Understanding and Applying Important Business Principles

How Does Tube Beading Benefit High-Pressure Applications?

25 April 2022

Jon Sanchez

Aluminum and other metal fluid lines are standard in numerous applications, from refrigerant loops in HVAC systems to automotive, aviation, and marine engine cooling systems. These uses are often mission-critical, and failure can cause severe damage or even catastrophic failures. As a result, these lines must form a tight seal, especially where they meet flexible tubing.

Beaded ends are also an option when joining two rigid lines together. The beads formed on the ends of the tube make a solid mechanical joint when fit together, and additional protection or sealants can ensure a leak-proof fit. This method works well in systems with multiple rigid points that require turns or other joints.

How Do Beaded Ends Help?

High-pressure fluid lines tend to experience wear due to friction through the system. Joints are especially susceptible to problems from fluid pressure, and friction at joints can also reduce the amount of flow through the system. Beaded tube ends work well in these applications because they provide a tight fit that can resist fluid pressure while minimizing resistance for the moving fluid.

With proper sealing and connections, these joints can last for many years and remain relatively leak-proof during their service life. Using a beaded end on the tube also reduces the need for additional joining components, allowing the entire system to consist of the same metal used on the piping. As a result, there are fewer concerns that a weaker joint material may fail over time.

How Does Tube Beading Help Production?

In addition to providing reliability advantages for high-pressure lines, beaded tubes can also speed production and assembly. Integrating joints, flares, and other formed ends onto a tube minimizes the number of components necessary for production and assembly. Instead of ordering relying on additional components (such as clamps) to hold tubing together, the tubes can fit together directly.

Specially designed tube beads, such as ball joints, also allow flexibility during assembly. These joints can rotate before the tubes are placed in their final positions, making it easier for assemblers and installers to deal with tolerance issues caused by other parts. This flexibility is also valuable for aftermarket components where a single part may need to fit multiple applications.

If you're dealing with any high-pressure application that relies on rigid metal tubing, end forming is an excellent option to improve reliability, reduce production costs, and make the final assembly for your parts more straightforward and trouble-free. Reach out to a professional tube beading service—such as Accubend Inc.—today if you are interested in learning more.

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