LCX Composite Manual - dcfpnavymil.org

1 LCXusermanual:2003 Your guideto the use,maintenance and periodic testingof Luxfer Composite CylindersContentsLuxfer carbon fully wrapped Composite cylinders areamong the lightest gas cylinders available forgeneral high pressure applications. The productswill meet the needs of many end users in breathingapparatus, escape sets, medical support andanywhere portability is carbon Composite cylinders are designed to be durable for thehard service they receive. Nevertheless, like all self-contained breathingapparatus (SCBA) and compressed gas equipment components, cylinders mustbe treated with respect and be well maintained. This guide is intended forsuitably trained personnel to assist them in carrying out the safe operation,valving, inspection and periodic testing of Luxfer Composite SCBA manufacturer or gas company will have provided you withinstructions for the safe and proper filling of the Composite cylinder .

2 Carefullyfollow those instructions and the advice that addition to your equipment manufacturer s instructions on how to properlyand safely fill your Luxfer Composite cylinder , you must also be aware of andfamiliar with any, and all, filling guidelines, regulations, requirements and lawsof all the appropriate local and/or national authorities and carbon Composite cylinder design, development,qualification, manufacturing and testing are conducted by Luxfer sComposite cylinder Division in Riverside, California, :2003 Introduction3 Design and Alloy Batch inspection and inspection and and Performance TestingTable 1. Qualification Testing Summary for CE Examination and InspectionTable 2. Minimum Thread Damage from or Fire AttackTable 3. Acceptance/Rejection and and Maintenance of a Composite cylinder Luxfer Go 7 7 7 8 9 10 11 13 15 13 15 19 19 22 24 26 26 28 30 31 33 34 36 36 37 38 39 40 41 43 43 44 45 47 47 47 48 50 51 52 Back to contentsThe seamless liners are made at Hydrospin, a division of Luxfer Gas Cylinders,in aluminium alloy that complies with the specification AA6061.

3 The standardthread is M18 x but other thread sizes can be accommodated if liners are given a proprietary external coating to prevent the possibility ofcorrosion underneath the Composite wrapping. The liners are thenoverwrapped by carbon fibre in an epoxy matrix using computer controlledwinding machines. A layer of glass fibre is wound onto the carbon as a sacrificial impact andabrasion layer. A label is applied under the last layer of glass to protect it from :20034 Ultra thin-walled aluminium linerSmooth, inert internal finishInsulating layerHigh performance carbon fibre overwrap in epoxy resin matrixHigh strength fibreglass reinforced plastic (FRP) protective layerRadius baseParallel threadCylinder Design and Specifications111273456234567 Back to contents5usermanual:2003 Luxfer PartService Pressure Gas CapacityDiameterLengthWeightWater Capacity TypeThreadAt this time Luxfer produces the following sizes of carbon cylinders for CarbonM18 x - CarbonM18 x Carbon17E CarbonM18 x - CarbonM18 x Carbon17E CarbonM18 x CarbonM18 x CarbonM18 x CarbonM18 x CarbonM18 x CarbonM18 x CarbonM18 x CarbonM18 x CarbonM18 x CarbonM18 x CarbonM18 x - - - - 18 cylinder Design and Specifications1 Back to contentsNational ApprovalsCylinders from the Composite range have been approved in the followingcountries:United Kingdom NetherlandsDenmark GermanySwitzerlandCzech RepublicHungaryPolandBelgiumEireAustriaP ortugalIcelandLuxembourgSpainSweden NorwaySlovakiaRussian Federation China Hong KongAustralia New Zealand(USA and Canada for the M09A)usermanual.

4 20036 cylinder Design and Specifications1CE ApprovalEC Type Approval to the Directive97/23/EC (Pressure Equipment)0044 RWT V Anlagentechnik x Specified Filling PeriodBetween two and five yearsdepending on country. A five year re-test period is permitted for Luxfercarbon cylinders manufactured andapproved to: HSE-AL-FW2 standard VdT V-Merkblatt Druckgase 505 - Pr fen von Druckgasbeh ltern in Verbundbauweise aus faserverst rktem Kunststoff European Pressure Equipment Directive (CE mark) and Transportable Pressure Equipment Directive ( mark) DOT Exemption E10945If you are uncertain as to the correctre-test period for your cylindersplease contact your SCBA supplier oryour local Luxfer LifeBetween 15 and 45 years dependingon specification and cylinders cylinder label will show the dateof manufacture and the date of theend of the cylinder design life. See Section Back to Alloy LinersThe liners are manufactured by Luxfer Gas Cylinders, Hydrospin Division fromeither cold rolled 6061 aluminium plate or cold impact extruded 6061 bar.

5 The liner is cold drawn to thickness and hot spun closed on the open end. Theliners are then subjected to a solution heat treatment and artificial ageingprocess to obtain the strength and toughness required for the T6 mechanical properties. Material tests are conducted in accordance with therelevant standards but are generally as follows:UTS:Not less than 310N/mm2( ksi) Proof stress:Not less than 286N/mm2( ksi)Bend test:No cracks when bent over former not more than 6 times the actual thickness of the test stripThe liner neck is then machined for threads and port seal thread:M18 x or to customer requirements Prior to overwrapping, the liners are coated with a proprietary insulating layerto prevent the potential for corrosion between the liner and ProceduresRaw materials are checked and identified on receipt. Liners tested are checkedfor wall thickness, straightness, out-of-roundness, eccentricity and surfacefinish.

6 The effectiveness of the heat treatment is verified by conducting tensiletests on a sample cylinder from a heat treatment batch. Threads are verifiedas to liners are given the batch inspections according to EN 12245 draftstandard. Additional visual and dimensional checks are conducted on linersprior to wrapping to ensure they are clean, free from surface defects andmanufactured to the design :20037 Manufacture2 Back to OverwrappingThe Composite overwrapping, pressure testing and finishing operations arecarried out at Luxfer Gas Cylinders Composite cylinder Division in Riverside,California. The main contribution to the strength of carbon Composite cylinders is thefibre reinforcement of the Toray T-700 carbon fibre in an epoxy matrix. Thefibres are impregnated with epoxy resin and applied to the liner using one ofLuxfer s computer controlled filament winding machines, to ensure correctplacement of each fibre.

7 The cylinder is then over-wrapped with layers of S2 fibreglass and an identification label is fixed under the last layer of glass. Thefibreglass is added to provide additional impact and damage resistance to applies a Gel Coat finish to the cylinder on top of the glass fibre provides a smooth surface to the product that makes the surface muchmore resilient in service and easier to clean. The gel coat is resistant toabrasion, impact and UV degradation. The Composite resin is cured using appropriate controlled temperature profilesto ensure intimate contact between the fibre filaments and the resin system,and complete curing of the resin curing the resin, the cylinders undergo auto-frettage to redistribute thestresses within the aluminium and Composite overwrap. Auto-frettage is apressurisation process, at a designated pressure in excess of test pressure,and at this stress level the yield point of aluminium is exceeded, thealuminium deforms the pressure is returned to zero the aluminium is in compression andthe carbon and glass fibre Composite is in tension.

8 Therefore, at normalworking pressure the developed stresses in the aluminium liner are reducedcompared to those found in a standard aluminium :20038 Manufacture2 Back to Batch inspection and TestingThe maximum Composite cylinder batch size is 200 units, plus the number ofcylinders required for destructive testing, in accordance with EN 12245specification. Each batch of Composite cylinders is examined to ensure compliance with thedesign specifications. The following final inspections are carried out inaccordance with Luxfer s Quality Assurance procedures:a) visual inspection10 % minimumb) dimensional check10 % minimum c) weight check10 % minimumd) water capacity check 10 % minimume) compliance of marking100%For a), b), c) and d), if one unacceptable cylinder is found then 100% of thecylinders in the batch is following performance tests are conducted:Hydraulic teston all cylinders at times service pressure;Hydraulic burst teston one cylinder per batch.

9 The cylinder is pressurisedat a controlled rate until failure. The maximum pressure achieved during thetest is recorded as the burst pressure. The burst pressure has to be greaterthan or equal to the minimum specified design burst pressure and 2 x testpressure. Burst initiation has to occur in the cylindrical part, and the liner canfail in not more than three pieces. Pressure cycling testnormally on one cylinder per batch, but on no lessthan one cylinder per five batches ( a maximum of 1000 cylinders producedsequentially). The cylinder has to withstand N cycles up to test pressurewithout failure by burst or leakage, where:N = y x 250 cycles;where: y = the number of years of design service life. usermanual:20039 Manufacture2 Back to contentsThe test continues for a further N cycles, or until failure by leakage whicheveris the sooner. In either case the cylinder shall be deemed to have passed thetest.

10 However should failure during this second half of the test be by burst,then the cylinder will have failed the a cylinder with a 15 year design life, the product has to reach 3,750 cyclesto test pressure without leaking or bursting. Then a further 3,750 cycles to testpressure are applied. The cylinder can leak during this section of the test butmust not burst. inspection AuthoritiesThe independent inspection authorities* used by Luxfer in the manufacture ofcomposite cylinders at the present time are:RWT V Systems GmbHKurfurstenstr. 58D-45138 EssenGermanyT V Rhineland of North America 1279 Quarry LaneSuite APleasanton, CA 94566 USAA rrowhead Industrial Services3537A S NC 119PO Box 1000 Graham, NC 27253 USA*Note: Independent inspection authorities are referred to as NotifiedBodies under the Pressure Equipment Directive (PED) 97/23 :200310 Manufacture2 Back to and LabellingEach finished Composite cylinder has a label incorporated in the reinforcingwrapping.