Aluminum Tube for Greenhouse Irrigation - Round Pipe Rail for Drip & Sprinkler Farm Systems
Aluminium Tube for Greenhouse Irrigation Systems
This round aluminium tube is used in greenhouse irrigation, where it forms the frame that carries drip lines, micro-sprinklers and misting heads over the crop. It is a light, stiff pipe that can be run as a header or a lateral rail inside a growing house, holding the watering points at the height and spacing that the irrigation design sets.
Aluminium is chosen for this duty because the tube stays rust-free in the constant humidity of an irrigated greenhouse, and because its low weight lets a long rail be supported by the greenhouse frame without extra structure.
Irrigation and sprinkler use
In an overhead system the tube carries the sprinkler or mister positions along the row, and in a drip layout it supports the drip line or acts as the manifold rail that feeds the emitters. Because the tube can be drilled at the points where the outlets are wanted, the watering pattern can be set to the bed spacing of the house. The same tube serves as a support rail for the drip tape itself.
Support, spacing and layout
The rail is laid out so that the outlets sit above the bed at the height and spacing the crop needs, and the span between supports is kept short enough that the tube does not sag between them. Because the holes are placed before delivery, the installer sets the rail in position and connects the drip line or sprinkler directly, without drilling on site. Where a house is divided into zones, one rail can feed a single zone so that watering is controlled section by section.
Material and finish
The tube is supplied as a round aluminium pipe in the alloy and wall thickness the span requires, and can be furnished anodized where a harder, corrosion-resistant surface is wanted. The round section is easy to clamp to the greenhouse frame with standard clips and to fit with irrigation saddles and connectors.
Why aluminium for irrigation rails
Irrigation water and the humid air of a greenhouse attack ordinary steel, so a rust-free material keeps the rail working season after season. Aluminium also keeps the rail light enough to be lifted into place by hand and carried on the greenhouse frame without adding to the structure. Where a harder surface is wanted, anodizing gives the tube a wear-resistant finish that is easy to wipe clean.
Information to supply
Confirm the outside diameter and wall thickness, the length of each rail, the span between supports and the positions of the outlet holes. State the alloy and whether an anodized finish is required, and confirm the fittings the tube must connect to.