Power Flanger—Snaplock
On Radius Elbows, most shops will tell you that doing the Throats in Pittsburgh is no big deal because they are usually small; but, on a Radius Cheek moving from Pittsburgh to Snaplock means a huge labor savings.
Yet, on low pressure duct jobs contractors will often make the Straight Duct in Buttonlock but go Pittsburgh on the Radius Elbows. This is a very labor intensive task for the fab shop. A Buttonpunch Flanger has been available for decades—first introduced by Lockformer and then Flagler who followed several years later.
- Lockformer brochere, 1968
It’s a great investment for any shop doing Snaplock Rectangular duct because it allows the Radius elbows for that Ductwork to also be fabricated with the Buttonlock seam rather than the Pitts which is a significant labor savings.
- Without a Power Flanger, fabricating a system with this many Radius Elbows would be a tall task
- This Elbow has a Buttonlock connection on both the Radius Heel and the Radius Throat
- Radius Elbows with Buttonlock on Heel, Pittsburgh Lock on Throat
- Flagler Buttonpunch Flanger
- In a two step process, the lower station turns the 90 Degree Flange, the upper station adds the dimples to the Flange
- The round knob at the bottom is a pressure knob for the two forming Rolls of Male Pitts. More pressure for outside Radius and less pressure for inside Radius to run well
- Buttonlock Flange on Straight Duct. The Buttonpunch Flanger makes this possible on a curve.
