Feature
illustration of the vast amount of equipment technicians in this field have to be familiar with as they go about their daily work . This is also not an extensive list while specialists will include other tool-types :
• Tube cutter
• Deburring tool
• Flaring tool
• Pipe calibration tool ( internal / external )
• Ruler , pen & pencil
• Adjustable wrench
• Torque wrench
• Tube expander tool & expander heads
• Vernier calliper
• Oil can calibrated leak test
• Torch igniter
• Rubber mallet
• Safety glasses & insulating gloves
• Refrigeration ratchet
• Spray bottle ( for leak detection )
• Manifold gauge
• Hoses
• Weighing scale
• Tool kit for press fittings
• Non-metallic abrasive pad
• Phosphorus brazing alloy , silver brazing alloy & flux
• Pipe bending tool
• Engineer ’ s square
• Recovery and recycling unit
• Vacuum gauge
• Oxy-acetylene torch set
• Vacuum pump
• Electronic leak detector and calibrated leak test recovery piercing pliers
GETTING THE BASICS RIGHT Now , although such vast toolsets and ranges exist today , it ’ s the simplest of tasks that can lead to several problems down the line . A common question that comes across the desk of training facilitators is the need to remove burrs . Deburring is commonly performed after machining operations on pipework , which typically leave sharp or jagged edges on the material . It is important to deburr any workpieces to remove any edges that may interfere with the fitting or movement of parts . Deburring also ensures that finished surfaces are smooth and even , and removing any burrs aesthetically improves the finished workpiece , ie a quality product / installation .
Flaring tools then use pressure to make a fabricated mechanical joint for joining or sealing tubing with a flare connection . Flaring allows the technician to connect tubes to each other or another kind of fitting . Flared ends tend to have an approximately conical shape .
Tube expanders are rolling tube type expansion tools used for fixing and moulding tubes to tube sheets in the manufacturing processes of heat exchangers such as boilers and condensers .
In the category of the basics , one would find brazing that also requires knowledge of different techniques ( based on angles ) as well as the various types of solders and how and when to use flux . Knowing the basics can be a flaw no matter what type and quality of tools you have access to . Similarly , the simple tasks of measurement and cutting techniques could hamper technicians
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RACA Journal I June 2022 www . hvacronline . co . za