About FinewelAbout Fineweldd ®® Tube. . .Tube. . .

Fineweld ® Tube is one of the many product lines of Olin Brass. Our markets include power utility, desalination, air conditioning & refrigeration, architectural hardware, and plumbing. We specialize in applications demanding superior surfacequality, and in the copper-nickel alloys for heat transferapplications.

We manufacture welded copper alloy tubing via the high-frequency induced current manufacturing method. The flat-rolled strip that we use in the production of our tube issupplied exclusively from Olin Brass.

Olin Brass, our parent company, was founded in East Alton, Illinoisin 1918 by Franklin Olin. The company was created for thepurpose of supplying brass strip to Western Cartridge, nowWinchester-Western, for use in small caliber ammunition beingsupplied to the allied forces during World War 1.

Fineweld ® Tube is a product of the Olin Brass Metals ResearchLaboratory. Commercialized in 1968, we have since achieved a position of leadership in the manufacturing of high-frequencywelded copper alloy tubing.

CapabilitiesCapabilities

APPLICABLE SPECIFICATIONS

• ASME SB-543 Heat Exchanger Tube• ASTM B-543 Heat Exchanger Tube• ASTM B-552 Desalination Tube• ASTM B-587 Brass Tube• ASME SB-956 Integrally Finned Welded Tube

Shaped TubeD-Shapes, Rectangles, Squares, Ovals, Etc.

Patterned Surface Finish

Redraw Coils

ID Enhanced Heat Transfer Tube

STANDARD SIZES

• Outside Diameters from 1/2” to 2-3/8”(12.7mm to 60.3mm)• Wall Thicknesses from 0.018” to 0.125” (0.457 mm to 3.17mm)• Straight Lengths from 4 inches (101.6 mm) to 80 feet (24m)

LARGE DIAMETER BUNCH COILS

• Continuous coils up to 1400 pounds or 2800 feet. • Coil diameter - approximately 84” • Tube diameters available - 0.875”, 1.000”, 1.125”, and 1.250”

ALLOYS

C122 00 DHP CopperC194 00 HSM CopperC220 00 Commercial BronzeC230 00 Red BrassC240 00 Low BrassC260 00 Cartridge BrassC268 00 Yellow BrassC443 00 Admiralty BrassC510 00 5% Phosphor BronzeC511 00 4% Phosphor BronzeC687 00 Aluminum BrassC706 00 90-10 Copper-NickelC710 00 80-20 Copper-NickelC715 00 70-30 Copper-NickelC722 00 85-15 Copper-NickelC745 00 10% Nickel-SilverC752 00 18% Nickel-Silver

REDRAW SIZES

Fineweld® Tube partners with numerous Redraw Mills throughoutthe USA to provide diameters and wall thicknesses smaller thanour standard sizes. We can put you in contact with one or more of these mills if requested.

Product ApplicationsProduct Applications

Power Utility & Steam Condensers

Since 1969, Fineweld ® Tube has supplied over 350 millionfeet of tubing to the Power Utility Market for use in steamsurface condensers, auxiliary condensers, feedwater heaters,cooling water coolers, lube oil coolers, etc. Our tubing has been used in fresh water, seawater, and brackish water, and in both nuclear and fossil plants.

Alloys that we produce for this end-use market include Iron-Modified Copper (C194), Admiralty Brass (C443),Aluminum Brass (C687), 90/10 Copper-Nickel (C706), 80/20 Copper-Nickel (C710), 70/30 Copper-Nickel (C715), and 85/15 Copper-Nickel (C722). Applicable specifications include ASTM B-543 and ASME SB-543.

Heating, Cooling & Refrigeration

Photo courtesy of Hayward Pool Products

Desalination

Our tubing has been used in both MSF (Multi Stage Flash)and MED (Multiple Effect Distillation) desalination plants since1972. Our tubing has been used in the Virgin Islands, Iran,Malaysia, Aruba, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, and Oman.

Alloys supplied to this market include Aluminum Brass (C687),90/10 Copper-Nickel (C706), and 70/30 Copper-Nickel(C715). We also offer 85/15 Copper-Nickel (C722) as a costeffective alternative to 66/30/2/2 Copper-Nickel (C71640)and titanium. Applicable specifications include ASTM B-543,ASTM B-552, and ASME SB-543.

Photo courtesy of Entropie

Applications in this end-use category includeabsorption air conditioners, ground-source and water source heat pumps, swimming poolheaters, and commercial refrigeration units. The alloy typically supplied for these applicationsis 90/10 Copper-Nickel (C706). “Low Fin” integralfin tubing, sometimes used in these applications, isproduced in accordance with ASME SB-956.

Our tubing can also be used in headers and connection tube forcommercial air conditioning. Significant cost savings can be realizedthrough the use of Alloy C194, an iron-modified Copper.

Photo courtesy of TVA

Product ApplicationsProduct Applications

Plumbing & Plumbing Hardware

Our tubing is widely used in plumbing & plumbinghardware applications where the final product is buffed and plated, or just plated. This is because of theexcellent surface quality associated with welded tube.The uniform wall thickness of welded tube also makes itdesirable for applications which involve thread cutting.

Applications include round and shaped faucet spouts,tail pieces, shower arms, and trap tube. Typically,cartridge brass (C260) or yellow brass (C268) is specified for these applications.

All tubing is produced in accordance with ASTM B-587.

Photo courtesy of Turbotec Products

Photo courtesy of Kohler Faucet Co.

Heat transfer applications other than Power Utility,Air Conditioning/Refrigeration, and Desalinationapplications include shell and tube heatexchangers for the process and petrochemicalindustries, heat exchangers for the marine industry,coil-in-coil heat exchangers, air-cooled heatexchangers (including radiators), condensers,evaporators, and coolers.

Alloys supplied for these applications include 90/10 Copper-Nickel, 85/15Copper-Nickel, 80/20 Copper-Nickel, 70/30 Copper-Nickel, Admiralty Brass,Aluminum Brass, Iron-Modified Copper, Phosphorus Deoxidized Copper,and Red Brass.

Architectural & Decorative

Tubing supplied by Fineweld ® Tube is forge-welded from flat-rolled stripsupplied by Olin Brass, our parent company. Tubing produced by thismanufacturing process is ideal for “surface critical” applications includingstair & hand railing, luggage carts, crowd control posts, coat racks, bar rail,brass beds, and musical instruments. The uniform wall thickness associatedwith welded tube is also beneficial for subsequent customer operations such as thread cutting.

Alloys produced for these applications include Commercial Bronze (C220),Red Brass (C230), Low Brass (C240), Cartridge Brass (C260), Yellow Brass(C268),18% Nickel-Silver (C752), and 10% Nickel-Silver (C745).

Patterned tube, as well as polished & clear-coated or satin-finished tube can also be supplied.

Industrial Heat Exchangers

Photo courtesy of Forbes Industries

Strip ManufacturingStrip Manufacturing

Large Ingots

Olin Brass Fineweld® Tube isproduced from flat-rolled strip which is roll-formed into a tubular shape and thenwelded. The manufacturingprocess begins with “DirectChill” semi-continuous castingto produce metallurgicallyhomogeneous cast bars.Laminations and inclusions areessentially non-existent in theinput strip, and therefore in thewelded tube that is madefrom that strip. Casting lotsconsist of 60,000 poundsresulting in greater uniformityfrom one tube to another.Following the castingoperation, bars of metal arehot-rolled down to a thicknessof about 0.600 ”(15 mm) andthen the top and bottomsurfaces are mechanically

milled to remove surfacediscontinuities that might resultfrom casting. Since one ofthese surfaces will ultimatelybe the ID of a tube, thepossibility of a casting defectbeing present on the ID of awelded tube is essentiallyeliminated. Following themilling operation, bars of metal(now in coil form) arealternately cold-rolled andannealed until the desired finalthickness is achieved. As aresult of this process, the wallthickness in a welded tube ismuch more uniform than ispossible with the competitiveseamless manufacturingprocess. This is a benefit insubsequent operations such asthread-cutting or the rolling oftubes into tubesheets.

Metallurgically Sound Strip Long Input Coils

Tube ManufacturingTube Manufacturing

High-Speed Forming and Welding

Strip

At Fineweld® Tube, we usethe high-frequency weldingmethod. With this process,high-frequency current (450kilohertz) is concentrated atthe edges of the strip metalwhich is being welded.Virtually instantaneous heatcreates an essentially“plastic” condition at the stripedges with the rest of thetube remaining relativelycool. Simultaneously, the stripedges are brought togetherwith forging pressure

provided by squeeze-rolls,thereby producing a high-quality forge weld.Excess metal, expelled during the forge-weldingprocess, is continuouslyremoved from both the insideand outside surfaces. Finally,one continuous operationprecision cuts the tubelength, deburrs the ends,cleans the inside diameter,and delivers the tubes for packing.

Precision Cut-to-Length Line

High-Frequency Source

Forging Rolls

Testing and InspectionTesting and Inspection

On-Line Eddy Current Testing

Expansion Test Flattening Test

Our quality system is ISO 9001:2000 certified. All tubes are 100% eddy current tested. Theeddy current test coil is located in-line justafter the tube is welded. This assures thatevery inch of tube is tested and avoids“end effects” associated with off-line eddycurrent testing.

Tubes are also visually and dimensionallyinspected throughout themanufacturing process.

Destructive tests are conducted in accordance with applicable ASTM or ASME Specifications,and include expansion testing, flattening, and reverse flattening testing. Overall tube integrity, and weld integrity, are critically evaluated with these tests.

Hydrostatic and pneumatic testing capabilities are also available, upon request.

MetallurgicalMetallurgical IntegrityIntegrity

Mag. 50X Before Annealing

The true test of a product is how it performs in demanding applications. Shownbelow are several applications in which Fineweld® Tube welded tubing is used thatdemonstrate the superior weld integrity of our product.

Mag. 50X After Annealing

Integral Fin Tube

The high-frequency welding process produces a narrow,hot wrought “forge-weld” structure of exceptional quality.The photomicrograph on the top left is for a typical weld produced by this process. Note the narrowhomogeneous structure of the weld. The width of theweld is uniform from top to bottom indicating that theheat energy input was uniform. Since a high-frequencyinduction weld is a wrought structure similar to the parentmaterial, and since no filler metals are used, the strength,ductility, and corrosion resisting characteristics of the weld are similar to the parent material.

The photomicrograph on the middle left indicates thatafter annealing, the “forge-weld” area is undiscerniblefrom the rest of the tube.

Twisted TubePhoto courtesy of Turbotec Products

U-Bent Hairpin Tube

Features & BenefitsFeatures & Benefits

• Uniform wall thickness, concentricity and temper for subsequent customer performed operations.

• Excellent surface quality and cleanliness on both the OD and the ID.

• Superior surface quality for “surface critical” applications.

• Strand annealing of Olin Brass’ 90/10 Copper-Nickel strip insures maximum iron in solution thus guaranteeing optimal resistance to erosion-corrosion and stress corrosion.

• High-frequency “forge-welds” have no filler metals added, and no resultant cast structure; in addition, oxides and impurities are squeezed out during forge-welding.

Fineweld® Tube“Forge” Weld Competitive “TIG” Weld

PackagingPackaging

OLIN BRASS FINEWELD TUBE102 Progress Parkway • Cuba, Missouri 65453

Phone: 573.885.6546 • Fax: 573.885.6500 • e-mail: fwt@olinbrass.com

www.fineweldtube.com

OLIN BRASS SALES OFFICESAllentown, Pennsylvania

Alliance, Ohio

Atlanta, Georgia

Bolton, Ontario (Canada)

Chicago, Illinois

Bryan, Ohio

Geelong (Australia)

Great World City (Singapore)

Guangdong Province (China)

Hamamatsu City (Japan)

Indianapolis, Indiana

Iwata-shi (Japan)

Johnston, Iowa

Queretaro (Mexico)

Oberstein (Germany)

Shanghai (China)

Sethwick, West Midlands (UK)

Warwick, Rhode Island

Watertown, Connecticut

Yorba Linda, California

Standard Wood Cases Alternative Crib Packaging

Fineweld® Tube custom makes every box or crib to suit each customer’s needs. We offerstandard wooden cases or an alternative crib packaging. We also work with our customersto design other alternative packaging that can better fit their needs. All cases are lined withplastic, and an alternative option for plastic interleaving is available.

ALL ITALICIZED WORDS ARE REGISTERED TRADEMARKS OF OLIN BRASS.COPYRIGHT 2009 OLIN BRASS

Olin Brass believes the information contained herein to be reliable. However, thetechnical information is given by Olin Brass without charge, and the user shall employsuch information at his own discretion and risk; Olin Brass assumes no responsibility forresults obtained or damages incurred from the use of such information in whole or in part.