Frigc getting some nice press...
Raging debate over refrigerants keeps the pressure on
1207 Words
8355 Characters
04/01/98
Aftermarket Business
91
COPYRIGHT 1998 Advanstar Communications Inc.
Copyright 1998 Information Access Company. All rights reserved.
MICHAEL WILLINS
Changes in climate control products are coming fast and furious as a
variety of factors inside and outside the aftermarket are having a
tremendous impact on the industry. From heating to cooling, products are
being affected by federal regulations and legislation, new vehicle
designs and improvements in technology. And nowhere in the aftermarket
will you find a more raging debate than the discussions centered around
the switch from R-12 to R-134a refrigerants.
Check the chat boards at air conditioning websites on the Internet and
you'll instantly realize that passionate pleas, for and against R-134a,
are quite common. Those against R-134a see it as a less efficient
refrigerant that is extremely dangerous in light of laboratory testing
conducted last August at Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, OH.
During those studies, intended to learn how the body processes HFC-134a
(R-134a) and HFC227ea gases, one test subject who inhaled HFC-134a lost
consciousness and had to be revived after his blood pressure and heart
rate rapidly dropped. Another subject experienced an elevated heart
rate.
Others say there is no danger from R134a, claiming the tests at Wright
Patterson's Armstrong Laboratory were flawed. Christine Dibble, program
manager for Motor Vehicle Air Conditioning Outreach, U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, said the results are not consistent with extensive
human clinical trials conducted by the pharmaceutical industry and
reviewed by the Food & Drug Administration. Those tests proved these
chemicals are safe for use as propellants for delivering medications
directly to the lungs.
'In these tests, literally thousands of persons of different physical
characteristics and ages experienced doses at or higher than those in
the (Wright Patterson) testing, with no similar results,' said Dibble.
Like it or not, R-134a has become the industry-wide standard as a
replacement product for R-12, an ozone-depleting refrigerant that was
halted in production at the end of 1995. Automakers back R134a and most
manufacturers of condensers and other A/C-related products also refuse
to warranty their products if a refrigerant other than R-134a is used in
a vehicle's cooling system.
Layne Gobrogge, vice president of marketing for GO/DAN Industries, a
major supplier of condensers and radiators, said 'until proven
otherwise' his company will recommend R-134a over other refrigerants. He
sites the availability of R-134a as one key selling point for him.
'As an installer you've really got to be on your toes when you work on
A/C systems. There's a lot of contamination out there - people topping
off systems with butane and propane,' said Gobrogge. Go/Dan's condensers
are all compatible with R-134a and R-12.
Greg Froze, aftermarket engineer for Modine Manufacturing's
Aftermarket Division, said his company also makes condensers that are
suited for either R-134a or R-12. He does recognize the fact that some
efficiency is lost in those systems converted from R-12 to R-134a.
'Some condensers perform better than others due to their construction.
Where there is performance loss, it will vary from application to
application,' said Froze.
Because the effectiveness of R-134a is a concern for many, the list of
alternative refrigerants has started to grow. Products such as GHG-X4,
* Autofrost, Chillit, FRIGC(R) FR-12(TM), Freeze 12, Hot Shot, R-406A, GHG
McCool, Freezone RB276 have received EPA approval.
Dave Chinadle, owner of Chinadle Cooling in Havre, MT, said he prefers
* FRIGC when retrofitting from R-12 to another refrigerant. Distributed by
* Pennzoil Motor Oil, FRIGC was designed for R-12 systems, and performs
much like R-12, said Chinadle.
* 'I have been using FRIGC FR12 for three years now with great results.
My customers are pleased with the performance of FR12 over R-134a,' he
* said. 'I chose to use FRIGC because of the conditions which these
systems work under. The normal intake charge of air on this equipment is
over 160 degrees. R-134a just does not have the capacity to overcome
this.'
Systems change with technology
Another issue significantly impacting climate control systems is the
shift among the OEMs toward longer lasting vehicles. As with other parts
of the aftermarket, heating and cooling products are being significantly
impacted by today's design and specification changes.
GO/DAN's Gobrogge Said lower profile, aerodynamic designs and the
shift toward lighter vehicles has had a sizable impact on radiator and
condenser manufacturing. Copper brass radiators are giving way to models
made of aluminum and plastic. All domestic OEs are about 99 percent
aluminum/plastic tank designs, he said.
Gobrogge estimates that his company produced about 500,000 copper
brass radiators in 1997 and sourced out another 300,000. GO/DAN
manufactured approximately 200,000 aluminum units last year. GO/DAN
operates 70 branch warehouses that sell to radiator shops, retailers and
jobbers, and specialty distributors who focus on cooling systems.
Automotive retailers and hard parts customers account for
approximately 30 percent of GO/DAN's sales dollars, said Gobrogge. This
number is rising as more people in this segment of the market begin to
realize that opportunities exist.
'For a long time people thought they couldn't distribute radiators and
make a margin at all the levels they needed to,' said Gobrogge. 'They
relegated the business to specialty WDs, cooling system WDs and radiator
shops. But with the advent of more competitive and complete radiators, a
lot of people got back into the business.'
Technological changes are not only changing the construction of
radiators, but they also are impacting the development of
antifreeze/coolants and other products that go into radiators.
Dave Turcotte, technical brand manager for Zerex(R), says in recent
years the push for longer lasting products has initiated the development
of antifreeze/coolants that last five years or 150,000 miles. In 1995,
for instance, GM introduced cars with Dex-Cool(R) (made by Havoline), an
orange colored, low solid, non-depleting antifreeze.
'I think there's going to be a trend toward longer life and extended
drain intervals. What you're seeing at General Motors is going to
continue with other manufacturers,' said Turcotte.
Zerex offers Extreme Life a five-year/150,000 miles antifreeze and
coolant that protects a vehicle's cooling system against winter
freeze-ups, summer boil-overs and corrosion of all cooling system
metals, including aluminum.
Bill Cooper, marketing manager for K&W Products of Bloomington, IN,
also sees a market that's shifting. For Cooper, whose company produces
Permanent Metallic(R) Block Seal, the shift is away from temporary
sealants for radiator leaks and toward permanent sealing products.
Temporary sealants typically last 60-90 days, he said.
'There is more aggressiveness in the marketplace to realize the need
to find a higher quality, more permanent product,' said Cooper. End
users are not only wanting long-lasting solutions, but they are seeking
'pour in and drive off' products that are easier to use, he said.
Taking technology a step further, Cooper also sees the day when
self-sealing radiators hit the marketplace, much like the self-sealing
tires and gaskets than already exist. He also knows that soon
manufacturers of antifreezes/coolants will regularly develop products
with built-in sealant protection.
'It scares us, but at the same time, it's a threat that all
manufacturers face, regardless of the type of product they make,' said
Cooper. 'The world is starting to change so rapidly that marketers are
going to have to spend a significantly greater percentage of their time
in market intelligence. It's a cyclone right now.'
Knowing the market and responding to the pressures involved can mean
the difference between success and failure in the climate control arena.
I0607 * End of document.
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