Luvata is thinking about the HVAC&R industry
“90 million Air Conditioning units will be produced in 2008. Who is helping you make sure they are fit for the future?”
Hannu Wahlroos
Executive Vice-President
Heat Transfer Division
An essential part of modern life…
Air conditioning and refrigeration have become essential parts of modern life in the developed world, and fast becoming so in the developing world. Economic growth is driving a rapid rise in living standards and the demand for affordable air conditioning is unprecedented. As the industry grows, achieving a reduced environmental impact, improved product performance and efficient use of energy are challenges at the top of everyone’s mind.
Just three of the issues Luvata is thinking about are: The Montreal Protocol 2010 Deadline, Formicary corrosion and reducing the energy and environmental impact of HVACR systems.
Meeting the Montreal Protocol deadline…
The Montreal Protocol 2010 deadline brings about a major change in the refrigerants permitted for use in customers’ systems and will substantially affect the HVACR industry. It is essential that we all prepare for 2010, now. We need to work together to help lessen the burden of having to re-design systems. Luvata’s engineers have been developing new products and processes to minimise the effects of the change.
Our core philosophy is developing ‘partnerships beyond metals’. For example, as well as enhancing our existing products and developing revolutionary new ones, we have been helping our customers to develop their own products and solutions and bring them to market. We realise that cost is a major decision-making factor, but teamwork with our customers as well as the use of our global supply capability results in effective, low-cost component solutions.
Formicary corrosion
Formicary corrosion, and the associated increased warranty cost, is a key issue for HVACR systems. Some say that switching to aluminium is the only solution for this, but we think the industry can benefit from exploiting the superior properties of copper. As a result, we have developed copper-based solutions that are much more effective than aluminium alternatives. We are continuing to develop and deploy a range of coatings and alloys that are either corrosion-resistant or do not corrode at all. Our customers’ investment in these developments means savings in warranty and repair/replacement costs.
A world that demands more, for less…
The excellent conductivity of copper makes it a perfect material for heat transfer applications. As the life of such systems is long, their potential for total energy conservation and reduction of greenhouse gas generation becomes remarkable.
Optimising thermal transfer allows us to improve the energy efficiency of heat exchangers by as much as 20%. Our developments have increased the thermal transfer properties of thin-wall tubes by over 50%, while reducing the amount of copper by another 20%.
Luvata promotes high efficiency and less scrap in all we do. Our use of ‘tube-in-a-cube’ technology can mean productivity and yield improvements of up to 5% and a corresponding decrease in machine downtime due to tie-off of up to 41%.
We all have a responsibility towards the future of the planet. That means less waste, less pollution and using less energy. It means taking responsibility for the long-term effects of our decisions. Honouring that responsibility should not mean that we have to compromise on performance, or upon the health of our businesses. Not if we think and act together.
For more information on Luvata’s contribution to HVAC&R, visit our products and services page, or contact your nearest Luvata specialist.