Robinair, an SPX Brand, has rolled out its new 34988 Premium R-134a Recover, Recycle, and Recharge (RRR) A/C Machine. Part of the award-winning Robinair line of product family, the 34988 model incorporates all of the great benefits and convenient operational features that the Robinair 34788 and 34288 introduced to the industry — and now provides a new level of accuracy by giving the user the ability to inject dye; flush a vehicle’s A/C system with liquid refrigerant; save before and after service data, and print that data to provide service information to the customer; and several new interface options such as a larger operator display screen and database expansion slot that can supply information regarding charge capacity by vehicle model.
 
"Identifying customer needs and developing products that meet them is just the way we do business," said Tim Wagaman, product manager, A/C Tools & Equipment. "Sometimes that involves adapting our existing technology, but often it entails developing a first-of-its-kind solution. And it always includes determining how we can be at the forefront of solving customer problems with high value, differentiated solutions. The new Robinair 34988 is ahead of the game in A/C equipment innovation and offers many new automated functions and features designed exclusively to make it easier and more convenient to use."
 
Now, at the push of a button, a new Automatic Dye Inject feature gives the user the ability to use the machine to automatically inject UV dye into a vehicle’s A/C system, completely eliminating the need for technicians to use a separate UV injector, which can waste valuable repair time. The new model can also determine how much lubrication oil needs to be injected back into the A/C system based on how much oil was taken out during recovery. Thus, eliminating the need for the user to look at the oil collection bottle to determine how much oil needs to be put back into the A/C system; and the chance of error due to misreading the collection bottle.

The new unit also provides a method of removing any liquid contaminants by forcing liquid refrigerant through an A/C system, or components of an A/C system. A special flushing adapter, which can be purchased separately, accesses the A/C system at the compressor block, and flushes a vehicle’s A/C system with refrigerant eliminating any residual oil or other liquid contaminants from the system. This helps minimize the chances for potential future damage to the A/C system by leaving harmful contaminants in the A/C system. After flushing, the refrigerant is recovered by the unit and filtered by the recycling circuit, returning it to SAE purity levels. A/C systems vary and may require the adapting and flushing of individual components.
 
The SPX Robinair next-generation RRR machines were the first to meet the SAE standard J-2788, which requires the equipment to recover 95 percent of the refrigerant and recharge to within 1/2 ounce. Previously, refrigerant recovery machines left behind as much as 30 percent of the refrigerant, which would then escape to the atmosphere. The Robinair fully-automatic 34988 and 34788, and semi-automatic 34288 recover up to 20 percent more refrigerant, which means it will cost less to recharge the system. The best charge accuracy that could be claimed by older generation service machines was +/- 1 ounce, a 3 percent error on a two-pound system. That same charge accuracy on a 14-ounce system is 7 percent — more than twice the error.
 
Early R-134a systems could still provide some cabin cooling when they were 4 to 6 ounces low on refrigerant. However, new designs are so efficient, they do not have reserve refrigerant, and charge accuracy is critical. The 34988, 34788 and 34288 will recharge the vehicle within 1/2 ounce of the charge capacity, which translates into fewer customer comebacks and more profits per service by recovering more refrigerant and charging less.
 
"When purchasing new A/C service equipment, shops need to look for a machine that not only enhances the performance and productivity of their businesses, but also enables them to run cleaner, more environmentally friendly operations that meet all the stringent requirements of the new SAE J-2788 standard," said Wagaman. "Shops must also play their part in delivering dependable green-friendly service that helps to reduce atmospheric pollution caused by R-134a refrigerant while making the environment cleaner and safer for future generations."  

The 34988 unit also features a new indicator light and notification alarm function that notifies the user when service is complete, or if a problem has occurred. This helps free up the technician’s time to do other tasks by allowing them to walk away from the machine while the A/C system is being serviced and lets them know when they need to return. A new built-in printer allows the user to store before and after service information by vehicle and produces printouts of vehicle diagnostics information to provide to a customer. This feature can also serve as a tool to help sell the need for service and/or provide to the customer as a record showing service performed.

The Robinair 34988 is used on R-134a vehicles and is designed to be compatible with existing service equipment and standard serviced procedures. It is a UL-listed, single-pass system that meets SAE specifications for recycled refrigerant. The unit includes a 1.5 cfm (42 l/m) Robinair high vacuum pump for fast, thorough evacuation. The compressor pulls the A/C system to 0 psig, then works in series with the vacuum pump to achieve highly efficient recovery and immediate recharge.
 
Additional features and benefits include:
• Vacuum Leak Test: Monitors level after evacuation; informs of possible leak.
• Automatic Air Purge: Eliminates damaging air without monitoring gauges or opening valves.
• Automatic Refrigerant Refill: Maintains a user-selectable amount of refrigerant in an internal vessel and signals when it’s time to change supply tank; no monitoring required.
• Vacuum Feature: Defaults to 15 minutes, programmable up to 99 minutes. "Remaining time" is displayed.
• Display: Multilingual.
• Refrigerant Charging: Select a charge mode from high-side, low-side, or both.
• Refrigerant Management System: Displays refrigerant use and monitors remaining filter life. Prompts appear when 1/3 of filter life remains.

For more information on how you can realize the profits of faster, more efficient A/C service with the new Robinair 34988 Premium A/C RRR Machine, call Robinair at (800) 533-6127, or go to the website at www.robinair.com.