System and method for identifying thermal expansion issues in a corrugator

A pipe corrugator having a first series of pushed mold blocks that cooperate and abut with an opposed second series of pushed mold blocks to define a corrugated mold tunnel between abutting mold blocks of said first and second series of mold blocks;

• said first and second series of mold blocks separating from each other at an exit of said mold tunnel and pushed along a return path to be brought into abutments with opposed mold blocks adjacent to an entry of said mold tunnel;
• each of said series of mold blocks include a variable speed mold block drive that engages a lead mold block that is pushed to said mold block drive and separates the lead mold block from an adjacent following returning mold block creating a thermal expansion gap between said lead and following mold blocks;
• and wherein
• each series of mold blocks includes a processing arrangement comprising a sensor for sensing the movement of a lead mold block engaged by said variable speed mold block drive from a following mold block about to be engaged by said variable speed mold block drive and separated from said lead mold block by said thermal expansion gap, each processing arrangement assessing the size respective of said thermal expansion gap and providing an operator output signal reflective of the measured thermal gap.