Airmo, Inc. offers unique systems and tooling designed for full length, mechanical tube
expansion.
Hydro-Pel is a method of tube expansion which places a projectile, usually a ball, into
a tube with water pressure forcing the ball through the tube. Generally, the amount of
expansion is a function of the ball diameter and the tube wall thickness. This method is
suggested where straight length tubes are used with one operator performing the expansion.
Airmo offers two Hydro-Pel expansion methods:
For applications in which tube belling is performed as a standard operation,
conventional ball expansion methods are used. With the tube pre-belled or preexpanded, the
operator places a ball into the tube and places an expanding tool over the tube end and
starts the system pressure cycle. High pressure water is directed behind the ball, forcing
it down the tube. If the tube is not in a prebelIed condition, ball insertion can be done
with the Airmo ball insert tool.
Hydro-mechanical expansion using this method can also be performed in a single
operation using the IFE system. The IFE method of Hydro-Pel inserts the ball into the tube
and sends it down the tube length in one step and without any tube preparation or
pre-expanded tube end operations. This saves time as it eliminates tube preparation steps.
Both Hydro-Pel methods use an integrated pressure source with hand held tooling. The
tooling, which is precision machined of stainless steel, is pressure compensated and is
offered as a modular system. This provides the benefit of quick change from size to size
in 5 seconds with no set-up time required. Expansion cycles of 3 to 5 seconds for a
5/8" OD X 12’ long tube are typical.
Airmo also offers hydraulic tube expansion systems and tooling that utilizes high
pressure water only for tube expansion of any length.
