IEW
Inductive Brazing the flameless heating method for metals applied to tidy Fabrication
Dipl.-Ing. Martin Schweikhart
Inductive heating has been considered for long as the key to tidy, high quality fabrication. There are ample of applications for this clean and locally focusing heating method and especially for joining of various different metals as used in assembly of HVACR equipment the features of flameless heating is unsurpassable. As the heat is generated in the metal at the spot where needed unit operations like brazing of tubes, connectors and screw couplings become an easy and clean task even in partly assembled equipment whereby other low melting parts suffer no damage. Needless to explain, that this feature makes inductive heating indispensable for service and maintenance.
The development of specific brazing materials and supported by clever fluxes no longer require vacuum or inert gas purging for Aluminium applications. The variable energy input, controlled by programmable IR pyrometers, adjusts the temperature and controls the duration of the brazing. By doing so the heating stress to the alloys is minimized and superior to any flame brazing. As a result of this even very odd metal/alloy combinations can be joined by brazing not possible with out the accurate process control. Repeatable high quality brazing by proper process control gives the assurance to deliver high quality and reduces spoilage.
Open flame joining methods like flame brazing or inert gas welding require highly skilled personnel for assuring repeatable quality and were the main obstacles for the substitution of stainless steel, copper and other alloys by Aluminium.
