FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The CuproBraze® Story:
Advanced Technology for the
High-Volume Production of Superior Heat Exchangers

New York –Responding to industry demands for a high-performance mobile heat exchanger, the International Copper Association (ICA) developed CuproBraze technology in cooperation with manufacturers worldwide. CuproBraze technology enables the design and manufacture brazed copper-brass heat exchangers that perform better than conventional soldered copper-brass or brazed aluminum heat exchangers. ICA licenses this technology without cost to qualified manufacturers.

Adoption of this new technology is now entering a new era of high-volume production. CuproBraze production facilities are opening across the globe — in China, Finland, France, India, Japan, Russia, Thailand and the United States — and OEMs are using CuproBraze products in their latest vehicle designs. Typical products include radiators, charge air coolers, oil coolers and climate-control applications.
CuproBraze technology enables improvements over aluminum-based technologies with respect to cooling efficiency (i.e., heat rejection), size, durability, elevated-temperature performance, corrosion resistance, total cost and other key design criteria. It reduces manufacturing times, while offering greater flexibility in manufacturing. It lowers costs, energy usage and waste, while producing superior heat exchangers.

Clean Diesel Engines
Diesel emission standards for trucks and off-road vehicles are becoming increasingly stringent. The 2007 EPA emissions standards represent a 90 to 95 percent reduction in particulate matter (PM) and oxides of nitrogen, respectively. By comparison, the 2004 standards represent a 50 percent reduction from previous standards. To comply with new environmental rules scheduled to take effect in the next few years, OEMs are designing new clean diesel engines that typically must operate at elevated temperatures.

Diesel engine makers are reviewing the performances of the cooling systems within truck engines carefully. New designs call for more heat to be rejected through radiators and charge air coolers (CACs). Boost pressures will be higher and, consequently, the charge-air temperatures at the inlets to the CACs also will be significantly higher. Most CACs today are made from aluminum; however, aluminum does not perform well at the temperatures necessary to implement many of these design changes. They lose their strength at elevated temperatures, while copper-brass CACs retain much of their strength at the same elevated temperatures. Due to this superior performance at elevated temperatures, CuproBraze® charge air coolers offer a unique solution for new engine designs.

The International Copper Association, Ltd. is the leading organization for the promotion of the use of copper worldwide. The Association’s twenty-nine members represent about 80 percent of the world’s refined copper output, and its six associate members are among the world’s largest copper and copper-alloy fabricators. ICA is responsible for guiding policy, strategy and funding of international initiatives and promotional activities. With headquarters in New York City, ICA operates in 28 worldwide locations through a network of regional offices and copper development associations.

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