Specialized Machinery Boosts Production of Brazed Copper/Brass Heat Exchangers; CuproBraze Production Line Revs up with Automation

NEW YORK--Sept. 30, 2003--Many equipment makers now offer a range of specialized automated and semi-automated equipment that greatly increases throughput, reliability and yield in the manufacture of heat exchangers. According to the International Copper Association, a modest investment in these types of equipment significantly increases the manufacturing capacity of a CuproBraze production line.

The availability of labor and the details of the product mix will determine the degree of automation that makes sense for any given plant, whether it is a high-volume production plant or small-run, niche-products, manufacturing line. Much of the special machinery is the same as or similar in principle to the equipment that has evolved for the production of soldered copper/brass or brazed aluminum heat exchangers, although some new types of equipment are unique to CuproBraze production.

A CuproBraze production line typically uses some of the following equipment: fin mills, tube mills, tube spray, fin-tip coating, core assembly, header plate attachment, header slurry machine and materials handling equipment. In addition, a manufacturer would need to choose an appropriate brazing furnace.

The wide range of equipment makers goes to show that the CuproBraze manufacturing process is simple, flexible and versatile, yet it can also be adopted for high volume production. An astonishing variety of heat exchangers can be fabricated using the CuproBraze process, including those used for radiators, charge air coolers, oil coolers, climate control systems and other applications. These products are suitable for heavy-duty trucks, off-road diesel engines, stationary generators, spark injection and diesel light trucks, SUVs, and passenger cars.

CuproBraze heat exchangers represent the most efficient and most advanced heat exchangers available today.

The International Copper Association, Ltd. is the leading organization for the promotion of the use of copper worldwide. The Association's twenty-nine members represent about 80 percent of the world's refined copper output, and its six associate members are among the world's largest copper and copper-alloy fabricators. ICA is responsible for guiding policy, strategy and funding of international initiatives and promotional activities. With headquarters in New York City, ICA operates in 28 worldwide locations through a network of regional offices and copper development associations.