Heating & cooling.

Smaller, more energy-efficient, corrosion-resistant, and user-friendly are the touchstones of new circulating-fluid units.

Energy efficiency and space savings are two key themes of heating and cooling equipment being introduced at NPE '97. A third major selling point of new hardware designs is durability - non-corrosive construction that lasts longer on the job. New microprocessor controls that are user-friendly and provide more information also figure prominently among the product introductions.

HEATERS OF EVERY STYLE

If you're looking for band, cartridge, radiant, or cast-in heaters, you'll find new versions to suit every need.

* Omega Heater Co., Ronkonkoma, N.Y., is bringing out a ceramic heater band based on an aluminum extrusion. Coils embedded in the aluminum extrusion reportedly offer contamination resistance, uniform heat distribution, and design flexibility not previously possible in heaters of this type. Also new from Omega is the Fastlatch feature on Thin-Line expandable bands. It reportedly allows tool-free installation of heaters on any machine in seconds, even while hot.

* Simfer Heating Elements, Terrebonne, Que., is introducing high-watt-density band heaters rated up to 85 w/in.

* Acim Jouanin of Evreux, France, is introducing BAJ ceramic and mica band heaters. Field tests reportedly show energy savings of 37-50% versus other band heaters. Insulation is said to prevent the bands' external temperature from exceeding 140 F.

* This company also is introducing to the U.S. its CMBPE mica-insulated nozzle heater, which is sealed against contamination by plastic or water.

* Acim Jouanin is also showing a drum heater on wheels, which has stainless-steel, armored tubular heaters mounted on a stainless-steel reflector. Ceramic insulation ensures low exterior temperature.

* New from Hotset Corp., Battle Creek, Mich., is a high-watt-density cartridge heater of 1 in. diameter. It is hermetically sealed and has a stain-less-steel sheath.

* Hotset also has a new flexible tubular heater that can be formed in place to meet specific requirements.

* A line of tinned electric heaters will debut from Fast Heat, Elmhurst, Ill.

* Arctic-Cast finned, cast-in aluminum heaters for extruder barrels are new from Tempco Electric Heater Corp., Wood Dale, Ill. They have forced-air cooling shrouds.

* Also new from Tempco are EMitter ceramic infrared heaters for thermoforming and curing ovens. The heaters change color when hot, providing a safe, easy means of identifying a failed unit in a panel array.

* Hi-Heat International Ltd., Salisbury, Wiltshire, England, is introducing a range of fast-response quartz infrared heaters for thermoforming. Fast heat-up and cool-down are claimed.

* Infrared Internationale of North America, Comstock Park, Mich., is showing something else new for thermoformers: a 1-ft-square ceramic radiant panel, which can simplify installation and control by reducing the number of independent elements.

* BF flat-panel infrared heaters will debut from Omega Heater. Uniform infrared coverage reportedly is provided by units from 4 to 24 in. wide and 6 to 48 in. long.

* New flexible, electrically heated hose from Diebolt & Co., Old Lyme, Conn., can be used for melt transfer in coextrusion and striping applications.

* Abbeon Cal Inc., Santa Barbara, Calif., is introducing plastic bending bars, which heat plastic sheet without coming into direct contact.

CHILLERS, COOLING TOWERS

Dozens of new chiller models exemplify the emphasis on compactness, energy efficiency, and ease of use. For example, Alpha Equipment Co., Fayetteville, Ga., is bringing out the Challenger Series of portable chillers, which are said to offer a small footprint, high-efficiency scroll compressors, and operator-friendly programmable controllers. Both water- and air-cooled models are available with 3-10 hp.

The full line of Iceman portable chillers from Mokon Div. of Protective Closures Co., Buffalo, N.Y., has been redesigned for smaller footprint and low cost. In capacities of 0.5 to 20 tons, Iceman chillers have all non-corrosive components, microprocessor controls, hot-gas bypass (on units up to 10 tons) and cylinder unloading on larger units.

Mokon is now offering on its full line of circulating-fluid products the new Advantage EZ Series of high/low safety-limit controllers from Barber-Colman Co., Loves Park, Ill. The compact, 1/16 DIN device shuts down the chiller in case of excessively high or low temperatures.

Kleen-Rite, St. Louis, has improved its chillers to increase efficiency and cooling capacity. Its 5-ton model offers a scroll compressor that is said to cut energy costs by 10-15% and also has a high tolerance for liquid slugging, thus eliminating a major cause of compressor failure. The 7.5- and 10-ton chillers incorporate a large shell compressor with a built-in accumulator to protect the system from liquid slugging.

Efficient scroll compressors are also used on the new PS portable chillers to be unveiled by AEC/Application Engineering, Wood Dale, Ill. The company will also introduce Pinnacle central chillers.

An expanded range of packaged chillers will be unveiled by Motivair Corp., Amherst, N.Y. Cycling-based capacity control coupled with large-volume, on-board thermal-storage reservoirs reportedly maximize energy savings during partial-load operation.

Recently introduced Maximum MK-2000 chillers from Advantage Engineering Inc., Greenwood, Ind., are unusual in displaying both flow rate and actual capacity usage.

New microprocessor controls have been added to microKool portable chillers from The Conair Group, Franklin, Pa. The company also will show a new line of fiberglass cooling towers in sizes to 200 tons.

Innovative Water Technologies, Kentwood, Mich., is introducing TowerKlean chemical-free treatment system for cooling-tower water. It uses a 100% recyclable medium that reportedly eliminates biofouling and mineral build-up on heat exchangers and requires virtually no maintenance.

A lime and scale remover is new from Quality Process Control Systems, Inc., Zeeland, Mich. And Mokon is introducing a portable descaling unit for circulating-water systems. It circulates a non-toxic fluid that reportedly removes rust, scale, and lime from equipment and molds.

A new non-chemical water-treatment system that eliminates bio-slime, scale deposits, and corrosion will be introduced by KW Environmental, Inc., Middletown, N.Y.

MOLD-TEMPERATURE CONTROLLERS

Hot-water and oil units show trends similar to those for chilled water. Conair will introduce new tempTrac Plus single-zone, direct-injection water controllers of 0.75 to 2 hp, which feature plug-in microprocessor controls with simultaneous digital readouts of setpoint and process temperatures. Options include motorized cooling valves, audible and/or visual alarms, and SPI communications.

Conair's more basic tempTrac units have been redesigned with a smaller cabinet and drip covers on the pump motor. The larger microTrac2 and microTrac3 units (renamed maxTrac and maxTrac Plus) will be shown with new microprocessor controls. Conair's heaTrac oil unit and vacuTrac positive/negative-pressure water system also have new microprocessor controls.

Delta T Systems Inc., Richfield, Wis., will unveil the Accent Series of water-temperature controllers. They have modular design, streamlined plumbing to increase flow rates and maximize heat transfer efficiency, fully insulated water tanks, and microprocessor controls.

Delta T's new high-capacity hot-oil unit includes a positive-displacement, mechanically sealed pump, microprocessor control, and single or dual zones.

A redesigned line of hot-oil systems with improved heating, cooling, and control capabilities will be launched by Mokon. New HTF systems are more compact and have a new insulated heater manifold that's said to give higher efficiency. The units' "cool-oil reservoir" with continuous-flow heat exchanger is said to provide increased heat-transfer rates while eliminating thermal shock by isolating the cooling circuit from the heating circuit.

Regloplas of Switzerland and U.S. representative Marvel Equipment Corp., Farmington Hills, Mich., are introducing Regloplas' Model 90 S water-temperature controller. This compact unit comes with either microprocessor or simpler digital controls. Model P-140 compact pressurized-water unit is also new.

Multi-zone, pulsed-heating and cooling controls from REPS of the U.K. will be introduced by Injection Molding Industries, Orion, Mich. These systems provide closed-loop cyclical control between 40 and 400 F. The CTC 4 system provides two zones each of heating and proportional cooling. One version is panel-mounted and machine-slaveable. The new CTC 60 version has 60 zones that can be divided among heating and cooling functions.

Budzar Industries, Inc., Euclid, Ohio, is introducing negative-pressure hot-water and hot-oil systems, as well as a slide-out-tray hot-water system.

Foremost Machine Builders, Inc., Fairfield, N.J., will show a new 10-ton air-cooled chiller.

Xceltherm 500 heat-transfer fluid with an application range of -80 F to 500 F is being introduced by Radco Industries, Inc., LaFox, Ill.

OTHER COOLING PRODUCTS

You'll also find new process-cooling components and auxiliaries at NPE:

* Manifolds - Anodized corrosion-resistant aluminum manifolds are new from EMI Corp., Jackson Center, Ohio. Tested to 150 psi, these manifolds are recommended for molders with poor water quality or who store manifolds with tooling. The manifolds are anodized red or blue for simple "water-in," water-out" identification. EMI's subsidiary Direct Line Products, Eastlake, Ohio, is also bringing out eight styles of competitively priced water manifolds.

* Flow meter - Burger Engineering, Olathe, Kans., is introducing a 0.75-1 in. flow meter with an anodized aluminum body that is rated for up to 240 F and 100 psi.

* Water strainers - Miller Leaman Inc., Port Orange, Fla., is introducing Thompson stainless-steel strainers for cooling-tower and chiller water. The conical filter element causes particulate to be accelerated down to the reservoir at the bottom of the strainer, where it is removed via the flush port.

AIR COOLERS & DEHUMIDIFIERS

If you need chilled air to cool hot parts, prevent mold sweating, or increase extrusion outputs, there's news at the show for you, too.

Denso Sales California, Inc., Long Beach, is offering its first American-built MovinCool spot air coolers in place of those previously imported from Japan. These portable units have 26,000 Btu/hr capacity - 2000 Btu/hr more than previous models, owing to use of Copeland scroll compressors.

Fasti, Farrag & Stipsits of Bregenz, Austria, is showing a new air cooler for improving throughput and quality in blown-film extrusion.

MDS-3 portable mold dehumidifier from Bry-Air Systems, Sunbury, Ohio, incorporates new Brysorb Plus desiccant medium, which reportedly allows for greater air flow through the system and reduces the size and weight of the overall package, freeing up floor space.

What to look for

* Thermoformers get new heating options.

* Scroll compressors boost efficiency of many new water and air chillers.

* Treat cooling water without chemicals.

* New systems make lime and scale vanish.