Netafim’s durable Streamline X dripline now made locally

Streamline X is said to be the toughest thin-wall dripline ever made. It is now produced in the company’s Cape Town factory.

Netafim South Africa has been championing increased wateruse efficiency in South Africa for the past 30 years. Since 1992, the company has driven the adoption of precision irrigation solutions. One of the biggest highlights on this journey was the launch of local dripline manufacturing to better supply the market.

In 1999, the Kraaifontein manufacturing plant was opened, and production started with two extruders.

“This venture was very successful, and we were able to grow our production steadily,” says Joe le Roux, factory manager at Netafim South Africa.

“In 2017 we invested in new extruders and have continually improved our equipment and systems. We now have three state-of-the-art extrusion lines and production runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”

To date, locally produced dripline includes Uniram, Dripnet PC and Aries driplines with wall thicknesses ranging from 0,3mm to 1,5mm.

Netafim South Africa has been investigating the possibility of extending its local dripline production to include its tough thin-wall dripline, Streamline X, for some time now. The need for local production is driven by the company’s aim to always adapt to market requirements and ensure that its business systems are optimised for efficiency.

“We’re very excited to announce that, after the latest upgrades to our extruders, we can now manufacture thin-wall piping with wall thickness below 0,2mm.

“This means that Streamline X can be extruded right here in our Cape Town manufacturing plant,” says Le Roux.

STABLE SUPPLY

The first roll of locally produced Streamline X was extruded recently, and production ran smoothly. Beyond the benefit of faster and more stable supply, this move speaks to the company’s passion for efficiency.

According to Le Roux, local production is more cost-efficient and, most notably, leaves a much smaller environmental footprint.

Michael Esmeraldo, managing director of Netafim South Africa, says the irrigation industry is seeing farmers shifting to increased use of thin-wall driplines.

Netafim, he says, is in a good position to capitalise on the new market shifts.

“By offering thin-wall, medium-wall and heavy-wall driplines with various dripper features and capabilities, as well as our wider range of precision irrigation solutions, we know that we can help any farmer overcome challenges in the field,” says Esmeraldo.

“We can proudly say our locally produced dripline offer is complete, and we can nimbly react to the needs of our end-users.”

‘WITH OUR WIDER RANGE, WE CAN HELP ANY FARMER OVERCOME CHALLENGES IN THE FIELD’

TOUGH ENOUGH

The toughness of Streamline X, confirmed by tests at the company’s headquarters in Israel, can be attributed to the longevity of the dripper and the durability of the dripline.

Netafim’s advanced dripper technology ensures optimal turbulence, self-cleaning capabilities, wide water passages, and a deep and wide cross section for high dripper clogging resistance.

The large filtration area also prevents the entrance of sediment into the drippers, ensuring optimal performance even under harsh water conditions.

SUPPLIED Netafim South Africa team members with the first market-ready roll of Streamline X produced at the Cape Town manufacturing plant. Back (from left): James Everts, Suren Moonasar and Buks van Zyl. Front (from left): Alfie Delport, Edward Appolis, Joe le Roux and Gerard Hyster.