Press-Side TCUs and Full-Plant Adiabatic Coolers

Frigel North America will celebrate the 30^th anniversary of its Microgel product line at NPE2024 with new Microgel innovations and the North America introductions of the RSY Syncro and RS/MD series. For Microgel, the innovations include maximizing productivity through cycle-time reductions, as well as energy and water savings.

RSY Microgel Syncro will be officially launched in North America with a reported productivity increase of up to 50%. The new 4DK Adiabatic family of patented, centralized, closed-circuit cooling systems intended to replace cooling tower technology has been designed with the goal of less kW of electricity per ton of cooling and lower usage of water — up to 95% less in some cases.

The show will also feature the debut of the 3PR 4.0 control system, which provides real-time control of the entire Frigel central-cooling system, including parameters, functions, alarms and more. A wide range of upgraded models, will also be highlighted, including the Microgel RSM/RSD Series featuring higher power pumps and precise temperature control up to 194°F (90°C).

The Microgel Syncro machine-side temperature control unit (TCU) for injection molding enables cycle-time reductions up to 40% by cutting cooling time only through digital synchronization with the molding process. Frigel says this means molders do not have to make any modifications to the tool design or molding parameters, as the system communicates with the press while remaining completely autonomous.

The Microgel Syncro line features more than 10 models, with cooling capacities from 4.5 to 16 tons and heating capacities from 12 to 24 kW. Compared to the traditional methods, the Syncro control unit supplies cold water to the mold only during the cooling phase. This increases productivity and profitability, with a reported average return on investment of less than 6 months.

The Ecodry 4DK Series is an expansion of the line of closed-loop adiabatic fluid coolers with enclosed chambers and patented booster cooling technologies. Designed for flexible configuration of modular adiabatic solutions for small to large plastic factories, the 4DK takes advantage of some of the technological advances Frigel introduced in the LDK range. These include new efficient PADs, a new generation of EC fans, and a modular design with wide and deep configurations. Frigel says the 4DK is characterized by its Coolpad high-efficiency humidification system and new generation of EC fans which, combined with a more effective dry cooler, make for a more compact and powerful adiabatic cooler. Frigel says the new Ecodry 4DK is designed to integrate easily into existing Ecodry 3DK systems, of which Frigel has a large installed base.

In controls, the 3PR 4.0 platform provides complete control of Frigel central cooling systems from a single control point. All the connected central system components are controlled via a unique control panel that has been designed specifically for Frigel systems. The 3PR 4.0 is available in two versions, Lite and Premium, depending on the size of the system and the equipment to control.

New to North America, the MiND 2.0 platform, provides customers with a supervision and maintenance tool for all Frigel equipment and accessories, both central and machine-side, enabling monitoring and management of all working parameters and events, and registering performance and energy consumption of every single cooling system component through a multifunctional user interface that is available locally and remotely through a user-friendly webpage.

Frigel North America — which is the exclusive sales, parts and service distributor in North America for HB-Therm TCUs — introduces the new Thermo-6 product line at NPE. Equipped with standard VFD, seal-free, reversible, stainless steel pumps, the Thermo-6 has an all new noncontact heater design with lifetime warranties, 8 to 16 kW heating capacities, and a new cabinet design. Standard features include ultrasonic flow meters, new 7-inch touchscreen HMIs, e-cockpit via Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, ethernet connections and several interface protocols.

Frigel will also release the new full range of the Microgel RS Series for injection molding to North America. These single-zone (RSM) and dual-zone (RSD) machine-side TCUs are designed for molding throughputs ranging from 20 to 530 lb/hr. Frigel says the Microgel RS range includes advancements in temperature accuracy over the entire control range (23°-194°F). The RS range features additional configurations specifically designed for packaging (RSP) and extrusion (RSB). Options such as flowmeters, VFDs and return/remote temperature sensors are available. Its new user interface offers full connectivity and interoperability via the MiND platform.