RUBBER & PLASTICS


place, that debris accumulates, and the damage compounds.


One solution that can be applied directly to TCUs is


side-stream filtration. These systems run continuously alongside the TCU, drawing off a portion of the circulating water, filtering it, and returning it clean to the system. Side-stream filters 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 benefit the TCU circuit. Each system needs to be managed and treated 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 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 filtration, regular water analysis, appropriate inhibitor programmes, and a more proactive maintenance culture. Water quality is something that can be managed. Managing it accordingly can be done either through in-house engineers or a water treatment


partner. It means maintaining inhibitor levels. It means fitting appropriate filtration. And it means recognising that the cost of doing this is not an overhead to be avoided; it is what guarantees uptime and cycle efficiency.


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.


ICS Cool Energy UK www.icscoolenergy.com


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   MAY 2026 | PROCESS & CONTROL ENGINEERING 23


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