Put An End To Old, Rusty Tubes…!!!

How old are the tubes in your firm..? Irrespective of the regular cleaning and maintenance, the older tubes have to be replaced after prolonged usage. Have a check on the performance of the tubes regularly. If you sense something wrong with the tubes, then it’s a high time for you to replace the old corroded tubes with newer ones. Hold on….! Tube pulling is not that easy. It is quite important to employ the perfect tools on the perfect systems. The range of tools available for this purpose is vast. Here under a few popular tube removal tools are listed:

Auto Stub Puller:

• Ferrous and non-ferrous tubes from power plant equipment can be pulled off quickly.

• The operator’s effort is reduced.

• In a single operation, gripping and pulling can be accomplished.

• The tube ejects out automatically after removing it.

Continuous Hydraulic Tube Puller:

• The operation is quite easy and doesn’t require a high degree of skills for the operator.

• They are so widely used that, we can find these components in the majority of the stores.

• Depending upon the tube dimensions, the pulling guns have to be selected. They are interchangeable.

• This is a portable unit and is mounted on a four wheel trolley for easy locomotion in the work space.

Manual tube puller:

• As the name suggests, we don’t have to supply any external power sources for this puller.

• A hand wrench is inserted into the tubes to carry out the pulling process.

• The design is simple and it can be operated with ease.

• The appropriate one has to be selected based on the size of the tubes to be removed.

A few other handy tools:

• It is going to be a tough task to pull out tubes from thick walls. A tube wall reducer is used to thin the walls.

• A tube drift is employed to knock the tubes out of tube sheets comfortably.

• To collapse the tube and force it out of the tube sheet, employ a collapsing tube.

Operation:

The procedure to pull out the tubes depends on the type of tubes, dimensions and most importantly, the tools which are being employed. Here under the sequence of operations to be performed to remove the tubes by using a continuous hydraulic tube puller is given:

• Impact wrench is used to thread the mandrel into the tube which is to be removed.

• The pulling gun is mounted onto the mandrel. Then, break down the expanded joint.

• Initiate the auto cycle and the tube gets removed.

• Finally, the mandrel has to be unscrewed.

One of the most primitive methods of tube pulling is to remove the tubes manually after crushing them. However, this method is tedious and consumes lot of time. Of late, the power driven systems as mentioned above have come into use. They have made the tube pulling quicker, safer and reliable. To increase the productivity of the firm, much more sophisticated tube pullers are being introduced with time.

Tube End Facers: Shape It To Perfection…!!!!

One of the most extensively used technologies in majority of the firms is the piping. Firms ranging from nuclear power plants to food industries require piping to carry out their functions. Proper installation and right maintenance of the tubes can significantly improve the efficiency of the firm. One has to be cautious while dealing with these tubes as they are highly prone to be damaged by the scales and sludges. If neglected, these materials act as heat insulators and reduce the efficiency of the firm drastically. Clean them regularly to free them from debris. Often, when the tubes get damaged too much, you may have to replace them with the newer ones. During this installation process, tube end facers can be a lot handy. Check out more about them.

What Exactly Is Facing…?

Facing operation is carried out to bring out smooth surfaces at the ends of bars and tubes. Often, this process is also employed to cut the ends of the bars or tubes to bring out dimensional accuracy. The applications of this tool are…

Before expanding the tubes, the tube end facers are employed to make sure that the projections of the tube ends are uniform.

• In boilers, tube ends are made to have uniform projections before they are rolled.
• The cut or rolled tubes are de burred with this tool.

They are widely employed in power plants, oil and gas refineries, sugar factories and a few other food industries.

Features:

The much anticipated features of tube end facers are listed below:

• Minute feed adjustment can result in smooth and precise machining. The material removal can be controlled with ease.
• Coating a tool bit with materials like titanium can prolong its lifetime. This also makes the tool to withstand the extreme working conditions.
• The tool is expected to have improved safety features like safety shields and guards.
• Interchangeable pilots can increase the versatility of its applications.
• Bevel cutting can also be performed, if a holder is provided.

Cutting holders and inserts can be a lot handy while dealing with tube end facers. Lithium ion rechargeable batteries are used with these devices.

Precautions:

• The operator must be equipped with all the safety devices like goggles, gloves, etc.
• Make sure that all the electrical and hydraulic connections are secured tightly and safely.
• Lubricate the moving parts with the specified lubricants so as to reduce wear on the materials.
• Preserve the tools safely by protecting them against external environmental factors like moisture, heat etc.

Get Online:

Sometimes, it might be real difficult to get the one which best fits your requirement. However, when you choose to select from online stores, you can have the flexibility of choosing from a wide range of products. In such a case, the chances of getting your requirements fulfilled are quite high. Check out for the product descriptions and shipping prices while purchasing the products.

Tube Expander For Stronger Bonds….!!!

While dealing with power plant equipment, sugar factories, oil refineries, a major problem encountered is sealing of the tubes. A tight mechanical seal between the tubes can be achieved by tube expansion methods. In this process, a tube is expanded into the other tube. Their point of contact is sealed by applying intense pressure on it. Check out the info about the tube expansion systems, which are detailed below.

Tube Expansion Methods:

In any of the processes employed, the ultimate aim is to force the space between the tube sheets. A few processes are detailed here under:

• Hydraulic expansion: Hydraulic pressure is applied at directly at the surface of the section to be sealed.
• In case of explosive type of expansion, we place explosives along the tubular column of the section to be sealed. The high pressure developed during the explosion results in tight joint between the tubes.
• In the process of mechanical rolling, rolls are used to exert high pressure along the contact surface of the tubes.

Components Of The Tube Expander:

The basic components of the tube expander are listed below. It is to be noted that the design of the tube changes with the type of expander and the application.

• Roller: The internal surface of the tube is deformed plastically under the action of this component. It is so designed that, even under the expansion process, the internal surface of the tube remains in perfect cylindrical shape.
• Mandrel: The rollers are rotated with the help of these mandrels. They are designed to be tapered in shape similar to that of the roller design. The materials employed in the manufacture of the mandrels and rollers must withstand the high pressure and friction developed.
• Frame: Multiple rollers can be held at equal distances with the help of the frame. In general, the frame is designed to carry 3-7 rollers.
• Bearing collar: The high thrust developed during the expansion process is minimized with these devices to safer levels. Tube ends and tube sheets can be protected from damages by employing bearing collars.

Accessories:

• Eledrive: As the name suggests, electricity is the driving force for this device. The load torque during the expansion process is detected and the tube expansion is confined to its predetermined size while expanding with the help of this device.
• Tube roller: the driving unit of the tube expansion system is the tube roller. Clockwise and counter clockwise rotations are possible with this unit.
• Servo drive: Installing servo drives reduces the work time to appreciable levels. It is a high speed machine which yields truly precise results.
• Grooving tool: Often, we may have to make grooves on the internal surface of the tubes. This can be done with ease by employing a grooving tool which is supported by a drilling machine.
• Expander oil: Any moving part undergoes friction which results in wear and tear of the machine. If unchecked, the tool life gets diminished. Expander oil is a lubricant which is used to minimize the friction of the expansion system.
• Spring balancer: The effort of the operator to handle the expansion tools can be reduced greatly by using spring balancers.

Do You Want To Seal Tubes..? This Is The Better Way…!!

Tube expansion is the process of joining tubes mechanically. They are most widely used in power plant equipment like heat exchangers, boilers, etc. In this article, we brief you about condenser tube expanders. By employing these devices, tubes of any complex design can be rolled and sealed effectively.

How to Select:

Before selecting the tube expanders, make sure that you consider the following factors strongly:

• Outer diameter of the tube.
• The thickness of tube walls and sheets.
• The material used in the manufacture of the tubes.

Features:

Check out for the following features:

• It should be designed to have a rugged construction.
• The device must absorb the torque developed so as to reduce vibrations.
• The rolling operation has to be performed with ease.
• The materials employed in the manufacture of the device should resist corrosion and withstand extreme working conditions.

Special Tool Expanders:

Here under, a few tools which are designed to meet specific applications are detailed:

• Linsen flaring expander: It is used to handle the tubes made of copper, brass and aluminum. The ends of these tubes are expanded so that another tube of similar cross section can be inserted into the expanded portion.
• Diesel engine expander: It is purposely used to roll injection sleeves into the diesel engine heads. They are specifically designed based on the dimensions of injection sleeve and engine head.
• Step rolling expander: Tubes can be rolled into thick tube sheets at a faster rate using these devices. In this process, the expander need not be removed from the tube. The expander cage in this device is grooved which facilitates faster step rolling.
• Collins expander: They are specifically used to handle thin sheets. These expanders are self feeding type.

Accessories:

• Extensions with quick change chuck: Expanders can be changed quickly with the help of this device. The extension lengths can be varied which makes the expander reach the tubes easily.
• Sleeve type extensions: If the tubes are too close to the shell of the condenser, employ these devices.
• Internal tube calipers: They are used to measure tube lengths quickly and accurately. In general, they are calibrated in metric and English systems.
• Tube wall caliper: They are used to measure the wall thickness of the pipes or tubes to be rolled.

Care and Maintenance:

• The presence of dirt or foreign materials doesn’t result in perfect joints. Clean the apparatus thoroughly before use.
• Lubricate the moving parts regularly to avoid friction.
• To ensure a prolonged life time of the expander, clean it regularly. Use the prescribed solvent by the manufacturer for cleaning.
• Damaged or chipped rolls must be replaced immediately. It is capable of damaging the entire set of mandrel and rolls.
• After every single operation, clean the device thoroughly and lubricate the specified lubricant.
• Select the speed of the expander in accordance with the tube size and type.