Canadian Finishing & Coatings Manufacturing Magazine Jan/Feb 2023 - 59

PLATING AND ANODIZING: CHILLERS
Cool Savings
Technology advancements reduce costs of process cooling systems
BY NOELLE STAPINSKY
P
rocessing applications have advanced significantly
over the years with increased throughput, automation,
and control systems. But one area that is often
overlooked or not considered important is the process
cooling systems. What many don't realize is that not only is
this a vital part of any plating or anodizing operation, but with
advancements in the technologies on offer today, companies
can reduce their industrial cooling system costs by over 40 per
cent, as well as reduce water consumption. CFCM sat down with
Tom Stone, national sales manager for Thermal Care's industrial
markets to discuss cooling system solutions and how technology
can reduce overall operating costs.
What cooling equipment solutions are best suited for
plating and anodizing operations?
Tom Stone: The solutions we provide are primarily selected
based upon the required temperature for the cooling water and
size of the baths' rectifiers. We have designed systems using
small-packaged chillers up to large central
supporting multiple operations in a single facility.
chiller systems
What are key considerations for companies navigating the
various solutions?
TS: One of the primary considerations is what type of coat the
lines are designed for (example: hard/soft). This impacts the
design of the system significantly. Additionally, we always want to
confirm whether or not there are heat exchangers already in place
to isolate the bath fluid from the chiller system fluid. Finally, in
order to select the appropriate size chiller system, we need to
confirm the amps and volts of the rectifiers and their duty cycle.
How do Thermal Care's chillers maintain the required
temperature while removing heat?
TS: First you must select a chiller that meets the maximum
required cooling for the system. This ensures the chiller is able
to provide the appropriate amount of cooling during the worstcase
scenario. Since systems do not typically operate at this
point, we must employ something known as capacity control. It
basically means that the chiller will modulate its cooling to avoid
overcooling the system. Thermal Care chillers are available with
various designs of capacity control. The most advanced use of a
variable speed compressor is to modulate the cooling to match
the actual demands of the system. This is an extremely energy
efficient means of capacity control and allows the chiller to
deliver cooling at a very precise temperature.
Can you provide examples of cooling issues in the surface
finishing industry and how the right chilling system can
solve those?
TS: One example is to understand the requirements for the
different types of anodizing. The chiller system's temperature
for these varies widely. If a facility is attempting to cool multiple
types of anodizing lines with the same chiller system, it is likely
wasting lots of energy by running the higher temperature lines
on the much lower temperature chiller system. Splitting the
lines up and using separate chiller systems will greatly reduce
the operating costs of the chiller as well as reduce the nominal
cooling capacity of the chiller system [reducing capital cost].
January/February 2023
59
Canadian Finishing & Coatings Manufacturing Magazine Jan/Feb 2023

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