Lennox EMEA offers a wide range of high-performance HVAC and refrigeration solutions and services for commercial and industrial settings. Lennox EMEA, originally the European arm of Lennox International Inc., is headquartered in Lyon, France. Other production facilities are located in Dijon, France and in Spain.
In March this year, the French HVAC and refrigeration solution provider Lennox EMEA launched Evio, their next generation of air-cooled rooftop units. In order to facilitate the growth in their production volumes and to manage the increasing variation in copper tubes, Lennox EMEA sought to optimize their production efficiency. That is why at the time of the product launch, the company’s production was completed with the T-DRILL EFO-3e end former – an industry 4.0 ready servo-operated tube end forming machine designed for precision and efficiency.
“The machine is robust and its technology quite impressive. We are pleased with the investment”, says Nicholas Schwinn, Production Manager at Lennox EMEA.
According to Schwinn, one of the main reasons for the company choosing the T-DRILL EFO-3e was that it allows the company to manufacture copper piping of different sizes and shapes in-house. Out of the 60 components that were previously sourced from external suppliers, Lennox EMEA will now be able to manufacture 45 in their own production. Before, Lennox EMEA kept a significant stock of fittings, which not only required storage space and incurred costs, but was also time-consuming – machine operators had to spend time on selecting and adjusting the fittings for each different pipe shape and size.
“With the T-DRILL machine, the machine operator simply selects the desired program. The machine interface is easy to use, which simplifies the work of our operators. It is one of the machine’s best features”, says Vladimir Leteux, Production Engineer at Lennox EMEA.
Nicolas Schwinn adds that not only will the T-DRILL increase the efficiency of Lennox’s production, it will also further develop its quality. After a few months of operating the machine, Lennox EMEA has experienced excellent product quality and superb repeatability.
“The parameter and the characteristics remain invariable. Repeatability is the force of the machine.”
As the use of greenhouse gases is being increasingly restricted, manufacturers in the HVAC industry are looking to alternate refrigerants. Lennox EMEA has already switched to more environmentally-friendly A2L class refrigerants, which are mildly explosive. Using an explosive gas sets even higher standards for all components and materials, including pipes and fittings.
“When using separate fittings, we struggled to find component providers that were able to meet the quality requirements for pipes that contain explosive gases as well as guarantee the components’ traceability. Now that we no longer depend on purchased fittings and are able to end-form our piping ourselves, we can guarantee the quality of our products”, Schwinn says.
Schwinn adds that in-house manufacturing also brings more flexibility to product development and upgrades.
“Refrigeration regulations change all the time, which means that we would have had to keep making changes to our fittings and modifying our copper pipes each time regulations change. With the T-DRILL EFO-3e, we will be able to develop our products faster and more seamlessly. This machine will secure our production well into the future.”
Throughout the project, both Schwinn and Leteux have been particularly satisfied with T-DRILL’s reactivity. The project was launched in a strict timetable, which T-DRILL was able to accommodate.
“We are happy with T-DRILL’s customer service and reactivity in all stages of the project. We had some issues with a specific tool, which T-DRILL was quick to troubleshoot and address. We have been very satisfied with the machine and our cooperation.”
Read more about the EFO-3e
Visit Lennox’s website
Published: November 12, 2024
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