Automated tube lancing system increases productivity, safety

Automated tube lancing system increases productivity, safety
Automated tube lancing system increases productivity, safety

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The Sabertooth SRT-100 automated tube lancing system from StoneAge offers a safer, more productive alternative to hand-held flex lancing when cleaning on-site tube bundles. By moving the operator away from high-pressure water, the remotely operated system provides greater visibility and increased safety.

“It’s hands-free,” says Bill Shires, director of marketing and business development for StoneAge. “Basically, all of the operating parameters are adjustable and controlled in a very safe manner.”

The adjustable autostroke feature, which is unique to the system, recognizes when a high-speed Banshee rotary cleaning nozzle (BN18 or BN24) has reached a blockage, automatically retracting the hose to prevent binding and ensure continuous cleaning.

“This machine senses the pressure being applied to the nose of the tool against the debris in the tube,” he says. “It’s like a pecking motion to get through those tough deposits.”

Another key feature of the cleaning system is the self-contained dual-hose, air-powered reel that holds up to 66 feet of flex hose and delivers up to 52 feet of usable stroke. “The hoses are no longer laid out across the heat exchanger face or across the work area, becoming a tripping hazard,” Shires says. Hoses also are protected against damage from friction.

Mounted on a cart with locking castors, the 550-pound system, which delivers up to 22,000 psi, 40 gpm and has a feed rate of 0.3 to 1.2 feet per second, can be disassembled to fit through 24-inch manways for one-person operation.

“Typically, for a long time in the industry, it was one guy sitting on a bucket with a foot on a dump valve and another guy feeding hoses in and out one at a time; you’d have three or four guys on a heat exchanger face and another guy outside with pump operators standing down below,” Shires says. “What this machine does is reduce the labor rate and increase productivity by having the hoses clean in both directions.”

The system, which has a 3/4-inch MP inlet connection and requires a 78 cfm air supply at 100 psi, can clean tubes from 0.87 to 2 inches in diameter with 1.32- to 2.23-inch pitch. The vertical and horizontal positioner window is adjustable up to 15 feet. Splash tubes guide the lance tips into the orifices, minimizing exposure. Exterior bundle faces can be safely cleaned using the Barracuda/Spitfire remote shotgun mounting bracket. 866/795-1586; www.stoneagetools.com.



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