TPT November 2015

Technology News

Tube company invests in fintube machines

WITH quality products, quick delivery and customer service as its main goals, Salem Tube International has revolutionised itself from supplier to maker of high-quality heat exchanger/ boiler tubing. To accomplish this, the company relies on its understanding of the manufacturing and heat exchange processes and the ingenuity of McElroy fintube machines. 99 per cent of what Salem sells is now made at its factory. This includes U-bends and low fin tubing as well as extruded and applied fintubes. “We had companies that finned for us for many years, but we decided that the best option was to do everything in-house,” said Salem president Howard Ions. “We believe we can provide a better service to our customers when everything is under one roof.” Salem is headquartered in the northeast of England, with a plant that is situated in a forested, industrial area that echoes a coal mining history. The company also has offices in France, Italy, Egypt and Australia. Salem purchased three fintube machines – two No 5 Applied and one Model B Extruded – engineered and produced by McElroy Manufacturing. McElroy has a growing network of fintube distributors as part of its commitment to deliver quality products and service. Rico Box Consulting in Barcelona is Salem’s local source for machine service, parts and support. McElroy sent a team to assemble and install the new machines in Salem’s

McElroy’s No 5 applied fintube machine

Applied fintubes

overlapped knurled footed, embedded, perforated and extruded. McElroy’s disc technology on the extruded machine makes it possible to use the least amount of material necessary to produce a quality product. “We wouldn’t buy any machines other than McElroy because they’re the world’s leading brand,” said Mr Ions. “We are very confident in the workmanship of their machines and applaud their ongoing efforts to have the latest, most productive technology on the market that will save us time and money.” With the applied fintube process, an aluminium strip is curled around the liner tube via a high-speed rolling mill. By modifying the rolling surfaces and with certain tool changes, a variety of fin types and sizes can be produced. With extruded fintubes, stainless steel tubes are used as the base liner in fintubes. The outer aluminium tubes are used to make the fins. The liner tube is inserted inside the aluminium tube, which is pushed through three arbors with rotating discs. This extruding process creates fins out of the aluminium material, and the root of the aluminium fin remains bonded to the liner tube. McElroy Manufacturing – USA Email: fintube@mcelroy.com Website: www.mcelroy.com Salem Tube International – UK Website: www.salemtube.net Rico Box Consulting SL – Spain Website: www.fintube-machines.com

expansive tube shop, which is spacious enough to easily accommodate the applied and extruded machines, 30.5m and 33.83m long respectively. The team also taught ten of Salem’s employees how to operate and maintain the machines. McElroy states that with proper maintenance its fintube machines will produce quality fintubes for decades, and that many McElroy machines built in the 1960s are still in operation today. Within five weeks of McElroy’s arrival, Salem’s new fintube machines were up and running, and production was well underway. The new fintube machines broaden Salem’s capabilities in tube making to serve customers’ specific needs. The company will be able to produce a variety of fins including wrap-on, overlapped footed, wrap-on knurled,

McElroy was on-site at Salem for the commissioning of the fintube machines and staff training

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N ovember 2015