How to choose tooling, jig and fixtures for heat exchangers coil production?

1 Understand the Coil Design and Production Requirements

Type of coil Serpentine helical finned tube etc
Tube material Copper aluminum stainless steel
Tube diameter and wall thickness
Bending radius and angles
Fin type and arrangement if applicable
End connections headers fittings brazed joints

2 Select Tools Based on Operations

Tube Straightening

Tool Tube straightening machine
Selection tip Choose based on tube diameter wall thickness and coil material Ensure it avoids tube deformation

Tube Cutting

Tool Tube cutting machine rotary abrasive or chipless
Selection tip Use chipless cutting for high precision and clean edges especially for brazing

Tube Bending

Tool CNC tube bender or manual bending jig
Fixture Mandrel and wiper dies to prevent kinking
Selection tip CNC benders for complex or high volume work mandrel support for tight radii

Fin Stacking for finned coils

Tool Fin press or fin die
Fixture Fin alignment jigs
Selection tip Match fin die with fin geometry corrugated louvered etc

Tube Expansion into Fins

Tool Mechanical or hydraulic expander
Selection tip Choose depending on coil size and expansion tolerance avoid over expansion that damages fins

Brazing or Joining

Tool Induction or flame brazing torch
Fixture Brazing jig holds tubes and headers in correct position
Selection tip Use jigs with heat resistant materials and precise alignment

3 Design Jigs and Fixtures for Consistency

General Principles

Use modular fixtures where possible to accommodate different coil designs
Fixtures should be
Rigid to prevent shifting
Repeatable for mass production
Heat resistant if used in brazing
Easy to load and unload for production efficiency

Common Jigs and Fixtures

Process Bending
Fixture Type Tube bending jig
Purpose Controls radius and angle

Process Assembly
Fixture Type Coil assembly fixture
Purpose Aligns fins tubes headers

Process Brazing
Fixture Type Brazing fixture
Purpose Holds parts in place at joints

Process Leak Testing
Fixture Type Pressure test jig
Purpose Seals coil ends for testing

4 Consider Production Volume

Low volume or Prototype Manual jigs and semi automatic tools are cost effective
High volume Invest in CNC machinery and automated fixtures for speed and precision

5 Evaluate and Iterate

Conduct trial runs to validate tool and fixture performance
Check for
Deformation
Misalignment
Excessive scrap
Cycle time

Refine jigs and tooling based on actual production issues

If you want to know more, please visit All types of heat exchangers line tooling.