While farmers from Cairns to Campbell Town will know a reliable water supply is key to farming success, how Plasson Australia has developed products to help feed that success may not be so obvious.
Plasson changed the way metric compression fittings were engineered back in the 1960s.
It all started with a group of farmers who found they could not rely on the products already in the market to deliver reliable leak-free joins. They set about working up an innovative new design with captive O-rings.
On the other side of the world, one man was frustrated at the water and resource he could see going to waste as he travelled from Campbell Town to Cairns selling pipes and fittings. That man was David Kirton, now Chairman of Plasson Australia, who took that original design and engineered Australia into it.
The Plasson metric compression concept has the critical sealing element engineered into a groove inside the fitting. The result is a simple yet smart poly pipe joiner. Plasson O-rings remain safe, secure and ready to seal at all times, in all conditions, whether being installed for the first time or reinstalled or reconfigured years down the track.
It was a few years down the line that David Kirton saw the potential for Plasson to develop a range of rural compression fittings right here in Australia, alongside local farmers.
In the 1980s, David was working for Hardie Iplex ravelling the length and breadth of Australia selling pipes and fittings. He felt Plasson’s metric compression fitting design and captive O-rings would deliver long-lasting leak-free connections for Rural Class B poly pipe, coiled pipe and pipe that wasn’t dimensionally accurate.
“I was travelling around Australia as Marketing Manager for Hardie Iplex,” David said.
“I could see some of the existing designs didn’t stay put, others leaked and there were quite a few blow outs happening too. I had a hunch that Plasson’s metric compression design, which was unique due to captive O-rings and a longer body design, could be put to work to create a game-changing fitting for the rural market.”
"So, we started working up prototypes. We would test and refine in the field and within about 12 months we had the basis of a range that was purpose-built for the Australian market,” David explained.
“That’s how Plasson Rural was born. It is a fitting that can be done up hand-tight, no wrench needed, it stays put and can be easily removed, reconfigured and reused to connect both rural or metric pipe – job done.”
The other upside of developing a rural fitting with captive O-rings is that they seal the instant they go on the pipe. With Plasson Rural you get a water-tight seal before you tighten the nuts and without needing to pick up a wrench! Plasson’s ingenious rural fitting design delivers huge flow on benefits. After all, the quicker it is to join pipe or fix a broken connection, the better for your stock and crops.
Plasson’s rural fittings were engineered to handle Aussie conditions, so they feature a longer body design and strong grip rings to guard against blow outs. Fittings are UV stabilized for a long service-life and perform in hot and cold climates. Plasson’s longer red barbs also deliver reliable leak-free joins to both metric and imperial sized poly pipe from ¾ inch up to 2 inches.
This article was written by Elders supplier Plasson Australia for Seasons magazine.
Please note: this article contains information of a general nature, and does not take into account your personal objectives, situation or needs. Before acting on any information, you should consider the appropriateness of the information provided, and seek advice on whether it is fit for your circumstances.