AeroThermal’s engineers installed a new radiator in the autoclave. Not only has this increased the lifespan by many years, the new radiator also eliminates thermal shock and steam hammering by having a multi staged header, controlled to gradually introduce water at sequential stages in the cooling cycle.
The autoclave is now more efficient, in terms of speed of heating and cooling, and also more accurate ensuring uniformity of temperature throughout the vessel.
Christian Toll, AeroThermal’s CEO, said: “Our autoclaves are the workhorses of the aerospace industry. They are used day in, day out, producing for our customers time and time again. And with a relatively simple upgrade, we have shown that the lifespan can be significantly increased and performance can be brought up practically to today’s standards. So, before you discard that old system, have a serious think about introducing a regular maintenance and upgrade programme.”