Customer
A major HVAC system manufacturer providing residential and light commercial packaged air conditioners & heat pumps.
Application
High volume production refrigeration processing of packaged air conditioner and heat pump systems performed by connecting to the service ports including 4 main processing steps: 1) Leak test, 2) Evacuation, 3) Refrigerant charge, 4) Run test.
Challenge
The charge, run test and rework stations involve connecting/disconnecting refrigerant lines to the unit, each of which offers an opportunity for refrigerant to inadvertently be released to the environment. In addition, the move towards low GWP/ODP A2L refrigerants, e.g. R454b & R32, introduces a fire hazard necessitating the need to reduce emissions to zero.
Project Goals
• Reduce refrigerant emissions during connection/ disconnection, i.e. to achieve “Zero Emission Processing”
• Eliminate “waste” (cost) associated with losing a small amount of refrigerant per connection.
Solution
FasTest engineers worked with the customer to develop the CoreMax RQD connector tool. The new connector incorporated a manually actuated shut off valve and an integral “Reclaim” port that can be activated to prevent refrigerant loss to the environment. The customer chose FasTest as a partner because they were impressed by the company’s technical innovation, support, and customer service over the years. They were confident that FasTest could devise a solution and support them through engineering, development, and implementation.
Results
The CoreMax RQD combined with a reclaim system functioned flawlessly and achieved the desired outcome. The customer has reordered several times and standardized the CoreMax RQD connector as part of their emission reduction efforts.
