ADVANTAGES OF ALUMINIUM OVER COPPER

Flaring

  • Requires less strength to flare
  • Higher wall thickness (G18) provides better tensile strength
  • Using the same set of tools to flare copper

Brazing

  • No argon gas, wire spool, gloves, shield or electricity required
  • Special brazing rods allow up to 45-50 joints per rod (50cm rod)
  • Fast, easy and secured joints in 15 seconds
  • No turning of torches or rounding up gaps
  • 4 times faster than brazing copper
  • No additional flux is required
  • Uses the same torch and mapp gas
  • Substantial saving on gas, time and brazing rod due to lower melting point of aluminium
  • Joints are stronger than main material
  • No need for nitrogen purging for oxidisation

Bending

  • Requires less strength to bend
  • Light weight and offers better flexibility than copper
  • Does not kink easily compared to copper
  • Uses the same set of bending tools as copper

Corrosion Resistancy

  • 48 hour salt water test before shipment
  • Corrosion rate is a lot less than copper
  • Oxidisation rate is also lower, making pipes clean and bright when exposed

Swaging or Expanding

  • 30% expansion from original OD
  • Uses the same set of swaging tools as copper

Thermal Conductivity

  • Lower than copper by almost 50% which means less rate of condensation

Cost Savings

  • Approximately one third of the price of refrigerant copper pipe