Challenge：Speeding production capacity for underfloor heating units
A floor heating system manufacturer faced bottlenecks while increasing production capacity.
The core component—copper tubes on heat exchangers, need to be brazed to the fittings quickly and reliably. There are 2 copper pipe joints on each heat exchanger, the goal was to achieve less than a minute brazing time for each joint, and combined semi-automatic control, in order to achieve a finished capacity of 300 heat exchangers per hour. The traditional flame brazing is not only slow but also the quality relies on a worker’s skill level, so it is hard to meet the standards for scalability and consistency.
Solution: Precision double-station induction brazing system
The key advantage of induction heating is Precise localized heating and high repeatability, it has perfectly met the client’s requests for efficiency and automated control. The core of the solution that provided by FOCO INDUCTION is deployed by 20 high-frequency induction heating devices, composed of ten semi-automatic double-station workstations, each station equipped with 2 devices to heat the 2 copper pipe joints on the heat exchanger at the same time. This kind of design ensures precise heat application to the weld joint, avoids deformation of the workpieces and significantly increased efficiency.
The system integrates an automated induction coil movement device and matches with the original water-cooling system in client’s factory, to ensure cooling requirements for long-term stable operation.
Induction brazing of copper tube joints process: Simple, fast, repeatable
The entire brazing process is designed to be seamless. Operators only need to load and unload the workpieces; specific steps are as follows:
- Manual loading: Operator put the heat exchanger that is ready for brazingon the workstation
- Automatic heating: After startup, theinduction coil of 2 heating devices automatically lower to the precise heating position of the two joints and start induction heating. Tthanks to the predictable heating curve of induction heating, the entire process requires no manual input. The heating time for each joint is precisely controlled at 39 seconds.
- Automatic reset:When heating is completed,the solder has fully wetted and filled the gap, the induction coil will automatically rise and reset.
- Manual unloading:Operators remove the brazed heat exchanger from the workstationand put in a new workpiece to start the next turn.
Achievements: A Double Leap in Production Capacity and Quality
This semi-automatic induction brazing system helped the client achieve all the production goals.
- Production capacity meets standards:The total time required for each workstation to complete one heat exchanger (39 seconds heating + approximately 1 minute loading/unloading) is less than 1 minute and 40 seconds. With 20 units (10 workstations) operating simultaneously, stable hourly output exceeds 300 heat exchangers.
- Quality Enhancement: The consistency and repeatability of induction heating eliminateshuman variability inherent in flame brazing, ensuring consistent weld strength and airtightness for every copper tube joint. This significantly boosts product yield rates.
- User-Friendly Operation: The semi-automated design enables ordinary workers to operate the equipment after minimal training, eliminating reliance on highly skilled welders. This effectively reduces labor costs and simplifies management complexity.
Summary
By adopting FOCO high-frequency induction brazing technology, this floor heating manufacturer has not only overcome production capacity bottlenecks but also established an efficient, stable, and replicable modern production process. The precision, cleanliness, and automation-friendly characteristics of induction brazing make it an ideal alternative to traditional flame brazing for achieving high-quality copper tube brazing.