Challenge
A company involved in the production of high-quality synthetic pallets using recycled plastic is trialling the use of two large industrial robots in a new manufacturing process. Tonnes of plastics are processed every day at its European production facility using an automated injection moulding process. The manufactured pallets are widely used in the food and beverage market.
The company was already a Trane Rental customer with a large chiller unit already on site under a long-term Trane EaaSy contract. Trane was therefore an obvious choice for the company to partner with them in determining the best solution for their introduction of industrial robots in their manufacturing process.
The injection moulding process involves two large 18m long robots. The process reaches very high temperatures and the moulds need cooling from around 32°C. The chillers are operating at 18°C with chilled water re-entering the system at temperatures of 15°C.
Solution
A year-long trial is now taking place at the plant. The Trane Rental team worked very closely with the customer to determine their needs. For the two robots, 2 x air-cooled chillers are in use, in tandem with:
• 1 x heat exchanger
• 1 x 3000 liter buffer tank
• 2 x 1000 liter buffer tanks
• 2 pumps
• Hoses and cables.
The chiller capacity is 150KW at 7°C but the company is keen to test the system under different climate and temperature conditions. It’s possible that they may need to reach lower temperatures or increase capacity.
Results
The project is still ongoing but the customer is delighted so far with the equipment received from the Trane Rental team, along with the high level of collaboration and support.
The team is in regular contact to discuss progress with the customer. It is envisaged that the rental period will last at least one year but could be extended further if more testing is needed. Once testing is fully complete, the customer will have a clear idea of the temperature parameters required and will make a capital investment to purchase a new cooling system.
