The Client –

Bolton based plastics manufacturer Norlin Polymers (UK) Limited

The Challenge –

Replacement cooling system

The Solution –

Sustainable adiabatic cooling system

Temperature control is key to the plastic manufacturing process. It is used in numerous ways, from melting the raw material, through to extrusion, injection moulding and polymerisation. Aqua were asked to design a cooling system for a client operating with the sector, who was using mains to drain cooling. Their legacy set up was proving unsustainable, both from a cost perspective as well as environmentally due to the volume of wastewater and utility costs.

Situation

As a leading manufacturer of technical & specialised polymer compounds, Norlin Polymers supplies the medical & pharmaceutical sector across Europe. They extrude a specialist plastic material which is then used for applications within the industry.

The extrusion process is akin to that used widely within plastics processing. The raw plastic material is melted, blended, and forced through a dye which results in polymer strands. Their process differs when it comes to the cooling of the strands and maintaining the cooling water to set temperature.

The mains to drain system used cold towns water to fill the extrusion baths. The water kept the bath cold, and it was regularly replenished for hygiene reasons. The client controlled the fill/overflow from the mains tap.

Having recently acquired a new design of water bath, one which could be equipped with a pump and heat exchanger, they were able to consider adding cooling equipment to the process and moving away from the manual system.

Solution

After establishing that the heat exchanger on the bath could provide sufficient cooling with water temperatures of 25°C and 35°C, we suggested using a system incorporating adiabatic cooling.

Adiabatic coolers are an excellent choice because they are low maintenance, cost-effective and a highly sustainable option if you are working with water temperatures of 25°C+. Aqua’s adiabatic units achieve a great balance between water usage, fan speed and load. They reduce energy, significantly save water, and minimise environmental impact.

“The adiabatic system we designed, is able to run several extrusion lines, with the ability to operate different machines at different temperatures, to suit our clients’ manufacturing requirements” explains Aqua Regional Sales Manager, Mark Whittaker.

Any fluctuation in cooling will impact on product quality, so system control is important. Aqua’s design incorporates a central control panel, which monitors both the adiabatic cooler and the pump. There is also a temperature controller with an external probe on the tank return pipe and a 3-way valve. This ensures the temperature is easily controlled and kept consistent. The addition of a tank ensures easy filling and dosing of the system.

Results

“With this upgrade our client has future proofed their business” continues Mark. “Without the changes they were faced with rising costs which would either have limited profitability or caused them to have to increase their sale price and pass the pain onto their buyers.”

“Aqua were the perfect partner for Norlin. They provided design support where we needed it, expert installation, and after-sales care. The adiabatic system simultaneously helps us achieve both production requirements and our sustainability objectives” explains Norlin’s Commercial Director, Jonathan Holland.

To discover how adiabatic cooling could help your business, chat with the team on 0333 004 4433.

For an injection moulding client, Aqua’s emergency hire service kept their process running with minimal downtime and disruption after their existing chiller unit failed.

As soon as our Hire desk took the call, with time being of the essence, a site survey was quickly arranged to determine the precise specification of equipment required and to ascertain exactly what was needed for a quick on site install. Subsequently we were able to promptly dispatch a 20kW chiller for next day delivery.

When it came to installation, the versatility of our units meant our engineers could simply adjust the fittings on the Hire Chiller and connect it to our client’s existing pipework, keeping installation time to a minimum.

With production back on track, our customer then had the opportunity to consider a more permanent replacement unit, but with total peace of mind that their process was running fine. To this end, on the same day as the Hire unit was installed, an Aqua sales engineer met the hire team on site to design and specify a more longer-term solution.

Hire Engineer, Sean Johnson, explains; “At Aqua Hire, sales and service divisions work closely together. If a client calls one of our team, they benefit from a completely 360° approach, as in this case. Likewise, we have customers who initially approach our sales division because they need to expand their production capacity or have legacy equipment on site which is struggling, and the hire team can step in and help them with a temporary solution whilst sales finalise a longer-term strategy which is a win, win scenario for all involved.”

Essentra Components manufacture parts from packaging and fluid handling to moulded plastics and hardware. They operate over 100 injection moulding machines at their large site in Oxfordshire.

Their machines utilise Chillers and V Bank Airblast Coolers to provide cooling to the tools at 14°C and to hydraulic oil at 20°C. Minimising downtime is crucial to their production, so they need a maintenance partner that they can rely on to maintain and optimise their chilled water system and equipment.

The situation

The manufacturing site required a reliable and supportive partnership with a reputable provider of high-standard technical support, maintenance, and servicing.

The use of mixed metals in the internal factory pipework had caused corrosion, which led to the poor quality of water running through the system, damaging the pipework and causing leaks.

If closed-loop systems or the water used within them are poorly maintained or left untreated it can lead to problems that will affect energy usage, cost, asset performance, and reliability. Specifically, these problems include corrosion, fouling, biofouling, and scaling to a lesser extent unless there is significant water loss requiring additional make-up water.

These issues were resolved in the recent past by adapting their cooling water system from a closed-circuit pressurised system to an open tank system – making it easy to monitor the quality
of the water and add treatment as needed.

The solution

We are providing the site with technical support, maintenance and regular servicing of the equipment. This includes cleaning and ushing the dual filter arrangement to ensure clean and treated water is provided – protecting the system components and minimising the risk of downtime.

To discuss how we can help improve the efficiency and maintenance of your chilled water systems, please call us on 0330 404 3228 or contact us online.

Whilst initially a lack of outside space to might seem problematic, our design team managed to turn it into a huge positive for a client running an injection moulding plant on the South Coast.

Their production factory is part of an industrial estate, but local restrictions prohibited them using their external space to site a chiller. Their failing legacy chiller had been installed at height within their factory. This had made access for servicing and maintenance challenging over the years and the unit was now failing and becoming costly to repair.

Aqua’s design team suggested replacing the existing chiller with a new air-cooled chiller unit from our CSE range. These chillers are specifically designed for indoor installations and have variable speed centrifugal fans which allow air to be ducted externally or internally. This effectively allows the chiller to provide process cooling, but the resulting warm air can then be ducted into the factory during the colder months to provide comfort heating. In the warmer summer months, the air is simply directed outside to keep the ambient temperature comfortable.

The full solution included:

CSE 160 air cooled chiller with shell & tube evaporator
Design service
Installation & commissioning

“Our design team did a great job of turning a negative into a positive with this installation”, explains Shaun Lancaster, Aqua’s Sales Manager. “Our client knew they needed to find a new location for their chiller for it to work effectively for the long term but were so restricted with their options. The fact that we could provide a highly energy efficient unit as well as repurposing the waste heat for space heating was a complete win win. They’ll not just make energy savings from the new chiller but they’ll also dramatically cut their heating bills!”

For a client with a legacy cooling system, a full system upgrade gave them the opportunity to benefit from the latest in energy efficient cooling technology.

Our client, an end user, specialises in plastics blow moulding and initially asked Aqua to carry out an energy evaluation on their existing factory set up. Our engineering team then designed an upgraded system with estimated annual costs savings from reducing overall energy consumption. When it comes to energy calculations, we are completely transparent and pride ourselves on living up to our predicted savings.
The suggested upgrade centred around utilising highly efficient free cooling technology, alongside inverter driven pumps. New chiller units were added to two production lines – on the injection moulding side and the blow moulding. Based on our client’s annual production schedule, energy cost savings were forecast at over £70,000. The free cooling also reduces the run hours on the chiller units, increasing their overall life expectancy.

An additional advantage for our client from moving to the new system was the warranty, giving them peace of mind for the years ahead.
The full solution included:

Energy efficient design review with energy calculations
Free cooling chillers
Inverter driven pumps
Mechanical installation & final commissioning
Warranty
Aftersales support

“Our client had become exasperated with their old system, experiencing long lead-times from the manufacturer when they needed to source replacement parts and then discovering some spares had become obsolete. That said, I think the prospect of a full system upgrade initially made them nervous because of the anticipated costs involved. However, our energy review quickly established that upgrading their equipment would bring them so many advantages. As well as a very quick payback – less than 2 years – they will make significant energy and cost savings every year” explains Aqua Sales Manager, Shaun Lancaster.

The Client –

The Challenge –

The Solution –

The Client –

The Challenge –

The Solution –

The situation

The solution

The Client –

The Challenge –

The Solution –

The Client –

The Challenge –

The Solution –

Free Cooling Chiller Upgrade for Bristol Aquarium

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