Press Fittings for Refrigeration — Working with the >B< MaxiPro System from 1/4" to 1 1/8"

Flame-free joining of refrigeration copper with the Conex Bänninger >B< MaxiPro press system: available fitting shapes and pack sizes in the catalogue, the jaw-and-tool workflow, where press joints are allowed, and inspection practice.

Why press, why MaxiPro

Press fittings join refrigeration copper with a hydraulically crimped O-ring joint instead of a brazed one. The wins are real: no hot work permit, no nitrogen purge, no fire watch in occupied buildings, ships alongside, food stores in operation — and consistent joints independent of brazing skill. The >B< MaxiPro system is engineered specifically for ACR duty (the O-ring and crimp geometry are rated for refrigerant pressures and oils; the catalogue items list the rating per size). Press and braze coexist on most plants: press where flame is unwelcome, braze where temperature or geometry demands.

Catalogue coverage

The stocked programme runs 1/4" to 1 1/8" with multi-piece packs:

• Couplings/sockets: 5/8" (5-pack), 1 1/8" (2-pack)
• 90° and 45° elbows, equal and street: 1/2" 90° (5-pack), 7/8" 45°, 1 1/8" street, long-radius 90° (5/8")
• Tees: 1 1/8" equal tee
• Reducers coupling- and fitting-pattern: 7/8" × 5/8", 1 1/8" × 3/4" FTG × C
• Flare adapters (press-to-SAE-flare): 3/8", 5/8"
• End caps: 5/8"
• Press jaws per size for compact tools: 1 1/8" jaw

The workflow

1. Cut square with a wheel cutter (renew wheels and their spare screws), deburr inside and out — a burr cuts the O-ring on insertion.
2. Mark insertion depth; partial insertion is the classic press-joint failure and is invisible after crimping unless marked.
3. Check the O-ring seated and clean; no oil, no filings.
4. Press with the correct size jaw to full tool cycle; half-strokes are not joints.
5. Witness-mark the pressed joint (paint pen) so unpressed fittings cannot hide — an unpressed MaxiPro holds snug at low pressure and blows out under load, which is why system discipline demands pressing immediately and marking always.

Where press joints belong — and where not

Allowed: line sets, machine-room distribution, retrofit tie-ins, everywhere within the system's published pressure/temperature envelope for the refrigerants and oils in use. Not the tool for: transcritical CO2 high side (use K65 brazed pipework), inside hermetic compressor service loops where OEMs specify braze, or on tube too deformed/oval to seal. After installation, the EN 378 tightness test applies exactly as for brazed work — press systems are tested, not trusted. Record fitting sizes and lot numbers in the job file alongside the test result; that paper trail is what separates a professional press installation from plumbing improvisation.

Compiled by cBallast for identification and cross-reference. Part numbers, designations and trademarks belong to their respective manufacturers. Confirm ratings and dimensions against the manufacturer's current documentation and the nameplate of the installed equipment before ordering or installation.