding process with the following parameters, however for small emergency repairs any process utilizing mild steel weld deposit can be used. Welding Wire: ER-70S-6 Shielding Gas: Argon 85%, CO2 15% Adjustable parameters Wire Feed Speed (in/min) = 263 Voltage (Volts) = 17.2 Tip to Work Distance (in) = ½ maximum Note: Testing an area with scrap wire rope will enable you to become familiar with the correct procedure and establish an exact weld temperature. Weld wire contact tip to work distance should not exceed ½. ½ Typical welding equipment set-up must include components capable of supporting welding parameters as stated above. Lower parameters may result in insufficient penetration, cold welds or lack of fusion. Incorrect: Undercut Correct: VERY IMPORTANT! Welds should encapsulate the entire wire rope, thus securing and fully protecting every strand. If strands are not secure they may pull away from the weld. Avoid excessive welds and any under-cut when welding! Avoid This