Automated Brazing of Aluminum Tubing.

Application:

Tubing assemblies for air conditioning components produced by ITT Automotive.

The brazing story.

ITT Automotive, a leading supplier to major automakers, manufactures aluminum tubing assemblies for vehicle air conditioning components. The company makes both inlet and outlet tubes for condensers and evaporators and a tube header for air conditioning condensers.

ITT relies on brazing in a variety of different processes throughout its facility; from 2-piece assemblies to the more complex tube headers requiring up to seven brazing operations. Most involve the joining of aluminum components using paste, flux and/or preforms.

All ITT’s brazing operations are semi- automated. Aluminum tubing is joined at multi-station index tables. Steps in the process include loading the parts, application of filler metal, heating, cooling and cleaning.

  1. Inlet and outlet tubes are brazed at an automated index table.
  2. Brazing in action.
  3. Aluminum paste or flux is dispensed in pre-measured amounts.
  4. One of several semi-automated systems at ITT

Why brazing?

ITT’s automotive customers, looking for a high quality, cost effective part, specify that brazing be used in the production of their tubing assemblies. In this application, brazing is the logical choice as it provides a dependable, strong joint at the most economical cost.