HDPE systems gaining traction in agricultural market

Due to their longevity, high-density polyethylene (HDPE) piping systems are drawing an increasing amount of interest within the agricultural industry. Barona Pipelines & Fittings has formed a partnership with Koty Pompe to create customised pipelines for farmers.

Renier Pieterse, director, Barona Pipelines & Fittings

In addition to a longer lifespan, HDPE pipes are easier to install and have less resistance than steel pipes. This leads to a pump working less, with the additional benefit of pumps lasting longer and using less electricity. Even when using solar energy, if a pump works less, the entire solar system can be smaller. Furthermore, HDPE pipes can be exposed to sunlight for long periods of time. This gives a farmer greater flexibility, as the pipes can be placed above the ground and easily moved in a few years’ time. Rodents and animals cannot chew through an HDPE pipe either,” says Renier Pieterse, director, Barona Pipelines & Fittings.

Maintenance is another huge advantage. Due to the remote locations of most farming operations, it is critical that problems with pipes can be fixed immediately on-site by staff on the farm. It is very costly and time-consuming for a company to travel to a farm to repair a pipeline, and it can put the farmer’s business at risk if everything must come to a standstill. “After the installation of an HDPE system, we can leave a farm with critical spares and problem parts can be replaced immediately. From there, we can be called in to investigate any fatigues or failures,” explains Pieterse.

Koty Pompe (a supplier of water pumps and irrigation-related products in Limpopo) and Barona work closely together to design the best possible water system for a farmer. “We are specialists in HDPE pipelines and they are specialists in pumps. Barona Pipelines & Fittings will advise on the type of HDPE design and build any fittings, bends, manifolds and tees to a client’s custom specifications.”

Floating device With its manufacturing plant in Sunderland Ridge, west of Pretoria, Barona – together with Koty Pompe – can design and produce a floating device for any typical borehole pump. This means that one can easily pump water out of a dam by putting a borehole pump into this floating device, connecting it to a pump and placing it into the dam. It alleviates the need for specialised (and expensive) pumping systems.

Barona Pipelines & Fittings specialises in HDPE and focuses on quality through its entire supply chain – beginning with pipe manufacturers through to installation and ending with repairs and maintenance.

“We specialise in HDPE fabrication and installation, which ensures that we provide a quality product and service with decent turnaround times. Custom fabrication requires specifications and parameters to ensure maximum tolerances and minimal losses to a pipeline project. The ever-increasing demand for more complex and economical pipeline designs has resulted in a greater need for HDPEfabricated fittings and pipes to solve installation situations where common fittings fail,” concludes Pieterse.

One can easily pump water out of a dam by putting a borehole pump into this floating device, connecting it to a pump and placing it into the dam Barona Pipeline & Fittings is an HDPE fabricator that can design and manufacture all fittings, bends, manifolds, manholes and tees to a client’s custom specifications