Serpentine Production Process

Indiana Tube Corporation is your complete source for high quality refrigeration serpentines ready to be further processed into refrigeration condensers.

Serpentine Production Process

Uncoiling:
Tubing is paid off an un-coiler and into a straightener.  The un-coiler is power driven thus a tube dancer is incorporated into the uncoiling system that governs the speed in which the tube is paid off the uncoiler.

Straightening:
The tube passes through an air wipe which cleans any excess rust inhibitor off the tube.  The tube then enters the straightener.  The straightener configuration is four in-line rolls mounted vertically below centerline and three in-line rolls mounted vertically above centerline with the top rolls being offset in the linear direction from the bottom rolls.  Once the tube has passed through these rolls it enters into another series of rolls that are set up as described above but mounted horizontally.  The rolls of the straightener are adjusted to work the tube to the degree needed to straighten the tube.

Cutting:
Upon the tube exiting the straightener it is electronically measured for length.  Once the correct length has been measured the cutter engages and cuts the tube to length.  Burr Oak ring cutters are utilized for the cutting of the tube; this style of cut leaves a very clean and crisp cut on the end of the tube thus eliminating a need for further processing.

Runout:
The tube is carried downstream to the bender by a series of driven conveyor rolls.  Once the tube has reached the bender it is kicked out of the conveyor onto a bender feed table.  The bender feed table provides for storage of tube lengths until such time they are fed into the bender for bending.

Bending:
Straight lengths of tube are fed into the bender and positioned to allow for the proper leg length.  The tube is then bent into a serpentine by means of a bend mandrel rotating 180 degrees around another bend mandrel.  Upon the bend mandrel reaching the 180 degree bend it returns home. The tube is then fed forward to achieve the correct pass length and the opposite bend mandrel engages, rotates 180 degrees and then returns home.  This process continues until all bends are installed.

Secondary Operations:
Once the tube is bent into a serpentine it is removed from the bender and secondary operations are performed as necessary.  Secondary bends are installed, tube ends expanded, ends capped, etc.  At this point the lot of serpentines are gauged as necessary to insure proper dimensional characteristics.  The serpentines are then packaged for shipment or further in-house processing.

 Indiana Tube Corporation
 2100 Lexington Avenue
 Evansville, IN 47720
 Phone:  812-424-9028 Fax:  812-424-0340

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