Air conditioning units are viewed as a luxury by some and a necessity by others. Fortunately, technological and manufacturing advancements have made these appliances more accessible and easier to produce.
So how are these wondrous inventions made? The process is more involved than someone outside the industry might think. Here’s a simple guide to help you understand the air conditioning manufacturing process.
Designing the Air Conditioning Units
Air conditioners come in all shapes and sizes. You can get them wired into your house or get a temporary window installation to help you endure the stifling summer months. Regardless of the different appearances and price points, on the inside, all air conditioning units follow the same design premise.
Air conditioners are comprised of four main elements: the pump, evaporator, expansion valve, and condenser. They can be made out of plastic, metal or any combination of the two and are frequently found with rubber tubing.
Here is an informative video which may further help your understanding:
During the design process, manufacturers come up with a way to have a motor pump in warm air, push it through the cooling system, and recycle it back into the atmosphere. During this process, the refrigerant and air change states to create cool air.
Prototyping the Air Conditioning Units
No matter what’s being manufactured, the prototyping phase is perhaps the most important part of the process. Air conditioning units are no exception. Prototyping the designs allows manufacturers to test the system and identify any problems before it goes to production, saving the manufacturer time, money, and the risk of expensive recalls.
Additionally, it helps to outline the costs associated with manufacturing and identifies if any alternate materials should be used to increase margins.
There are a few different ways a prototype can be created. Many businesses will outsource and invest in rapid tooling, prototype and low volume injection molding services China by 3ERP. As many manufacturing facilities are only set up for large-scale production, running a one-off for a prototype can be extremely expensive. Thus, having a prototype created elsewhere is optimal.
Large Scale Production
Once the prototype validates the design scheme, the units go to mass production. During this process, the various parts are created an assembled. This includes:
- processing sheets of metal into useable parts;
- punch pressing the metal (in which CNC is frequently used);
- applying powder coating to protect the parts and any necessary cleaning to ensure that the coating sticks;
- forming the various tubes and having them arranged in the necessary shapes; and
- joining everything together and attaching the pump.
This is a very high-level overview of the manufacturing process, which is complex with a lot of moving parts. It often includes a combination of machine and human assembly to get the task done.
Once the units are assembled they will be forwarded to quality control for testing. Additionally, quality control checks may be conducted throughout the manufacturing process to ensure that everything is assembled as it should and that there are no loose or missing parts, as it’s hard to assess these things after the unit is completely enclosed.
Quality assurance will have a procedure which is specific to the manufacturer. Generally speaking, however, the units go through testing to ensure that they work before they are packaged and shipped to customers.
Innovation
As technology continues to advance the air conditioning unit manufacturing process will also evolve and change. As 3D printing becomes more affordable and accessible, it brings with it a paradigm shift in how things are made. Whereas many companies tend to use plastic parts rather than metal to cut costs, it’s expected that more businesses will be moving to this manufacturing method in the future.
Additionally, increased awareness about environmental issues is inspiring some manufacturers to get ahead of the rising tide and change their units to more environmentally-friendly coolants.
R-22, CFCs (Chlorofluorocarbons), HFCs (hydrofluorocarbons), and HCFCs (hydrochlorofluorocarbons) are being phased out and replaced with o-zone friendly alternatives, like NH3 (ammonia). Carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide are also being explored as possible alternatives.
These necessary developments coincide with more awareness of the carbon footprint that every individual is creating. More conscientious consumers results in more innovative design.
With a continuously changing climate and innovative technical practices, the future of air conditioning manufacturing is promising. Understanding the process as it stands now will lay a strong foundation of knowledge for future development and innovative manufacturing practices.