Time to Upgrade
Polypipe Building Services makes drainage and supply systems. Their plant in Aylesford uses chillers to cool water for polymer mixing.
The old chillers were over 20 years old and needed replacing. This was a chance to upgrade to a more efficient system. The team had to install the new system quickly to avoid production downtime. The plant room is small, so the new system had to fit in a tight space.
Cooling Needs
Polypipe's products need precise temperature control. The polymer is mixed at over 100°C, then cooled to 50°C. This process needs water at 15°C and a flow rate of 80m³/hour.
Polypipe upgraded to a 'free air' system. When the outside temperature is low, the system uses cool air instead of chillers.
System Setup
Eurochiller designed and installed the new system. It includes free air coolers. These coolers are efficient and fit in the small plant room.
The system uses ambient air to cool water when the temperature is below 15°C. An adiabatic cooler reduces the risk of legionnaire’s disease and lowers maintenance needs. Water-cooled chillers further cool the water before it goes to the mixers.
Additional Equipment
Eurochiller also provided a new water storage tank and replaced all pumps and pipes. They used Polypipe's MecFlow plastic pipes instead of metal ones. This was easier to install in the tight space. The team installed the new system within the two-week shutdown period.