Tube expanders are required in many industries on different occasions. Find the answers to all the possible questions regarding tube expanders below.
What is a tube expander?
A tube expander is a tool used in many industries to expand the tubes in the form of sheets. The most important place of this tool is in the industries where boilers and condensers are used.
What are the different parts of a tube expander?
The tube expander consists of parts like Roller, Mandrel, Frame, and Bearing Collar.
What is the role of each part in the expansion process?
- Roller: The job of the roller is to provide the necessary pressure to initiate the plastic deformation of the tube. The design of this part ensures the spherical shape of the inner area of the expanded tubes. You can also see an R-shaped chamfer at the tip of the roller. This is to avoid the formation of any sharp edges inside the tube.
- Mandrel:The special steel of the mandrel allows it to rotate the roller through contact friction. The mandrel and roller both need to provide a precise pressure, hence, they undergo proper heat and grinding process to ensure the performance.
- Frame:The frame is for preventing the fall of the roller and providing a certain angle at which the roller works. The automatic tube expansion through a self-propulsion mechanism is possible due to this part only.
- Bearing Collar:Except for the BK-type, the bearing collar is attached to every tube expander. Bearing collar safeguards the tube from any damage in the process of expansion. It also makes the length adjustments possible.
What are the different types of expansion tools?
Generally, tube expander tools are divided into four major types called:
- Single flare roll type: This type of the expanding tool is made of nickel and chrome alloy and provides both rolling and flaring actions. Manufacturers use these tools on water boilers, fire tube boilers, and super heaters. They are famous for their incredible flexibility.
- Straight roll type: Due to their amazing depth reach, straight roll tools are used on thick tubes. It has a greater roll length and also comes with a friction free thrust. The range of these tools is from two to three and half inches’ outer diameter. The application of these tools is really very easy.
- Double flare roll type: With four expanding rolls and two flaring rolls, these tools attain immense user flexibility. The flexibility further increases due to the interchangeable mandrels and rolls. With a range two to four and a half inches of outer dimension, these tools are a star of fire tube boilers, air heaters, and water tube boiler usage.
- Straight roll type:The small headers and head holes, make this tool an efficient choice for limited spaces. These are used in the expansion process and suitable for any type of boilers and heaters.
Hence, these were the answers to all the possible questions regarding tube expansion. Hopefully, it will help you in choosing the right tool.
