How does Thrust Bearing Oil Cooler achieve high-quality manufacturing through complex processes? ​

In the stable operation of industrial equipment, Thrust Bearing Oil Cooler plays a vital role in heat dissipation, and its performance is closely related to the manufacturing process. From heat exchange tube processing to overall assembly inspection, every link is condensed with ingenuity and technology. Let's take a deeper look at these key links of precision production. ​
1. Heat exchange tube processing: the transformation from pipes to efficient heat exchange components ​
As the core component of thrust bearing oil cooler to achieve heat exchange, the processing technology of heat exchange tube directly determines the heat dissipation efficiency of the cooler. At the beginning of processing, the selected pipe needs to be cut and formed according to the design requirements. ​
For conventional pipes, it is sufficient to cut them into suitable lengths and sizes. In the face of special shapes of heat exchange tubes, such as spiral tubes and corrugated tubes, special forming equipment must be used. The spiral tube is wound around the pipe according to the predetermined pitch and diameter through a spiral winding machine. Precisely controlling the spiral shape can not only increase the heat exchange area in a limited space, but also allow the fluid to flow in a spiral shape in the tube, enhance the turbulence, and improve the efficiency of heat transfer. The corrugated tube uses hydraulic or mechanical forming processes to shape a corrugated structure on the tube wall. This unique structure, on the one hand, increases the heat exchange area, and on the other hand, improves the flexibility and fatigue resistance of the pipe, so that it can better adapt to the changes in thermal expansion and contraction under different working conditions. ​
After the pipe is formed, the pipe end treatment is the key to ensuring the quality of its connection with the tube sheet or other connectors. Common pipe end treatment methods include flaring, shrinking and thread turning. Flaring treatment expands the diameter of the pipe end so that it can better match the hole on the tube sheet, and then expands or welds to achieve a firm connection and ensure sealing. Shrinking treatment reduces the diameter of the pipe end and is suitable for connection requirements of special structures. Thread turning allows the heat exchange tube to be threaded with threaded connectors, which is convenient for installation and disassembly and ensures the tightness of the connection. Pipe end treatment requires extremely high processing accuracy. Even slight deviations will have an adverse effect on the overall performance of the cooler.​
2. Tube sheet production and assembly: Building a solid foundation for heat exchange​
The tube sheet bears the heavy responsibility of connecting the heat exchange tubes in the cooler, and its processing accuracy is related to the installation quality of the heat exchange tubes and the sealing of the cooler. Tube sheets are generally machined, and drilling, milling and other operations are completed on large CNC machine tools. According to the design drawings, the position and size of the heat exchange tube holes on the tube sheet are accurately determined. When drilling, the hole diameter tolerance and the verticality of the hole are strictly controlled to ensure that the heat exchange tube can be smoothly inserted and closely matched with the tube sheet. For coolers with high precision requirements, the processing accuracy of the tube sheet holes can reach micron level. In addition, the surface of the tube sheet is ground and polished to improve the finish of the connection part with the heat exchange tube, reduce the flow resistance of the fluid, and create good conditions for subsequent expansion or welding processes. ​
The connection methods of heat exchange tubes and tube sheets are various, mainly expansion, welding and expansion welding. Expansion uses a tube expander to expand the heat exchange tube inserted into the tube sheet hole, so that the heat exchange tube and the tube sheet hole wall generate sufficient extrusion force to form a tight connection, thereby ensuring sealing and mechanical strength. However, the expansion process has high requirements on the material, hardness and processing accuracy of the tube sheet and the heat exchange tube. The welding connection uses welding methods to firmly connect the heat exchange tube to the tube sheet. Common welding methods include manual arc welding, argon arc welding, submerged arc welding, etc. Among them, argon arc welding is widely used in the welding of heat exchange tubes and tube sheets due to its advantages such as stable arc, high welding quality, beautiful weld formation and effective protection of the welding area from oxidation. The expansion welding combines the advantages of expansion and welding. First, the expansion is used to initially fix the heat exchange tube and ensure a certain degree of sealing, and then welding is used to further improve the reliability and sealing of the connection. It is often used in important occasions with extremely high requirements for connection strength and sealing. During the assembly process, the insertion depth and verticality of the heat exchange tube are strictly controlled to ensure that each heat exchange tube is accurately connected to the tube sheet, and at the same time, the entire tube bundle is arranged neatly to avoid distortion, collision and other problems, and to ensure uniform distribution of fluid inside the cooler and good heat exchange effect. ​
Three, shell and head production: create a reliable cooler shell​
The shell of the cooler is usually rolled from steel plates. First, cut the steel plate according to the design size, and then roll it into a cylindrical or other shape on the plate rolling machine. When rolling, strictly control the curvature and roundness of the steel plate to ensure the dimensional accuracy of the shell. After rolling, the longitudinal seam and circumferential seam of the shell are welded. The welding quality directly affects the strength and sealing of the shell. Use advanced welding equipment and processes, such as automatic submerged arc welding and gas shielded welding, to ensure that the weld is uniform and firm, without defects such as pores and cracks. After welding, use non-destructive testing methods such as ultrasonic flaw detection and radiographic flaw detection to ensure that the weld quality meets the relevant standards. For the cooler shell that is subjected to high pressure, heat treatment is also required to eliminate welding residual stress and improve the comprehensive performance of the shell. ​
The head is a closed component at both ends of the cooler, and its shapes are various, including elliptical, disc-shaped, hemispherical, etc. The head is generally formed by die stamping, and the steel plate is stamped into the required shape by a large press. During the stamping process, the dimensional accuracy and surface quality of the head are strictly controlled to ensure its matching accuracy with the shell. After the head is formed, it is welded to the shell. The welding process is also strict to ensure the sealing and strength of the connection. When installing the head, pay attention to the concentricity of the head and the shell to avoid eccentricity affecting the overall performance of the cooler. At the same time, various interfaces such as oil inlet and outlet, cooling water inlet and outlet, exhaust port, and sewage outlet are opened on the head and the shell according to the design requirements to ensure that the fluid can enter and exit and circulate normally when the cooler is running. ​
Fourth, overall assembly and quality inspection: the last checkpoint to ensure the quality of the cooler​
After completing the production of each component, enter the overall assembly link of the cooler. First, install the tube bundle into the shell to ensure that the tube bundle is accurately positioned and reliably fixed in the shell to prevent shaking or displacement during operation. Then install the head and weld it to the shell to seal it. Then install various pipes, supports, valves and other accessories to ensure that each component is firmly connected and well sealed. The assembly process is strictly operated in accordance with the assembly drawings and process requirements, and quality inspection is carried out on each assembly link to promptly discover and correct problems to ensure the overall assembly quality of the cooler. ​
Quality inspection is the key to ensuring that the quality and performance of the thrust bearing oil cooler meet the requirements. Before leaving the factory, all oil coolers must undergo a water pressure test to inspect all parts of the cooler, including the heat exchange tubes, tube sheet connections, shell welds, head and shell connections, and various pipe interfaces, to ensure that there is no leakage. In addition to the water pressure test, a heat exchange performance test will also be carried out to simulate actual working conditions and test the heat dissipation effect of the cooler under different oil temperatures, cooling water flow rates and other parameters to ensure that it meets the designed heat exchange requirements. At the same time, the appearance of the cooler is inspected to ensure that there are no scratches, deformations, rust and other defects on the surface, and that the markings of each component are clear and complete. Only coolers that have passed various quality tests can be put into use to ensure their reliability and stability in actual work.