Connecting fragments and parts of copper pipelines requires knowledge of certain nuances of technology, which relate to both the soldering itself or threaded fastening with fittings, and preparatory work... One of the most difficult and important steps is the expansion of copper pipes. The essence of the process is that the inner diameter of one of the contact tubes must be increased, "adjusted" to the outer diameter of the other.
When fastened with threaded fittings, an increased clamping area is created and the tapered chamfer fits tightly on the end of the adjacent section of the pipeline and the connection is hermetically sealed due to mechanical compression. In the case of soldering, the space between the conical outer part of the contact and the inner cylindrical one is filled with solder.
How a copper pipe is soldered using standard fittings is shown in the video, with a flared pipe the technology is the same and the connection is no less strong and tight. When flared correctly, the end of the tube should look something like this:
To prepare the pipe for soldering or threading, you need a special tool for flaring the copper pipes. It is called differently - rolling machine, expanding machine, rolling. But the essence of this does not change - being subjected to mechanical stress, the tube is deformed according to a template and, while maintaining the wall thickness and circular cross-section, forms a cone. The inclination of the inner walls of the cone is up to 74 0. For connections using a union nut, the pipe must be processed in accordance with GOST 13954-74 or as close as possible to its requirements. If you use industrial-made rolling tools and adhere to all the requirements of the technology, you should get a result that corresponds to the scheme:
The ratio of the pipe body diameters and the maximum permissible outer diameter of the cone D and D is given in the table (for standard sizes copper pipe).
Rolling for copper pipes is made with nozzles different sizes which meet the requirements of the standards for both soldering and flare nuts. When buying imported tools, especially of Asian origin, it is imperative to check the conformity of the dies and cones so that their sizes do not deviate from those accepted by us.
Types of expanding machines
Cone expanding machine - a pipe expander acting by direct pressure of the tapered sleeve on the pipe. It is very convenient to use and it is quite convenient for them to use directly on the object. It won't take up much space in a fitter's or plumber's briefcase. Tool weight no more than 0.5-0.6 kg. The figure shows circuit diagram flaring tool, by which you can understand how to deform in the right direction copper tube small diameter.
Standard tool diagram for.
1 - block for clamping the pipe;
2 - bracket with a guide;
3 - screw clamp;
4 - tapered punch (replaceable).
This flare tool for standard copper water pipes can handle diameters up to 10 mm. The tool is used in the assembly of air conditioning, heating, condensate drainage and water supply systems.
For large diameters, a certain force will be required, which increases almost exponentially, which can lead to damage to the tube wall, especially if its thickness is uneven. A feature of a copper water pipe is some inaccuracies in the diameter and wall thickness along the contour.
Under strong pressure, unforeseen difficulties may arise in the form of cracks, burrs and bumps on the rolled surface, which is an obvious defect and such pipes cannot be used - there may be a loss of sealing immediately after the liquid is put into the system or some time after the start of operation. Requirements for the condition of the flared surface are regulated by GOST 28941.12-91 or TU, created on its basis.
- A - chips;
- B - cracks;
- B - uneven edges.
Eccentric flaring machine
Flaring of standard copper pipes is of better quality and is characterized by the absence of defects if an eccentric flare is used, the center of the cone of which is slightly offset relative to the longitudinal axis of the pipe. It seems to roll onto the tube wall, gradually shifting downward and pressing it against the wall of the template, which is included in the tool kit and simultaneously serves as both a calibrator and a pipe clamp.
The roller shows how the factory-made cone flare tool works. The diagram of the eccentric tool is shown below:
How to choose a flaring tool
When purchasing a flare tool, there are a number of factors to consider that may affect the result of the work and the ability to use the tool in a particular circumstance. The main parameters are:
- pipe material;
- the diameter of the holes in the die;
- the height of the pipe protrusion above the clamp cut;
- the distance between the centers of adjacent holes in the base;
- the outer diameter of the pipes with which you will have to work;
- tube wall thickness;
- flaring depth;
- type of pipe (welded, seamless, etc.)
For professional use, it is best to buy a professional tool.
As a rule, it is manufactured according to a certain standard and meets all the requirements of GOST. The set certainly has a die with holes of the most demanded sizes, the cone is perfectly adjusted and made of the best grades of steel.
For domestic use, the choice of tool must also be approached with all seriousness - it is almost impossible to make high-quality preparation of a pipe for connection with a cheap tool. But there are no such high requirements as for a professional tool. A dies of 2-3 diameters and a cone made of plain polished steel are enough. It costs much less and is suitable for occasional use.
How does the flaring of copper pipes take place with their own hands dismantles the video. From additional tools you will need a pipe cutter and an edge straightener (reamer). It is necessary to align the pipe in diameter in order to achieve an ideal circle by the contour - when cutting, a copper pipe, due to its softness and plasticity, is often deformed and this negatively affects the quality of rolling.
It is necessary to install the tube in the clamp so that the upper edge protrudes 2–4 mm above the template cut. Only with this setting can the maximum quality of the inner surface of the cone be achieved.
The article is for informational purposes only and presents general information on the process of rolling copper pipes. If you have your own experience in this direction or even tools made with your own hands - share with the readers of our site. Our goal is to cover all aspects of metalworking as objectively and comprehensively as possible. We are waiting for your questions and additions.
Installation of copper pipelines can be done in several ways. One of the most common is the use of the method of soldering individual sections. This makes it possible to achieve tightness, but is not always practical due to the low maximum pressure in the system. For heating or water supply systems, it is best to use flaring copper pipes.
Appointment
The essence of this process is to change the geometry of the end part of the workpiece. This is necessary to connect different parts of the pipeline using the socket method, followed by pressing the joint. The device for flaring copper tubes has various parameters and directly depends on the diameter of the product, wall thickness and the required speed of the procedure.
To understand the essence of the process, you can consider the stages of its implementation.
- Segment preparation: trimming, cutting edge grinding.
- Determination of the magnitude of the increase in the outer diameter in the connected part of the pipe.
- With the help of a special tool, a mechanical effect occurs on the end face of the workpiece, as a result of which the inner diameter increases.
- Installation of another pipe section into the resulting socket. The connection is then secured by soldering or mechanical crimping.
When installing pipelines, you can choose models with ready-made mounting sockets or perform the procedures for their formation yourself.
Factory production
If the length of the copper line is long and does not contain a large number of rotary parts, you can purchase a product with factory flaring. For this, special shafts made of high-strength steel are used. After the pipe is made, its end part is compressed by two rollers. By rolling method increase geometric dimensions products in a certain part of it.
The advantage of factory flaring is compliance with all pipe parameters: wall thickness, socket length and diameter. However, during installation, the dimensions of the finished structures often do not coincide with the required ones. This leads to an increase in substandard cuttings and, as a consequence, a significant increase in the cost of purchasing materials. Therefore, it is recommended to use a copper pipe flaring tool for laying small lines.
Roller forming by yourself
With air conditioner, tap or heating system from copper pipes, a special tool must be used. Before carrying out work, you should decide on the diameter of the line. In this case, the flaring of the copper pipes must be done by yourself.
For plumbing, products with a cross section of 20 to 32 mm are often used. If a heating system is installed, then the optimal diameter is from 32 to 40 mm, depending on the parameters of the boiler. For the installation of air conditioners, products up to 16 mm are used.
Based on this, do-it-yourself flaring of copper pipes can be carried out with several types of tools. The main criterion when choosing should be the quality of the resulting socket and the possibility of using replaceable nozzles for pipes of different diameters.
Tool
The easiest way to change the geometric dimensions of the end face is to use a conical cylinder made of solid material. Its outer diameter should coincide with the maximum size of the cross-section of the future socket.
However, without a lot of practice, defects may appear on the pipe walls. If the flaring of copper pipes is done with more mechanical force than necessary, then as a result, the metal may crack. To prevent this, a stop is welded to the end of the cone. But even this is not always a guarantee of the correct work.
An alternative to this method can be the use of a special tool - an expander. It is a cone head, on the surface of which limiters for pipes of various diameters are positioned step by step. By pressing the lever, the bell is evenly expanded to the required level.
For a large amount of work, there are devices with an electric drive. The processes in them take place automatically, which guarantees a high-quality product. The main disadvantage is the price.
Method advantages
If you do the flaring of copper pipes yourself, it is recommended to purchase a special tool. The use of devices not intended for this purpose can lead to significant deterioration of the connection.
The advantages of a professional flaring tool are as follows:
- Uniform thinning of the walls as a result of mechanical stress.
- No breaks or deformation on the pipe surface.
- The speed of work will make it possible to install the highway in a short time.
With a small amount of work, it is not necessary to buy a professional tool. Nowadays, there are many companies that provide rental service for a small fee.
Trouble-free operation of the brakes is perhaps the most important factor that affects the degree of safety. road traffic and car use. Basis for immediate repair and replacement brake pipes the slightest suspicion of malfunction of these simple but important parts of the braking system.
A malfunction of the supply pipelines leads to the failure of the entire braking device, and can entail the most dire consequences. Strict supervision of the tightness of the brake pipes and the places of their connection with the actuators is the basis safe operation vehicles.
The Tekhkom company manufactures brake pipes in Moscow and the Moscow region. Own products of the Tekhkom company, which it produces for brake systems of various vehicles, according to technical specifications are in no way inferior to the products of well-known brands.
Manufacturing of brake pipes for foreign cars and domestic cars, in the company's workshops equipped with modern technology, takes literally a few minutes, while the cost of manufacturing is much lower in price in comparison with typical factory-made products.
Tehcom uses only proven steel and copper tubing parts. It is possible to equip with any types of tips and flare pipes for connecting elements of brake systems with hydraulic, pneumatic or mixed drive, for almost all brands of cars.
The service for the manufacture of brake pipes includes:
- Recommendations of experts on the choice of material, depending on the type of car and its operating conditions.
- Cutting pipe sections of the required length. The size is determined according to the catalog or according to the sample of the product that is out of order.
- Selection of the appropriate type of threaded tip or other type of fittings.
- Rolling tube endings for the most common types of connections used by both European and Asian car manufacturers. These are, respectively, the "fungus" and "inner cone" types.
- Bending tubes according to a template or sample.
The price of products to a rather insignificant extent depends on the number of operations performed, since they are all produced on modern semi-automatic equipment and the labor intensity of the process is relatively small. The main influence on the cost is the material and size of the products. Steel parts are cheaper, but rust quite quickly, especially in winter period when the roads are strewn with various chemical reagents.
In addition, the rigid steel brake lines are quite difficult to fit on site. Despite the higher cost, one should give preference to the manufacture of copper brake pipes, which are practically not susceptible to corrosion, are durable and, due to the plasticity of the material, are easily installed even in the most inaccessible places.
The lion's share of road accidents is due to the failure of car brakes. Damaged brake pipes are a common cause of these failures. Be vigilant and even in case of the most insignificant, at first glance, their malfunction, contact service centres"Tekhkom" in Moscow. The company will provide fast and high-quality production of pipes for brake systems of any car. Don't endanger your life and the lives of those around you.
The horse is not made of iron. Although retirees call it that, the car is only partially made of steel. The rest is plastic, rubber, glass and non-ferrous metals, which need special treatment. Today we will talk about how to properly handle the copper and aluminum pipes that are simply streaked with a modern machine.
Non-ferrous metal tubes in vehicle systems
We will not touch the radiators for now, this is a separate topic. Let's take an interest in the tubes that are responsible for the operation of the brake and fuel systems car. Rotten brake pipes aren't just a problem with old ones Soviet cars, but also newer foreign cars that drove along the roads generously sprinkled with salt and all kinds of chemicals for several years. Tubes become unusable primarily due to the fact that they are affected by an aggressive chemical environment. In winter, this environment is full under our wheels. With a human road surface, salt comes off the roads along with snow, and with our roads, it can lie until next winter.
Causes of brake pipe breakage
But this is not the only reason for the wear of the sealed tubes. They only rot from salt, and from constant strong constrictions of the fittings, improper fixation, kinks and bends, they receive severe mechanical damage incompatible with life. The fault in this is not pipes, but would-be craftsmen who do not know how to properly handle soft or brittle metal. One way or another, and the time comes to replace the tubes, and if the desired configuration is not found, which is almost impossible, then you have to make the tube yourself. Cut off the desired piece, put on the fittings and flare. And you need to be able to do this. Do-it-yourself flaring of brake pipes is not a difficult task, fast, and inexpensive.
Brake pipe flaring kit
You cannot prepare copper tubing for use with your bare hands. To do this, you need to have at least minimal equipment. Although the metal is soft, the end of the tube must exactly correspond to the landing cone, otherwise we will not achieve the tightness of the system. Ideally, a machine that needs to be bought is used to expand the tubes, but if we have the opportunity, you can use a homemade kit, which, once done, we will use for many years. And it will come in handy more than once, believe me. Here is a drawing of it.
He is nothing complicated. This is a frame made of two corners with a thickness of 5 mm and a shelf of 32 mm. The length of each corner is 100 mm. The drawing shows that the set is adapted for tubes with a diameter of 9 and 12 mm. The bed itself is completed in ten minutes with a sharpening machine, a drilling machine and a grinder. Both corners are fastened with two M8 bolts, holes and chamfers in them are drilled in the assembled state. The mandrels will either have to be ordered from a turner, which is not at all problematic, or you will have to grind yourself. But with the help of such a set, any tube turns into a perfectly prepared part. The flaring process takes place in the same way as with the use of the machine, which we will discuss later.
Brake pipe flaring machine
the simplest tube expanding machine will cost you 600-700 rubles. But this will not be the highest quality product. We would recommend not to go below 1800, otherwise there is a chance to waste your money. We showed several sets and machines in the photo. One of them is more expensive, the second is cheaper, but they have the same essence.
The machine consists of a bar that holds the deckhouse. Actually, our homemade set also has the same structure, only the branded sets are mandatory:
More expensive models have even more equipment, but we will consider only the most minimal configurations.
Flaring can be of three types, but the first two are of little interest to us, because they are mainly used in refrigerators and air conditioners. Flaring works as follows:
Thus, we get a neat flared brake pipe, which can be safely replaced with an old one that is out of order. We cannot say that a tube expanding machine should be in every garage, but as a rule, the most valuable things are those that are not always at hand. Monitor the condition brake system, and good luck on the road!
Repair of many car mechanisms can be done by hand, flaring brake pipes is also within the power of even an inexperienced owner, you just need to correctly determine the need for such an operation. We will talk about this in the article.
What role do brake pipes play?
In order to understand how important these elements are, you cannot consider them separately, but you should familiarize yourself with the operation of the entire braking system as a whole. In order to abruptly slow down, we press the corresponding pedal, at this time, under the action of the pressure of the piston, which is located in the master cylinder, begins to move towards the wheels special liquid... Its movement is carried out along the track, which, in fact, consists of brake pipes and hoses.
The transfer of fluid in the system is carried out along the main and backup circuits. In the event that one of them fails, the second will certainly work as a safety one. When there are no violations in their work, then they both function as the main ones. If any element of the braking system breaks down or does not work well enough, this will disrupt the operation of the entire mechanism, which means that the car will be unusable.
When do you need to flare the brake pipes?
A clear sign that it is time to prepare a set for flaring brake pipes is the following behavior of the car. In an emergency stop, when you press the pedal, a characteristic creak and pulsation occurs. The braking distance will also increase significantly. In addition, the emergency stop pedal travels more freely. It is possible that a fluid leak from the system will appear, they will start to overheat, and the pads will wear out unevenly. Also, very often, with such malfunctions, the car takes away while driving to the side, but this can be considered an indirect sign.
Brake pipes most often fail due to the destruction of the hexagonal structure of the head. Clogging is also common. threaded connections or their coking when liquid gets in during the operation of the car. Corrosion, microcracks, dirt and other defects lead to leakage of "brake" and incorrect operation of the system. In order to avoid unexpected damage, you should monitor the condition of the machine, this mechanism should be diagnosed at least once every two years... Drivers who mercilessly exploit their " iron horse”, It is recommended to check the status of this system after every fifty thousand run.
Brake pipe flaring machine - how to apply it?
More often than not, the thought of going so deep into the system is panic-stricken. However, everything is not so scary as it might seem at first glance, the most important thing is to purchase a tool for expanding brake pipes, and then you can even carry out repairs yourself. If you have any difficulties, or you just don’t want to mess around, you can always ask for the help of professionals who will solve this problem in a matter of hours. But for especially ardent enthusiasts, we will tell you how to make flaring work yourself.
First of all, we need: a pipe cutter, pliers, a drill, a fitting and a special machine for flaring brake pipes... In addition, you need a little gasoline. Then, having prepared everything you need, you can start directly to work. Having unscrewed the brake pipe from the caliper or cylinder, using a pipe cutter, remove its damaged section. Then its cut edge is degreased with gasoline. Next, we take the pliers, clamp the remaining section with them so that the protruding edge is about five centimeters, and chamfer with a drill from this edge inside the pipe. Having removed all the shavings, we put a fitting on it. Now you will also need a device for flaring brake pipes, into which its edge is inserted and repairs are carried out.
As a result, we should get a neat fungus (expansion) at the end, which will ensure the tightness of the connection of the elements of the braking system. The size depends on the specifics of your car, but the repair kit includes a template for several diameters, so the preparation of the tool for work and the process itself will not take much time. Further, all the parts are installed in place, filled in, run, and the car is tested for the signs that we described in the paragraph about diagnostics.
