Quick-curing technology has made completing CIPP projects significantly more efficient. One new technological offering for this service is Pipeline Renewal Technologies’ SpeedyLight+, an LED-based UV solution for CIPP that cures at speeds ranging from 0.66 to 3.3 feet per minute.

Because it’s compatible with felt (and invertible glass fiber), SpeedyLight+ can cure 90-degree bends in lines as small as 4 inches, as well as other challenging geometries like transitions and verticals. Because it doesn’t use styrene and amines, UV-based cure technologies like SpeedyLight+ raise fewer odor objections from the public and your crew. LED UV curing is also less disruptive to communities because it requires a smaller footprint when performing trenchless repairs, with no large trailers or trucks blocking roadways. In addition, the process requires little time and is energy efficient.

“This can be done in an hour, compared to days of interruptions and sidewalk tear-ups — and then the reconstruction,” says Steve Webster, Pipeline Renewal Technologies’ channel development manager. “With your typical steam or hot water, when you start curing, it’s like a fuse: It goes to the very end, and you have no control. So if there’s something wrong in the middle, there’s no stopping it.”

The single-part vinyl ester resin requires no mixing and eliminates shelf life and working time challenges. According to Webster, any extra resin can be saved for future use. “With this, you can turn the light on and off anytime you want to stop the cure and start the cure,” he says.

The technology uses LED lamps to cure, drawing half the power of traditional UV technology without sacrificing intensity. Meanwhile, the SpeedyLight+ camera head is able to show operators what’s happening underground every step of the way, giving them the ability to control the speed and accuracy of the curing process.

The highly portable design allows for access from even the most remote sites, curing up to 328 feet of liner in pipes ranging from 4 to 12 inches. Due to the low power of LED technology, a SpeedyLight+ UV LED system can be powered from standard 220-volt mains or any 1.2-kW electrical source. 866-936-8476; www.pipelinert.com.