Flame-free >B< MaxiPro the ACR fitting of choice for cooling installation at historic winery
Background
Flame-free >B< MaxiPro was the pipework fitting of choice for an ACR contractor who needed to avoid the risk of fire when installing a cooling system at an historic winery near Padua.
Finco Fausto, a specialist in thermo-hydraulics, installed the Mitsubishi Electric VRF cooling system in a new cellar at the winery on the Nevio Scala Farm in the Lotto Atestino commune. The system comprises two 40kW external units and 20 internal units.
Products
The installer used more than 100 >B< MaxiPro fittings and 400 meters of copper coated tube EN12735-1 laid inside wooden partitions, in ceiling voids, and behind insulated and plasterboard partition walls.
He also had to be aware of the wooden tonneau, 500-litre French oak barrels, used in the wine-making process.
>B< MaxiPro fittings, which have a 10-year warranty when fitted to the manufacturer’s instructions, are designed specifically for air conditioning and refrigeration applications, and the higher pressures of up to 48 bar.
As a mechanically pressed joint there is no fire risk, unlike with the traditional brazing technique. With the issue of fire avoided, there is also no need to apply for a hot works permit, or wait while brazing welds cool down.
Once initial preparation is complete, it takes just five seconds to complete a secure and permanent joint using the appropriate press tool and jaws.
Nevio Scala Farm includes a carefully renovated stable and barn that were recorded in the Napoleonic land registry and, therefore, date back to before 1816.
Finco said: “With >B< MaxiPro I was able to work safely and continuously, both in narrow areas and in aerial sections, completing the job in a very short time. Above all we did not have to comply with particular fire protection measures or wait for the cooling times typical of welding work. We had maximum reliability and safety both in the working environment and in the finished installation.”
The >B< MaxiPro press technique is very simple: just cut the tube at the proper length, eliminate any sharp residues, insert the fitting and press.
The great advantage of pressing technique lies in the ease and speed of assembly and the safety of the junction.
The estimated time for the construction of the entire VRF plant has been reduced by 60% compared to the traditional brazing technique, with considerable savings in terms of time and installation costs, including a week of testing.
The recommendation to use >B< MaxiPro was given by Conex Bänninger agent Enrico Vendraminelli and was supplied through the area retailer IDROVEN Srl.