A-Coil & Slab Heat Exchanger and HVAC Components Leak Test Systems
Cantilevered Bottom-Up Pre-Charged Helium Leak Test System
Overview
VTI’s Cantilevered Bottom-Up Pre-Charged Helium Leak Test System is engineered to provide a reliable Helium Leak Test on medium sized slab coils.
The robust bottom-up style chamber door allows for easy, single operator use. This vacuum chamber allows for one or two units per test.
This system pictured is a refurbished machine. It originally leak tested fuel tanks for many years and now has been reconfigured for HVAC coils. This project demonstrates the longevity of VTI’s systems, and VTI’s willingness to work within a customer’s budget by refurbishing product instead of building new.
The control system is integrated with the customer’s database to provide real-time data. It is also interlocked with other equipment on the production line to guarantee testing requirements are met in production.
- Product: Medium Slab Coils
- Tracer Gas: Helium
- Leak Reject Rate: >0.5 oz/yr of R-134a from 82 psig to atm
- TAKT Time: 45 seconds
- Pre-Charged: Yes
- Blower Size: 1,600 CFM
- Pump Size: 460 CFM
- Chamber Volume: 24 ft³
- Installation Date: 2019
Cart and Carrier Vertical Slab Coil Helium Leak Test and Handling System
Overview
VTI’s Cart and Carrier Vertical Slab Coil Leak Test and Handling System is engineered for easy product handling and reliable Helium Leak Testing of slab coils.
These custom product handling carts were designed to not only transport product around the manufacturing plant but also in and out of the brazing and leak testing systems with ease.
The front loading chamber has a horizontally translating door that can be manually opened or closed in order to not interfere with the product handling carts. The chamber is designed to sit close to the ground to allow ease of loading/unloading with product handling carts. When the leak test is complete the Unit Under Test (UUT) is ready to be evacuated or proceed with further testing.
The control system is integrated with the customer’s database to provide real-time data. It is also interlocked with other equipment on the production line to guarantee testing requirements are met in production.
- Product: Slab Coils
- Tracer Gas: Helium
- Leak Reject Rate: > 0.5 oz/yr R-410A at 225 psig into atm
- TAKT Time: 2 minutes
- Pre-Charged: Yes
- Blower Size: 1412 CFM
- Pump Size: 460 CFM
- Chamber Volume: 11 ft³
- Installation Date: 2015
Large Slab Heat Exchanger Charge-In-Chamber Leak Test System
Overview
VTI’s Large Slab Heat Exchanger Charge-In-Chamber Helium Leak Test System is engineered to provide a safely contained pressure decay test, evacuation, tracer gas charge and Helium leak test for slab coil manufacturing.
This robust bottom-up style vacuum chamber allows for easy, single operator use. Testing pressures vary from 80 psig to 1,000 psig to accommodate different specifications per customer request. After the pressure decay test, the Unit Under Test (UUT) is evacuated, then charged with Helium, and lastly leak tested to the customer specified leak rate. A Flow-Through test is incorporated in the test sequence to check for cross-circuiting of coils.
The control system is integrated with the customer’s database to provide real-time data. It is also interlocked with other equipment on the production line to guarantee testing requirements are met in production.
- Product: Slab Coil
- Proof Gas: Air or Nitrogen
- Proof Pressure: 1,000 psig
- Tracer Gas: Helium Mix
- Leak Reject Rate: > 0.5 oz/yr R-410A at 225psig into atm
- TAKT Time: 4 minutes
- Blower Size: 1,600 CFM (X 2)
- Pump Size: 460 CFM
- Chamber Volume: 85 ft³
- Installation Date: 2013
Thermal Expansion Valve (TXV) Multi-Refrigerant Leak Test System
Overview
VTI’s TXV Multi-Refrigerant Leak Test System is engineered to provide reliable and efficient leak testing for Thermal Expansion Valves.
The MRLTS allows for quick change over between different refrigerants in order to test various product models as needed. This system is designed with three 6ʺ diameter, 7-1/2ʺ deep chambers to hold several valves per chamber to increase the throughput of the machine. VTI balanced the machine time into three major stages: Load/Unload, Evac, and Test. By having three chambers, one chamber is always in each stage – maximizing efficiency and utilization of the pumping system and Residual Gas Analyzer (RGA).
The control system is integrated with the customer’s database to provide real-time data. It is also interlocked with other equipment on the production line to guarantee testing requirements are met in production.
- Product: TXV
- Tracer Gas: Refrigerant
- Leak Rate: 1x10⁻⁷ atm-cc/sec
- Machine Time: 3 Minutes for Three Chambers
- Pre-Charged: Yes
- Chamber Volume: 212 in³ (x3)
- Installation Date: 2016
Typical Residential Indoor Coil Leak Test Equipment
Overview
VTI’s Pressure Decay SmartStation, HounDog Refrigerant Leak Test Station, and Refrigerant Vapor Recovery Station combine to create a turnkey leak detection solution for A-Coil manufacturing.
First, VTI’s Pressure Decay SmartStation performs an Air/Nitrogen proof test on the Unit Under Test (UUT) up to 500 psig. A Lexan safety enclosure protects the operator from potential projectiles during testing. This system offers test capability with variable time and pressure set points to accommodate customer request. With a pass, the UUT is vapor charged with R-410A tracer gas and proceeds down the production line.
Next, the pre-charged UUT will enter VTI’s front loading HounDog Leak Test System. The vacuum chamber will close and the UUT will be tested by a Refrigerant Sniffer Leak Detector with a reject rate of 1.0 oz/yr R-410A from 200 psig into atm. With a 2,050 CFM Blower and a 460 CFM Pump, the machine cycle time is a remarkable 60 seconds. With a pass, the UUT will proceed down the line.
Lastly, VTI’s Refrigerant Vapor Recovery Station will recover the R-410A, pump out any remaining gas, and then backfill the UUT with Nitrogen. This is all done through VTI’s custom Processing Gun.
The control system of each of these systems is integrated with the customer’s database to provide real time data. They are also interlocked with other equipment on the production line to guarantee testing requirements are met in production.