Internal Grooved Copper Tubes | Internal Thread Copper Tubes
Internal thread copper tubes (Inner Grooved Copper Tubes, also known as non-smooth tube, is a TP2 copper tube featuring a smooth outer surface and regular internal thread structures. It is primarily used in accessories and components for the air conditioning and refrigeration industry, such as heat exchangers, condensers, and evaporators.
- Material: Phosphorus-deoxidized copper (TP2)
- Outer Diameter (OD): 5.0 mm – 12.7 mm
- Bottom Wall Thickness: 0.20 mm – 0.30 mm
- Fin / Groove Height: 0.10 mm – 0.25 mm
Internal Thread Copper Tubes | Internal Grooved Copper Tubes Suppliers in China
Datang’s overall processing technology for inner grooved copper tubes is relatively advanced, with future development focusing on further energy conservation, emission reduction, and digital smart manufacturing. The industry is also optimizing production processes—for example, through the “Integrated Processing Method and Apparatus for Continuous Forming, Fixed-Length Cutting, and U-Bending of Inner Grooved Copper Tubes”—aiming to reduce manufacturing energy consumption.
High-efficiency inner grooved tubes featuring complex geometries—such as small diameters, large outer diameter-to-wall thickness ratios, and tall, thin fin structures—have emerged as a major industry trend. They also remain a core area of continuous R&D for Datang, driving further enhancements in thermal performance.
Inner Grooved Copper Tubes Overview
Inner grooved copper tubes are key components used in the air conditioning and refrigeration industry.
By increasing the heat transfer surface area and enhancing fluid turbulence, the internal thread design improves thermal conductivity by 20% to 30% compared to traditional smooth tubes, meeting the demands of high-efficiency refrigeration systems. This product complies with the national standard GB/T 20928-2020 (Seamless Inner Grooved Copper Tubes).
Through mechanisms such as flow disturbance enhancement, swirling effects, and vortex generation, the heat transfer coefficient of inner grooved copper tubes can be 1.5 to 3 times higher than that of smooth copper tubes, boosting the overall system Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER) by 5% to 10%.
Internal Thread Copper Tubes Specifications
In industry practice, specifications are classified by metric (mm) and imperial (inch) nominal sizes, with primary diameters ranging between 5 mm and 12.7 mm:
| Metric OD (mm) | Imperial OD (inch) | Primary Application Scenarios |
| 5.00 | 3/16″ (approx.) | Micro-channel heat exchangers, portable ACs, highly efficient micro-diameter residential ACs |
| 6.00 / 6.35 | 1/4″ | Residential AC evaporators/condensers, light commercial refrigeration |
| 7.00 / 7.94 | 5/16″ | Dominant standard for residential ACs (balances energy efficiency and refrigerant pressure drop) |
| 9.52 | 3/8″ | Classic specification for residential/commercial ACs, fan coil units (FCU) |
| 12.70 | 1/2″ | Commercial central air conditioning, cold storage condensers, industrial heat exchangers |
| 15.87 | 5/8″ | Large-scale industrial refrigeration, specialized heat exchange equipment |
Internal Grooved Copper Tube Fully Customizable & Secondary Processing Ready
Engineered with premium ductility and precise temper control, our inner grooved copper tubes easily accommodate secondary processing—including custom cutting, U-bending, hairpin forming, expanding, and flaring—without compromising internal groove integrity. We tailor every specification to meet your exact engineering and OEM requirements.
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Internal Grooved Copper Tube ExpandingBuilt for High-Ratio Tube Expansion: Datang inner grooved copper tubes deliver exceptional ductility and structural strength, ensuring zero internal thread damage and seamless mechanical bonding during downstream tube expansion.
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Internal Thread Copper Tube U-bendingDatang tubes maintain complete internal micro-groove geometry throughout the bending zone. This ensures unrestricted refrigerant flow, structural longevity, and uncompromised thermal performance in high-density coil assemblies.
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Internal Grooved Copper Tube Custom CuttingDatang provides comprehensive cut-to-length services to match your exact heat exchanger manufacturing specifications. Utilizing advanced, burr-free rotary cutting equipment, Datang delivers straight copper tubes cut to any custom length with ultra-tight dimensional tolerances.
Internal Grooved Copper Tube Manufacturing
The manufacturing process includes melting and casting, rolling, drawing, annealing, and thread forming. By optimizing fin profile combinations and reducing tube diameters, the industry balances heat transfer efficiency with mechanical strength, making these products widely utilized in air conditioning systems.
Melting & Casting → Surface Milling → Hot Rolling → Combined Drawing (3-Pass) → Bullblock Drawing → In-Line Annealing → Inner Grooving (Thread Forming) → Level Winding → Final Annealing → Packaging & Shipping
Customizable Internal Grooved Copper Tube
We can customize the material, specification and length according to your requirements.Solve your problems anytime and anywhere. Customize fin tubes and equipment according to your needs. Provide free technical guidance. Welcome to customize with drawings, so that you can purchase without worries.
Internal Thread Copper Tubes Package
Payment Terms:T/T, LC
Delivery: 15-30 days after payment
Marking: Standard + Steel Grade + Size + Heat No + Lot No
Package: Iron frame packing boxes and the desiccants are put into each package for continental transportation as well. or as required
Internal Thread Copper Tube Quality Checks
Each of our internal thread copper tube is subjected to stringent quality checks.Inspection and Tests Performed:
1.Chemical Composition inspection。
2.Mechanical Properties Test(Tensile Strength, Yield Strength, Elongation, Flaring, Flattening, Hardness, Impact Test).
3.Surface and Dimension Test.
4.No-destructive Test.
5.Hydrostatic Test.
Internal Grooved Copper Tube Case Studies
Discover how Datang Finned Tube delivered custom copper low fin tubes (OD 25mm, WT 1.2mm) to a Kuwaiti refinery, boosting condenser thermal efficiency. View onsite photos.
When a valued client from Thailand reached out to us, they had a specific and demanding requirement: they needed replacement low fin tubes compatible with a 30HXC heat exchanger. In the HVAC and industrial refrigeration industry, finding parts that perfectly match the dimensions and material specifications of legacy or specific OEM equipment is critical to preventing system failure and efficiency loss
Internal Grooved Copper Tube Application
In the condenser, low-fin tubes increase the surface area, allowing heat to be transferred to the surrounding air more efficiently. This design not only improves heat exchange efficiency, but also reduces the generation of scale and dirt, thereby extending the service life of the equipment.
In power plants, condensers using low-fin tubes can improve vacuum and thus increase power generation efficiency. In addition, low-fin tubes have strong deformation resistance and long service life, can work stably in high temperature and high pressure environments, reduce maintenance and replacement frequency, and thus reduce operating costs.
A: The manufacturing process includes melting and casting, rolling, drawing, annealing, and thread forming. By optimizing fin profile combinations and reducing tube diameters, the industry balances heat transfer efficiency with mechanical strength, making these products widely utilized in air conditioning systems.
Melting & Casting → Surface Milling → Hot Rolling → Combined Drawing (3-Pass) → Bullblock Drawing → In-Line Annealing → Inner Grooving (Thread Forming) → Level Winding → Final Annealing → Packaging & Shipping
A: Optimized groove profiles: Evolving from conventional single spiral grooves to advanced herringbone and cross-groove designs for improved heat transfer efficiency.
Smaller tube diameters: Developing toward smaller diameters, such as 5 mm, to improve heat transfer performance while reducing material usage.
Optimized groove parameters: Fine-tuning wall thickness, groove height, helix angle, and groove number to balance enhanced heat transfer with flow resistance.
The overall goal is to improve air-conditioning energy efficiency, enhance heat transfer performance, and reduce material costs.
A: We manufacture high-grade TP2 / C12200 (Phosphorus-Deoxidized Copper) inner grooved tubes according to international standards including GB/T 20928, ASTM B743, ASTM B280, and JIS H3300. Standard outer diameters (OD) range from 5.0mm to 12.7mm, with customizable bottom wall thicknesses (0.20 mm – 0.30 mm) and groove heights (0.10 mm – 0.25 mm).
A: Every meter of Datang internally threaded tubes undergoes rigorous quality inspection, including 100% Eddy Current Testing (ECT) for defect detection, continuous pressure/leak testing, and bright protective atmosphere annealing. We ensure ultra-clean internal surface residual levels (compliant with DIN/ASTM standards for refrigeration) to prevent system contamination.
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Internal Grooved Copper Tube | Internal Thread Copper Tube FAQs
A: Low fin tube production line 6.
A: We can provide inner grooved low fin tube samples for free.
A: After you confirm internal grooved copper tube sample details, the samples will be ready for delivery in 3-7days,and will be sent to you via express and arrive in 3-5days.
A: Internal thread copper tube can be customized, we can make the new thermoforming or extruding mode based on your drawings and we can sign a confidentiality agreement about your patented product, pls contact us for any further information.
A: Always a pre-production sample,before mass production;always final inspection before shipment.
Inspection & Guarantee Certificate is supplied with shipment, and the Third Party Inspection is available.