The new range of water chillers to be unveiled by Frigosystem at K 2013 (hall 10, stand A74-3) is called HC Heating & Cooling. As the name suggests, these are compact solutions that integrate, in a packaged unit, both heating and cooling of industrial processes. These are two functions that, combined in the same machine, allow precise fluid temperature control, in the range -10°C to +90°C, guarantee the end user constant fluid pressure, and allow increased productivity, energy savings and lower maintenance costs, all in a solution featuring compact overall dimensions.
The cooling phase occurs through a refrigeration system that uses biogas and long-lasting sealed compressors. Water condensation is efficient even in the most demanding working conditions and the energy savings can be maximised by the free-cooling function, which allows the compressors to be turned off in situations in which it is possible to exploit ambient temperatures. The cold water tank, the plate exchangers and the cooling circuit tubes are made of stainless steel, while the centrifugal pumps are equipped with   bypass valves. In the packaged unit it is possible to have up to 4 independent temperature-controlled loads each of which can be extensively customised to suit the particular needs and conditions of use. Basically, it is possible to have different operating pressures, water capacities and heating capacities. The temperature is controlled by means of three-way proportional valves with an accuracy of ±0.5°C.
The HC units can be used in many ways in different fields of application. For example, they can be used for the initial heating and subsequent cooling and temperature control of the mould in injection moulding, blowing and thermoforming (even of the fixed and floating platens separately), of the barrel in extrusion, and of the rollers in laminating and converting. The electronic systems mounted on the units belonging to the HC series stand out for their high external connectivity (capacity to connect and communicate with other systems in order to exchange information) and for their programmability, which makes them able to offer simple answers to the most diverse application needs, at the same time guaranteeing complete control, both local and remote. It is precisely for this purpose that we developed the Frigosystem iWeb monitoring and control system that can be used to control the units from various portable devices (PCs, tablets and smartphones), connected via wifi, in order to set or correct operating parameters or connect with the manufacturer's technical support centre.