C&N industrial Group, pipe, fitting and flanges manufacturers,fbe epoxy and pe coating for pipeline since 1991,with brand C&N huitong ,C&N hongcheng.
About fin tube support box
A fin tube support box — also called a fin tube support collar — is an octagonal aluminum shell that fits over the finned section of a finned tube. Finned tubes are built by winding a thin aluminum strip tightly around a bare steel tube (commonly in L type or G type winding, depending on how the strip edge is mechanically locked onto the base tube) to increase surface area for heat transfer. That fin layer is only a fraction of a millimeter thick, so it deforms easily wherever the tube touches a support frame, a tube sheet, or another tube during stacking and transport. The support box wraps around the fin at those contact points, so the load lands on a rigid aluminum shell instead of directly on the fins. The octagonal profile also keeps stacked tubes from rolling or shifting against each other in transit.
Specifications at a Glance
| Shape | Octagonal shell, split construction, folded/locked seam | |
| Material | Aluminum 1050 | |
| Matched fin tube base OD | Sized to the fin OD of the finned tube it protects — e.g. 25.4mm base tube / 57.2mm fin OD ranges | |
| Fin winding type supported | L type and G type finned tubes | |
| Typical wall thickness | Light-gauge aluminum shell | |
| Packing | Bulk woodencase | |
Type I and Type II refer to different size grades matched to different finned tube dimensions and pitches — not two different products. Exact ID/OD and thickness are confirmed against the finned tube drawing for each order.
How It’s Used?
The support box is fitted over the fin at the points where the finned tube will bear load — at tube supports, header plates, or wherever tubes rest against each other in a bundle or in transit. It is not a permanent structural fitting; it is a wear-protection sleeve that transfers contact load away from the fins and onto its own rigid aluminum body. This matters most on air-cooled heat exchangers, where finned tube bundles are handled and stacked repeatedly between fin winding, transport, and final installation, and any dented or crushed fin section reduces heat-transfer performance and can fail incoming inspection.
Typical Applications
- Air-cooled heat exchangers (air coolers) using L type or G type finned tubes
- Protection of fin sections during finned tube manufacturing, packing, and export shipment
- Support and load protection at tube sheet / frame contact points during installation
- Refinery, petrochemical, and power plant air-cooling systems where finned tube bundles are shipped long distances before install
Materials & Standards
C&N Hongcheng supplies fin tube support boxes in Aluminum 1050, sized to match the base tube OD and fin OD of the finned tube being protected — typically finned tubes manufactured to ASTM A179 base tube material with aluminum L type or G type fins. Support box dimensions are confirmed against the customer’s finned tube drawing or the mill data of the finned tube order (base tube OD, fin OD, fin pitch, and tube pitch) to guarantee a correct fit.
Chemical Composition
| Alloy | Si | Fe | Cu | Mn | Mg | Cr | Zn | Ti | Others:Each | Others:Total | Al: Min. |
| 1050 | 0.25 | 0.40 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.05 | – | 0.05 | 0.03 | 0.03 | – | 99.50 |
| 1060 | 0.25 | 0.35 | 0.05 | 0.03 | 0.03 | – | 0.05 | 0.03 | 0.03 | – | 99.60 |
| 1070 | 0.20 | 0.25 | 0.04 | 0.03 | 0.03 | – | 0.04 | 0.03 | 0.05 | – | 99.70 |
| 1100 | 0.95 Si Fee | 0.05~0.20 | 0.05 | – | – | 0.1 | – | 0.05 | 0.15 | 99.0 | |
| 2014 | 0.5~1.2 | 0.7 | 3.9~5.0 | 0.4~1.2 | 0.2~0.8 | 0.10 | 0.25 | 0.15 | 0.05 | 0.15 | Margin |
| 2017 | 0.2~0.8 | 0.7 | 3.5~4.5 | 0.4~1.0 | 0.4~0.8 | 0.10 | 0.25 | 0.15 | 0.05 | 0.15 | 91.5 – 95.5 |
| 2024 | 0.50 | 0.50 | 3.8~4.9 | 0.3~0.9 | 1.2~1.8 | 0.10 | 0.25 | 0.15 | 0.05 | 0.15 | Margin |
| 3003 | 0.60 | 0.70 | 0.05~0.20 | 1.0~1.5 | – | – | 0.10 | – | 0.05 | 0.15 | Margin |
| 3A21 | 0.60 | 0.70 | 0.20 | 1.0-1.6 | 0.05 | – | 0.15 | 0.1-0.2 | – | – | Margin |
| 3004 | 0.30 | 0.70 | 0.25 | 1.0~1.5 | 0.8~1.3 | – | 0.25 | – | 0.05 | 0.15 | Margin |
| 3005 | 0.60 | 0.70 | 0.30 | 1.0~1.5 | 0.2~0.6 | 0.10 | 0.25 | 0.10 | 0.05 | 0.15 | Margin |
| 3105 | 0.60 | 0.70 | 0.30 | 0.3~0.8 | 0.2~0.8 | 0.20 | 0.40 | 0.10 | 0.05 | 0.15 | Margin |
| 5005 | 0.30 | 0.70 | 0.20 | 0.20 | 0.5~1.1 | 0.1 | 0.25 | – | 0.05 | 0.15 | Margin |
| 5052 | 0.25 | 0.40 | 0.10 | 0.10 | 2.2~2.8 | 0.15~0.35 | 0.10 | – | 0.05 | 0.15 | Margin |
| 5754 | 0.40 | 0.40 | 0.10 | 0.50 | 2.6~3.6 | 0.30 | 0.20 | 0.15 | 0.05 | 0.15 | Margin |
| 5A05 | 0.50 | 0.50 | 0.10 | 0.3-0.6 | 4.8-5.5 | – | 0.20 | – | 0.05 | 0.05 | Margin |
| 5083 | 0.40 | 0.40 | 0.10 | 0.4~1.0 | 4.0~4.9 | 0.05~0.25 | 0.25 | 0.15 | 0.05 | 0.15 | Margin |
| 6061 | 0.40~0.8 | 0.70 | 0.15~0.4 | 0.15 | 0.8~1.2 | 0.04~0.35 | 0.25 | 0.15 | 0.05 | 0.15 | Margin |
| 6082 | 0.70~1.3 | 0.50 | 0.10 | 0.4~1.0 | 0.6~1.2 | 0.25 | 0.20 | 0.10 | 0.05 | 0.15 | Margin |
| 7075 | 0.40 | 0.50 | 1.2~2.0 | 0.30 | 2.1~2.9 | 0.18~0.28 | 5.1~6.1 | 0.20 | 0.05 | 0.15 | Margin |
Physical Performance
| Density | Melting Point | Modulus of Elasticity | Thermal Conductivity | Thermal Expansion | Resistivity |
| 2.71 Kg/m³ | 650°C | 71 GPa | 222 W/m.K | 24 × 10-6/K | 0.282 × 10-6Ω.m |
Mechanical Properties
| Tensile Strength (MPa) | Test Stress0.2% (MPa) | HardnessHB | Elongation Rate(%) |
| 105-145 | ≥85 | ≥34 | ≥12 |
Why Source Fin Tube Support Boxes from C&N Hongcheng
Support boxes are almost always ordered together with the finned tubes they protect, and getting the fit wrong means fins get crushed anyway. C&N Hongcheng sizes each support box against the actual finned tube specification of your order — base tube OD, fin OD, fin type — rather than offering a generic one-size product, and can supply matching quantities alongside your finned tube order for air-cooled heat exchanger projects in Saudi Arabia and the wider region.
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