Integrion Automation
HVAC
Refrigerant lines and coil tube, where the joint either seals for the life of the unit or becomes a warranty claim.
Tube Forming for Refrigerant and Coil Assemblies
Wauseon TubeTech forms copper and non-ferrous tube for HVAC manufacturers, replacing brazed fittings with connections formed directly into the tube and removing the joints most likely to leak.
HVAC Applications
HVAC tube work is defined by two things: soft material and joint integrity. Copper forms readily, which sounds like an advantage until you consider that it also marks readily, and a scored sealing surface on a refrigerant line is a leak. These are the areas we work in.
Refrigerant Lines
- Suction and liquid lines
- Formed connection ends in place of brazed fittings
- Swages and expansions for direct tube-to-tube joints
Coil Assemblies
- Coil tube ends
- Hairpin and return bend tube
- End finishing before assembly
Manifolds and Distributors
- Distributor tube ends
- Manifold connections
- Reductions for stepped tube runs
Commercial and Residential Equipment
- Rooftop and packaged unit tube
- Split system line sets
- Heat exchanger connections
Every Braze Joint Replaced Is a Leak Path Removed
A brazed fitting on a refrigerant line is a part, a filler material, a skilled operation, and an inspection. It is also the place the system leaks. Forming the connection into the tube takes all of that out at once, and it takes out the variation between one brazer and another.
Soft material makes that harder rather than easier, because the tooling has to hold the tube without scoring the surface the joint will seal against. That is a tooling design problem, which is the part of this we do in house.
Wauseon TubeTech is your trusted partner.
40+
Years Experience
3/8 to 3 in
Standard tube range
Tube Forming Experience
Five endformer series, rotary roll and cut finishers, custom bending, and the tooling for all of it developed in house. Our applications team looks at your part before anyone quotes a machine, which is the difference between buying equipment and solving a forming problem.
See the full range of what we build and what it can form.
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Field Service & Lifecycle Support
Wauseon TubeTech machines are built to last decades, and so is our commitment to support them. A dedicated field service team handles preventive and general maintenance, troubleshooting, repairs, retrofits, and spare parts across the full life of your equipment.
Let us talk about how we can support your current or future tube forming operation.
Ready to Take Braze Joints Out of Your Line?
Send us the tube, the material, and the joint you are trying to make, and we will tell you whether it can be formed and what the tooling would take. No pressure and no obligation. It is how we move your project from complexity to confidence.
Frequently asked questions
What HVAC tube components does Wauseon TubeTech form?
Refrigerant lines, coil tube and coil assemblies, manifolds and distributor tube, and the connection ends on all of them. Most of that work is copper and other non-ferrous material at the smaller end of our diameter range.
Can you form copper and other soft materials?
Yes. Copper and brass are routine for us. Soft material forms easily and marks easily, so the tooling has to grip firmly enough to hold the tube and gently enough to leave the sealing surface intact. That balance is a tooling design problem, and it is one we have solved many times.
What endforms are common in HVAC applications?
Beads, flares, swages and reductions, and expansions. Reductions and expansions are especially common because they let one tube receive another directly instead of running a coupling between them.
What tube diameters do you cover for HVAC?
Our standard range is 3/8 inch to 3 inches outside diameter. Most HVAC refrigerant and coil work sits in the lower half of that, which our 1200, 1000, and 1100 Series cover, with end finishing to match.
Can end forming be automated for HVAC production volumes?
Yes. Every machine we build is robot loadable and the automation is done in house, so forming and finishing can run in one cell. On high volume coil and line work that removes a handling step and the variation that comes with it.
Do you handle both residential and commercial equipment tube?
Yes. The distinction that matters to us is diameter, wall thickness, and volume rather than where the equipment ends up, and both sit inside our standard range.
How do you keep a formed sealing surface clean?
Coating and lubricant selection is part of the tooling package, and where the tube is coated we can remove the coating mechanically before forming with a de-coat machine. A form made on a coated or contaminated surface is the most common cause of a joint that will not seal.
Is traceability available on aerospace parts?
Documentation requirements are handled per program. Tell us what traceability your program requires and we will confirm what we can support before you commit to anything.
