Aluminium fins

Fins made in aluminium alloy with excellent formability and good mechanical characteristics suitable for the production of traditional heat exchangers. The alloys used are 8006-8009 in accordance with the following standards of reference for the Technical Conditions for Supply and Testing: EN683/1, 683/2 and 693/3. This is the most commonly used material and has good resistance in normal environmental conditions.

Surface treatment for aluminium fins

Hydrophobic

Epoxy-base treatment that effectively inhibits dust and bacteria build-up. Salt spray tests have given excellent results.

Hydrophilic

With this treatment the fins become hydrophilic and therefore "wettable", avoiding the formation of drops and conferring the following advantages:
  • prevents the reduction of the air passage section and thus an increase in pressure drop;
  • allows reduced fin space which would otherwise not be recommended, for obvious reasons, in the presence of water drops;
  • allows higher air speeds without the risk of water drop entrainment;
  • good corrosion resistance.

Super hydrophobic (NANOCOATING)

Nanotechnology used to create a surface coating that guarantees a high level of protection against corrosion and the deposit of dust on the finned surface, ensuring better cleaning and efficiency of the exchanger. Advantages of this technology are:
  • excellent protection against corrosion;
  • assisted protection from ice formation;
  • self-cleaning ability;
  • lower energy consumption;
  • lower maintenance costs.

Copper fins

Copper fins can be used on request for special applications. Copper guarantees better resistance to corrosion in particularly aggressive environments.

Fin surfaces

Flat

Flat fins have a minimal resistance to air flow and reduced ice formation.

Corrugated

Corrugated fins improve the heat transfer factor to a lesser degree than louvered fins, but have a lower air-side pressure drop.

Louvered

Louvered fins increase heat transfer capacity, at equal surface area, by creating air turbulence.

The tube and its surfaces

The market offers various types of tube in the manufacture of finned hack exchangers, for both tube diameter and internal finish, suitable for different applications, solutions and performance.

Smooth tube

The tubes are made of annealed copper specifically for the refrigeration and A/C sectors, compliant with European Standards according to the UNI EN 12735 Directive.

Grooved tube

Amongst the many solutions available, there is also the internally grooved tube. Only as an example, the grooved version of the 9.52 mm (3/8”) diameter tube guarantees, at equal length, an increase of about 75% in internal heat exchange surface. The increased performance depends on the type of refrigerant used and the operating conditions.

The increase in exchange surface area and the turbulence provided by the helical grooving enables much greater heat transfer compared to the same solution with smooth internal surfaces. The R&D department can therefore design high performance exchangers even for a restricted space within the final unit.

Frame: aluminium endplates and galvanized sheet metalwork

LU-VE Group uses semi-finished products in both aluminium and galvanized steel, depending on the different applications of the product.

Aluminium

Alloys of type 1050 and 3105 are used: all material conforms to the European Directives in the EN 485 category. This material guarantees excellent workability and corrosion resistance.

Galvanized steel

Steel sheet metalwork conforms to the EN 10143 and 10346 Directives and is hot-dip galvanized. The uniformity and the thickness of the treatment guarantees high resistance to corrosion.

Protective treatments

The markets offers various types of tubes for use in the manufacture of fin-pack heat exchangers, with different diameters and internal surfaces, suited to different applications solutions and capacities.

Cataphoresis

The main advantages of the CATOCOAT technology are:
  • high resistance and penetration compared to powder-based treatments or pre-coated raw materials;
  • corrosion resistance >1000h in salt spray test, vital for products destined for aggressive environments;
  • high level  of penetration in manufactured items with complex shapes, fundamental for our type of products;
  • leaves a very thin film, essential in avoiding any alteration to the heat exchange capacity;
  • compatible with foodstuffs;
  • low environmental impact thanks to the use of water-based paints and state-of-the-art machinery solutions.

Powder coatings

An alternative solution against corrosion in conditions where costs are to be contained and basic protection is required. Powder coatings provide discrete performance in terms of both finish and mechanical adherence. Different shades of colour can be chosen. A protective treatment with low impact on the environment.

Baked Grey Polyester Enamel

The baked grey polyester enamel is a protective coating that provides NSF and FDA approvable protection for food contact surface. It is a wet applied solution that is baked on to the surface to a minimum thickness of 0.5 mil with an average thickness coating of 1.0-1.5 mil. For use in refrigerated display cases, food storage refrigeration, and food cold storage application. The coating is not affected by cleaning agents and possible food contaminants that may come in contact with the coated surface. Thermodynamic performance is not overtly affected by this coating.