Rix SA-6 Parts

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I know I know. But the SEAL team units that were the original purchase users of these compressors had scant regard for additional filtration due to operational necessity and used either Aluminium of Inconel cylinders. Other SF units in our neck of the world use plastic lined fibre wrap 300 bar cylinders.
Further apart from training purposes the requirement to return these cylinder for a "Cave Fill" back at the local dive shop after use is in our terms of probability highly unlikely.

On the other hand SF in the colder climes of Europe had there own little "Bothy" to fill cylinders in
I think I need clearance to post those photos due to NDA agreements.

However if you want filters on your SA6 no problem. its our pleasure. Here's one I built earlier out of my NDA time frame.

View attachment 762552

So what would that be considered.. .a~ 10-11cfm machine?
 
Can I borrow you tools when your done!
I've got compressors to build.

IMG_7972 3.jpeg
 
Can I borrow you tools when your done!
I've got compressors to build.

View attachment 762561
I heard you all over there start them young, but holy moly!!:)

Most likely what's wrong with over here tbh..
 
So what would that be considered.. .a~ 10-11cfm machine?
In my day yes a 12 CFM charging rate. But as we now all work in Nm3/hr now a days thanks in the most part to the French. Don't ask me how many Nm3 that is now I can't help you with that. We now have calibrated flow meters for each gas to tell us on a digital display with down load on a laptop. Go figure. LOL
 
In my day yes a 12 CFM charging rate. But as we now all work in Nm3/hr now a days thanks in the most part to the French. Don't ask me how many Nm3 that is now I can't help you with that. We now have calibrated flow meters for each gas. Go figure. LOL

What should I clean my cylinder walls with? How about the piston itself? Obviously without the teflon rings on and everything would have to be super dry before getting back together. Any suggestions?

Toothbrush and some mild dish soap is what I was thinking?
 
I had a very special tool for the 4v from RIX. It was a machined aluminum tube for the 4th stage. I would drop the re-build piston in and use a hard wood dowel to tap it down into the cylinder. It would compress the rings and align it perfectly!

Is there anything like that for the SA-6?

I would clean my parts in the ultrasonic cleaner with Oxygen cleaning solution.
 
What should I clean my cylinder walls with? How about the piston itself? Obviously without the teflon rings on and everything would have to be super dry before getting back together. Any suggestions?

Toothbrush and some mild dish soap is what I was thinking?
Two options on the bronze liners, maybe three and yes you are right it's the 2nd stage in the photo.

First option with the bronze liner is leave them alone that allows the PTFE film that has been deposited onto the liner to increase the tribology factor and reduce the friction factor.

Option two: Just "glaze bust" the surface of the liner with a light wet 600-1200 grit paper on your finger
and achieve a cross hatch patching right turn in, left turn out. LIGHTLY

This removes the "glaze" and makes fresh microscopic grooves for the PTFE off the compression and rider ring to fill and achieve a better surface dynamic by having both the piston and the liner in effect PTFE coated. This is the preferred method but needs care.

Option three is using a small cylinder honeing tool a bit over kill but ensures concentricity and a linear bore.

The in the field method is number two by finger and no gloves using a 1200 grit wet and dry. When you burn your finger you know your either rubbing too hard or been at it too long or your putting too much pressure on the side walls.

While you are at it with old compressors I have assumed you have first taken the head off and have a clear hole through the liner each stage, easier to clean out after your done, easier to inspect.

But most important is to run your finger if you have the skin still on and not blistered down the bore on stages 1 and 2 especially at the point where the piston stops at TDC (Top dead centre) and feel if there is a worn ridge around the inside of the piston liner.

We would use a 3 point bore micrometer in the workshop to measure this but I'm aware this is not in our Field Service Manual and way to expensive tools for home builders so you need to judge for any wear in the liner or excess in concentricity by feel.

From memory its a 3M 7447 scotch bright rectangular pad Aluminium oxide brown in colour and a little water nothing else, clean with a wet clean paper towel and dry using dry paper or just leave to dry

The 3rd stage liner is an expensive hardened steel cylinder ground to a very high tolerance and heat treated hardened. I would leave it alone and don't dick with it.

I will keep this to just In the Field Service stuff and using simple hand tools but for context we would in the workshop also do a PMI (positive material inspection) on the hard metal pressure parts just to ensure the clients didn't stick on the odd nut and bolt part out of Home Depot.

PHOTOS Shows a Thermo Fisher SCIENTIFIC Portable x-ray positive material identification tool we use on the parts, in effect an x ray of the parts showing the material content and comparing the results with a "library" of our know parts of materials used. Its not that good as a alcohol breath test analyser.

96347c60-c634-4efa-8083-aeb29ccff53f.jpg
 
I had a very special tool for the 4v from RIX. It was a machined aluminum tube for the 4th stage. I would drop the re-build piston in and use a hard wood dowel to tap it down into the cylinder. It would compress the rings and align it perfectly!

Is there anything like that for the SA-6?

I would clean my parts in the ultrasonic cleaner with Oxygen cleaning solution.
Yes I will show you them when I'm back at the works tomorrow UK time
 
What should I clean my cylinder walls with? How about the piston itself? Obviously without the teflon rings on and everything would have to be super dry before getting back together. Any suggestions?

Toothbrush and some mild dish soap is what I was thinking?
Mostly explained above. I wouldn't worry to much about super dry it will get hot enough to dry off when you run it up besides a little water in the piston liner can work as an advantage when compressing "rough" gases. I have a drawing of a heat sink option and a water cooled head for a scientific application 350 barG SA-6 where the gas they were measuring for couldn't get above 60C or it would disappear into two other gases.
 

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