Dry vacuum EPS block moulding machines
The new high-performance system developed and patented by Tecnodinamica for the generation of dry vacuum in EPS vertical block moulding machines does not need any water or other media in order to cool down the condensation tank and the vacuum pump. The liquid ring pumps traditionally used for vacuum generation have some disadvantages, such as wearing which requires frequent maintenance interventions especially on seals. In addition to this, the thermal exchange water has to be properly filtered and treated in order to avoid limescale deposits on the pump internals which would clog the refrigeration ducts, while the refrigeration media recirculation circuits and pumps would absorb a lot of energy.
The new system relies on a high-performance pump installed on the vacuum tank and totally eliminates refrigerants, as a result simplifying the system and reducing operating costs. The energy savings allowed by this solution can reach 30% thanks to the higher efficiency of the pump thanks to the constant operating temperature of 30°C in the vacuum circuit.
Besides eliminating the need for refrigerants, the system also recovers the condensation water in order to reuse it in the steam circuit. The thermal energy generated by the steam cooling down process by means of condensers can be recovered and recycled, above all for speeding up the aging of pre-expanded material inside the silos. Finally, the elimination of the pump refrigeration circuits also means that the associated maintenance operations and overhead costs are eliminated as well.