INDUSTRIAL COOLING FANS


"In plastics manufacturing, three things are non- negotiable: tight


blocked heat exchangers can all be caused by poor water quality inside a TCU.


The mould change and the contamination There is a structural challenge specifi c to the plastics industry that can continuously reintroduce contamination into water systems, and that’s mould changes. When a mould is taken off the press, it is disconnected from the water circuit and put on a shelf. Residual moisture inside the mould’s micro-channels oxidises during that storage time. Sometimes it’s months, sometimes it’s a year or even longer. Rust forms. When the mould is reinstalled and reconnected, that rust and debris go straight into the water system. The nature of how mould storage works is that the front face of a mould tool is always kept clean and polished. The internal workings are routinely corroded. Unless a plastics company runs every mould indefi nitely without ever taking it off the press, which is not commercially realistic, some degree of contamination on reconnection is unavoidable. Cleaning every mould thoroughly every time it comes off the press is equally unrealistic in practice. This means ongoing fi ltration and water management are not optional extras. A well-treated system will be regularly challenged by reintroduced debris from mould changes. Without fi ltration in place, that debris accumulates, and the damage compounds.


One solution that can be applied directly to TCUs is side-


stream fi ltration. These systems run continuously alongside the TCU, drawing off a portion of the circulating water, fi ltering it, and returning it clean to the system. Side-stream fi lters for TCU applications are rated to around 110°C. It’s appropriate for most TCU operating temperatures, as most systems in the plastics industry do not exceed this. They provide continuous mechanical removal of the sediment and debris that accumulates from corroded moulds and degraded components, addressing the contamination problem at its source rather than waiting for it to cause damage. It’s also important to remember that water treatment applied to a chiller circuit does not carry through and benefi t the TCU circuit. Each system needs to be managed and treated


Download the ACR News app today


temperature control, fast heat transfer, and consistent uptime. TCUs exist to deliver all three by circulating heated or chilled water through


independently. In a large plastics facility, one site alone may run 70 or 80 TCUs, producing thousands or millions of parts per day. This represents a meaningful commitment. But it is a commitment that needs to be weighed against the cost of repeated equipment failure and lost production.


Water as a process-critical input Water is not background infrastructure in a plastics cooling or temperature control system; it is a process-critical input. Those are the words used by engineers who work with these systems daily. As critical as the resin being moulded. As critical as the uptime of the press itself. Not many plastics companies are particularly good at water


treatment. That is not a criticism; it is a gap in awareness that the industry has an opportunity to close. The combination of high-temperature TCU circuits, frequent mould changes that reintroduce contamination, and the direct link between water quality and part consistency creates risks that build quietly and expensively over time. The tools to address it are practical and available: side-


stream fi ltration, regular water analysis, appropriate inhibitor programmes, and a more proactive maintenance culture. Water quality is something that can be managed. Customers who face the prospect of spending hundreds of thousands of pounds on new moulds, new chillers, and new TCUs because of accumulated water quality damage are in a far worse position than those who invested in water treatment from the outset. Service partners can advise, test, and specify the right solutions, but customers need to be open to the conversation and open to the investment before something breaks.


www.acr-news.com • April 2026 27


micro-channels within the mould tool to maintain precise process


temperatures. Water quality is the critical variable that determines whether they succeed or fail."


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36