ACR Journal

October 2022 | November 2022 TOOLS TALK – SPONSORED BY ASPEN PUMPS Volume 8 No.6 10 JAVAC’s Maxy Flame Kit for maximum performance Acetylene has been used for brazing, welding and cutting metals since 1906 and deserves its reputation for being the strongest, safest and simplest to use of all the fuel gases. As most of you know, oxygen and acetylene (oxy-acetylene) produce a flame temperature of 3150°C, making it the hottest of all the fuel gases and the only fuel gas that can weld steel. It has the fastest pre-heating and piercing times of any of the other fuel gas combinations. It gives the lowest level of hardening to the surface of the cut and, as lower heat levels are passed into the material being cut, distortion is kept to the minimum. Acetylene also uses less oxygen than other gases like propane and propylene, and therefore needs fewer cylinders, so there’s less handling and downtime. And, as this gas is slightly lighter than air, unused gas will not gather in low areas and cause a potential hazard which is why it’s the only fuel gas recommended for use in underground working conditions. Well, most of the engineers we work with aren’t usually working underground, but they can’t always use acetylene to do their work as it’s banned in around 60% of sites in the UK. Not only that, the oxy-acetylene equipment they have to handle is quite heavy and cumbersome, and there’s only room on the trollies to carry one cylinder of oxygen and one of acetylene. In response to feedback from engineers and our stockists, we developed the Maxy Flame Kit, which we launched in 2021. This kit has everything the engineer needs for a welding and brazing job, including two Maxy Gas cartridges, which don’t require certification on site (and there’s no rental charges on these cartridges*). It has the added bonus of being significantly lighter than a standard oxy/ acetylene kit. The robust and adaptable trolley also supports a mid-sized nitrogen bottle and has an extended handle for ease of transportation. There are two 5m hoses which really come in useful when you need to reach ceiling voids. Maxy Flame can also braze up to an 1” 5/8 of copper pipe and some colleges have tested it up to a 2" pipe. The benefits are many, but so too are the accessories included in this kit: • 1 x shank • 1 x 100 L/h Lance • 1 x 315 L/h Lance • 1 x oxy flashback arrestor • 1 x Maxy flashback arrestor • 2 x 5m hose • 1 x oxy regulator • 1 x Maxy Gas regulator • 1 x accessory tub • 1 x pair of goggles • 1 x igniter *Maxy Gas cartridges are sold separately from Advanced. Part number: SO50011 Health and safety first All pressurised cylinders regardless of their contents are at greatest risk of failure if subjected to direct-flame contact. If a cylinder filled with compressed acetylene gas is exposed to a flashback starts to warm up or vibrate, or if a cylinder was involved in a fire, its contents may have begun to decompose. This process can become self-sustaining causing the cylinder to explode, in some cases hours after the initial event, posing a risk to anyone in its vicinity. Should this happen, the cylinder must be made safe. In the meantime, the Health & Safety Executive recommends that an area of 200 metres around the heated cylinder is evacuated immediately and the Fire and Rescue Service is called immediately. Please do not attempt to move this cylinder or make any attempt to release its pressure by venting it as this could accelerate decomposition. If you’d like to know more about cylinder safety, please visit the British Compressed Gases Association at: bcga.co.uk/topics/ cylinders-in-fires/ For more information visit www.aspenpumps.com