Berry Radiateurs Adopts CuproBraze Process and Begins Production

NEW YORK--Oct. 21, 2002--Berry Radiateurs, France, supplies cooling systems to many small and midsize original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) for use in a variety of different types of applications -- such as agriculture, trucks, public works and industrial motors -- as well as in the aftermarket.
    The company has invested in several production lines and it produces about 25,000 radiators and 20,000 radiator cores per year in brass/copper, mechanically assembled aluminum, and brazed aluminum.
    Several years ago, Berry engineers recognized the potential of CuproBraze and followed the developments and advances in the technology. Company President Daniel Trotereau made the initial decision to buy the machinery in 2000.
    To increase the volume of output on its CuproBraze production line, the company has invested in a three-chamber semi-continuous brazing furnace, a header slurry-application machine, a fin-tip paste-application machine, and a high-frequency (HF) tube-welding machine.
    HF welding uses rapidly alternating electromagnetic fields to induce resistance heating in the parts to be welded. It is a well-established technology, but not all manufacturers bring this process in-house.
    Berry fabricates HF-welded CuproBraze tubes in many different sizes for its own use and for sale to other heat-exchanger manufacturers. Thus, Berry is positioned to be one of Europe's premier suppliers of tubes for CuproBraze heat exchangers.
    With its highly efficient setup, Berry has demonstrated a production capacity of about 250 cooling systems per week (13,000 per year) in one shift, depending on the radiator sizes, and has become one of the first manufacturers of CuproBraze products in volume.

    Record-setting production

    Today, Berry is setting records in the production of HF-welded CuproBraze tubes and CuproBraze heat exchangers, including radiators, oil coolers and charge air coolers. While it is difficult to predict the rate of market penetration for CuproBraze products, the company is already establishing itself as a leader and is offering unique products to decision makers in the European automotive industry.
    "When our customers see that we can make CuproBraze tubes and heat exchangers cost-effectively and in volume, they become converts to the CuproBraze process," said Trotereau.
    Technical know-how and product knowledge with respect to the CuproBraze process give Berry important advantages over competitors. As a result, the company is well-positioned for growth, as the benefits of CuproBraze products become more familiar to designers of advanced cooling systems.
    Further information regarding Berry Radiateurs and the CuproBraze process can be obtained from the International Copper Association (ICA) by calling Anthony Lea, (212) 251-7240.

    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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