Overview

What this machine does

Provides precision-controlled chilled process water to stabilize extrusion melt crystallization, maintain water-ring/underwater pelletizing temperatures, and cool extruder barrels, feed throats, and mixing vessels.

The Industrial Chiller is an indispensable thermal management system engineered specifically for plastics compounding, extrusion pelletizing, and polymer recycling lines. In modern high-throughput compounding and recycling operations, excess shear heat and thermal enthalpy from molten polymers must be dissipated rapidly and consistently. The industrial chiller delivers precisely regulated closed-loop chilled process water to extruder feed sections, barrel cooling jackets, strand cooling troughs, water-ring pelletizing circuits, underwater cutting water tanks, and high-speed compounding cooling mixers.

By maintaining process water at a strictly controlled temperature (typically adjustable from +5°C to +20°C with ±0.5°C accuracy), the chiller eliminates seasonal and ambient temperature fluctuations, preventing common production defects such as pellet agglomeration, extruder feed throat bridging, strand breakage, and internal moisture entrapment.

Core Industrial Configurations & Refrigeration Architecture

To match diverse factory site conditions, cooling water availability, and line capacities, our industrial chillers are engineered in two primary condensation formats:

1. Air-Cooled Industrial Package Chillers

Air-cooled chillers utilize heavy-duty axial fans to reject heat through high-efficiency aluminum-finned copper coil condensers directly into the atmosphere. This fully self-contained package requires zero cooling tower infrastructure, eliminates cooling water evaporation and chemical treatment costs, and provides complete freeze-proof plug-and-play operation. It is the premier choice for independent pelletizing lines, facilities in arid regions, or plants operating in cold climates subject to winter freezing.

2. Water-Cooled Industrial Chillers

Water-cooled chillers utilize high-efficiency cleanable shell-and-tube condensers connected to an external industrial cooling tower circuit. Benefiting from the superior thermal heat-transfer coefficient of water and lower condensing pressures, water-cooled models achieve higher Energy Efficiency Ratios (EER / COP > 4.5 to 5.2). This configuration is the industry standard for medium-to-large compounding plants, centralized multi-line extrusion facilities, and factories in tropical ambient environments where summer air temperatures exceed 40°C.

Precision Temperature Control Across the Pelletizing Flow

Extruder Feed Section: Circulates chilled water through the feed throat jacket to keep metal temperatures below polymer glass transition points, preventing resin pre-melting, screw caking, and feeding bridging.
Water-Ring & Underwater Pelletizing Loops: Absorbs the high sensible and latent heat released when molten strands exit the die-face cutter into process water. Strict chilled water regulation ensures instantaneous pellet skin freezing, preventing sticky doublets/triplets while optimizing pellet sphericity.
Strand Cooling Water Baths: Maintains homogeneous cooling trough temperatures across continuous strand lines, eliminating core-to-surface cooling differentials that cause strand brittleness, snapping, or poor cutter feeding.
Cooling Mixers (PVC Dry Blends): Extracts intense frictional heat from hot-mixed PVC formulations in SRL-Z cooling mixer jackets, rapidly reducing batch temperature to 40°C–45°C before silo pneumatic transfer.

Key features

The parts that do the work

Placeholder image: equipment feature photo, 960 × 720 px (4:3). It shows the space reserved for approved material and is not a photograph of our equipment.

World-Class High-Efficiency Scroll / Screw Compressors

Equipped with world-renowned hermetic scroll (Copeland / Danfoss) or semi-hermetic twin-screw (Bitzer / Hanbell) compressors. Engineered for high Energy Efficiency Ratios (EER > 3.8 to 4.5), low acoustic noise, minimal vibration, and built-in internal thermal overload and motor winding protection.

Precision Heat Exchanger & Temperature Stability

High-performance SUS316 brazed plate or heavy-gauge shell-and-tube evaporators deliver rapid thermal transfer. Prevents localized fouling while ensuring continuous water delivery at precisely ±0.5°C to ±1.0°C temperature stability under sudden extrusion load swings.

Integrated Stainless Steel Water Reservoir & Multistage Pump

Packaged with an insulated SUS304 stainless steel buffer water reservoir and a heavy-duty stainless steel multistage centrifugal pump. Eliminates water circuit contamination and rust formation while providing strong, stable supply pressure across remote extrusion lines.

Optimized Heat Rejection Condensers & Low-Noise Fans

Air-cooled models feature hydro-dynamically balanced, low-noise external-rotor axial fans and hydrophilic aluminum finned copper coils. Water-cooled models utilize cleanable shell-and-tube condensers with high-efficiency inner-grooved copper tubing.

Microprocessor Smart Control with Real-Time Diagnostics

Microprocessor/PLC control unit with digital display continuously monitors water temperatures, system pressures, and compressor operating status. Includes RS485 / Modbus communication for integration with the master extrusion control panel.

Complete Multi-Stage Equipment Protection Matrix

Comprehensive automated safety matrix including high/low refrigerant pressure switches, compressor overheat and reverse-phase relays, water flow switch interlocks, anti-freeze thermostats, and pump thermal overloads.

Material and process

Where it fits — and where it does not

Suitable materials and conditions

Engineered for continuous heavy-duty industrial process cooling across plastics compounding, pelletizing lines, extrusion processing, and recycling facilities. Provides precisely regulated closed-loop chilled water to stabilize thermal profiles across multiple critical machine sections:

Extruder Barrel & Feed Throat Temperature Control: Delivers chilled water to feed section cooling jackets to prevent plastic pellets from softening, sticking, and bridging in the feed hopper; cools barrel cooling jackets to dissipate excess frictional shear heat in high-output twin-screw extruders.
Water-Ring & Underwater Pelletizing Systems: Stabilizes water circulation temperatures in water-ring and underwater cutting water tanks, ensuring rapid pellet surface quenching, preventing agglomeration, and maintaining consistent pellet roundness and bulk density.
Water Bath Strand Pelletizing Lines: Maintains constant cooling water trough temperatures (typically 18°C–25°C) for polyolefins, engineering plastics, and filled masterbatches, preventing strand stretching, uneven cooling shrinkage, and strand breakage.
High-Speed Compounding Mixer Coolers: Circulates chilled cooling water through the jacketed walls and bottom dish of SRL-Z horizontal/vertical cooling mixers to rapidly quench hot PVC dry-blends from 120°C down to discharge temperature (40°C–45°C).
Plastic Pulverizer & Micronizing Mills: Circulates chilled water through grinding disc jackets and bearing housings to prevent heat build-up, material smearing, and resin thermal degradation.

Limitations and when it does not apply

Refrigeration-based closed-loop process cooling utility; boundaries include:

No direct particulate filtration: Cannot receive raw water laden with polymer granules or fines; return water requires upstream filtration before entering heat exchangers.
Hard water scaling risks: Unsoftened hard water causes calcium scaling in plate exchangers; treated water or closed-loop softened water circuits are mandatory.
Sub-zero freezing precautions: Setpoints below +4°C require 20%–35% glycol brine charge to prevent internal evaporator tube freeze-rupture.
Indirect cooling medium: Functions as a heat-transfer utility; does not directly contact polymer melt without heat jackets, water baths, or circulation tanks.

Feed condition and requirements

Accepts return process water from plastic pelletizing lines, extruder cooling circuits, strand water troughs, and mixing machine jackets:

Return Water Temperature: Typically +12°C to +30°C (standard industrial closed loop); capable of handling peak return surge temperatures up to +40°C from hot water-ring pelletizer water tanks or mixer jackets.
Water Quality Requirements: Neutral pH (6.8–8.2), total dissolved solids (TDS) < 300 ppm, free of heavy sand, plastic pellet carryover, suspended scale, or oil slicks. Upstream in-line basket strainers (mesh opening ≤ 0.5 mm) must be installed to protect plate heat exchangers.
Ambient Operating Environment: Air-cooled units operate reliably in ambient temperatures from -5°C up to +45°C (with optional low-ambient fan speed regulation). Water-cooled units operate with cooling tower condenser water input between +25°C and +35°C.

Output condition and boundaries

Delivers continuous, highly stable chilled process water under pressurized circulation to plastics processing equipment:

Chilled Water Supply Temperature: Standard adjustable setpoint range from +5°C to +20°C (precision ±0.5°C to ±1.0°C); optional low-temperature glycol units deliver -5°C to +5°C.
Discharge Water Flow & Pressure: Delivers clean, bubble-free pressurized flow typically at 2.5 bar to 5.0 bar, ensuring adequate flow velocity through narrow extruder barrel internal cooling channels and cooling jackets.
Thermal Equilibrium: Prevents heat build-up across continuous 24/7 extrusion runs, keeping pellet cutting water temperature within the optimal crystallization window (40°C–60°C for polyolefins, 25°C–40°C for elastomers).

Throughput

Capacity range

12000–75000 Kcal/h

Basis for the capacity figures

Chiller cooling capacity (expressed in kW, kcal/h, or US Refrigeration Tons / RT, where 1 RT ≈ 3.517 kW ≈ 3024 kcal/h) is rated under standard ISO/AHRI industrial conditions: chilled water leaving temperature at +7°C (inlet at +12°C, ΔT = 5°C), with ambient air temperature at +35°C (for air-cooled condensers) or cooling tower entering water at +30°C (for water-cooled shell-and-tube condensers).

Extruder Barrel & Feed Throat Cooling: Continuous heat dissipation from barrel thermal friction and barrel zones, plus keeping feed throat temperature strictly below 40°C–50°C to prevent premature polymer pellet softening and bridging.
Water-Ring & Underwater Pelletizing Water Loop: Direct extraction of polymer sensible and latent melt heat (from melt temperatures of 180°C–280°C down to pellet core solidification temperatures of 60°C–80°C) through process water circulation and intermediate plate heat exchangers.
Strand Cooling Water Baths: Continuous thermal absorption from extruded molten polymer strands to maintain water bath temperature between 18°C and 25°C, ensuring uniform crystallization and preventing strand snapping or pellet deformation in strand pelletizers.
High-Speed Compounding Mixer Cooling Vessels: Rapid heat extraction through vessel jackets and bottom dishes to quench hot PVC dry-blends from 120°C down to 40°C–45°C within scheduled cycle times.

Models

Models in this range

Scroll the table sideways to read every column →

Model	Capacity range	Rated power	Cooling Air Volume	Water Flow Rate	Head	Water Pump Power	Water Pump Power (kW)
NC-ZL05A	12000 Kcal/h	5.5 kW	5000m³/h	4.4m³/h	29m	0.75Kw
NC-ZL10AD	25000 Kcal/h	11 kW	10000m³/h	8m³/h	29m		1.3Kw
NC-ZL15AD	38000 Kcal/h	15 kW	15000m³/h	12m³/h	31.5m	1.85Kw
NC-ZL20AD	50000 Kcal/h	22 kW	20000m³/h	18m³/h	31.5m	2.6Kw
NC-ZL25AD	60000 Kcal/h	25 kW	25000m³/h	40m³/h	31.5m	5.5Kw
NC-ZL30AT	75000 Kcal/h	35 kW	30000m³/h	40m³/h	31.5m	5.5Kw

Scope of supply

What is included, and what is not

Optional items

Dual-Circuit / Multi-Compressor Redundant Configuration Equipped with two or more independent refrigeration circuits and compressors, allowing 50% partial load operation and zero-downtime maintenance.
Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) Inverter Compressor Stepless compressor speed modulation matching instantaneous extrusion cooling load, slashing energy consumption by 20%–35% under fluctuating production schedules.
Integrated Intermediate Plate Heat Exchanger Isolation Package Isolates the clean closed-loop chiller circuit from potentially contaminated plant water-ring cutting loops, preventing resin particles from entering the chiller evaporator.
Low-Ambient Temperature Fan Speed Controller (Winter Operation) Modulates air-cooled condenser fan speed to maintain stable condensing pressures when ambient outdoor temperatures drop below 0°C.
Corrosion-Resistant Evaporator & Condenser Coatings Epoxy/polyurethane electro-fin coating for condensers and titanium/SUS316 heat exchangers for corrosive environments or acidic polymer emissions (e.g., rigid PVC, halogenated compounds).
Air-Cooled vs. Water-Cooled Condensation Configurations Air-cooled chiller (packaged with high-efficiency axial fans and copper-tube aluminum fin coils for zero water consumption) or Water-cooled chiller (packaged with shell-and-tube condenser for connection to cooling tower systems, maximizing COP efficiency in tropical climates).
Refrigeration Compressor Selection (Scroll vs. Semi-Hermetic Screw) High-efficiency hermetic scroll compressors (Copeland, Danfoss, Panasonic) for compact-to-medium capacities (3 kW to 150 kW); semi-hermetic twin-screw compressors (Bitzer, Hanbell) with multi-stage or stepless slide valve capacity regulation for large compounding plants (> 150 kW).
Evaporator Metallurgy and Flow Circuit Design SUS304/SUS316L brazed plate heat exchangers for compact, high-efficiency closed loops; stainless steel coil-in-tank evaporators with open atmospheric reservoirs for dirty return water loops; or heavy-duty shell-and-tube evaporators for large-scale centralized systems.
Sub-Zero Low-Temperature & Glycol Brine Packages Engineered expansion valves, crankcase heaters, and reinforced insulation for low-temperature operation (-5°C to -15°C) utilizing ethylene glycol or propylene glycol solutions, designed for fast crystallization of soft elastomers (TPU, TPE, EVA).
Integrated Closed-Loop Pumping Station & Buffer Reservoir Built-in heavy-duty stainless steel multistage centrifugal pumps (standard 3 bar to 5 bar boost pressure) and insulated SUS304 cold/warm buffer tanks with automatic water make-up and overflow ports.
Intelligent PLC Interface & Industrial Communication Protocols Siemens or Schneider PLC controllers with 7-inch color touchscreens supporting Modbus RTU / Profinet / Ethernet/IP connectivity for centralized plant SCADA integration.

Not included

External plant process piping and loop insulation External supply/return piping headers, distribution manifolds, manual ball valves, and thermal insulation between the chiller connections and processing machines.
Main electrical distribution switchboard and external supply cabling Plant-side power distribution panel, main circuit breakers, and external trench cabling to the chiller electrical isolator terminal.
External cooling tower and condenser water piping (for water-cooled chillers) Cooling tower, condenser water pumps, water make-up float valves, and outdoor cooling tower piping unless explicitly specified in a complete turnkey contract.
Initial ethylene/propylene glycol charge (for low-temperature applications) Chemical glycol coolant barrels supplied locally by the buyer.

Installation planning

Utilities, interfaces and site readiness

Utility requirements

Power supply: 380 V / 415 V / 460 V / 480 V (customizable), 50/60 Hz, 3-phase AC.
Water: Closed-circuit operation with minimal water consumption. Clean treated soft water (pH 7.0–8.0, TDS < 300 ppm) recommended for initial system filling and automatic make-up. Water-cooled units require external cooling tower water loop (supply temp ≤ 32°C at 2.5–3.5 bar).
Compressed air: Not required for standard chiller operation. Optional pneumatic 3-way modulating bypass valves or air-purged outdoor control cabinets require 0.5–0.6 MPa clean dry shop air (< 0.05 m³/min).
Exhaust and ventilation: Air-cooled chillers installed indoors require adequate building ventilation or ductwork to exhaust large volumes of hot condenser rejection air outdoors, preventing room ambient temperature from exceeding 40°C. Water-cooled units require no air ducting.
Other notes: Total connected electrical load depends on cooling tonnage, compressor quantity, and pump head ratings (typical installed power ranges from 5 kW for small 3 HP units up to 120+ kW for 100 HP central systems). Ensure stable electrical supply with voltage fluctuation strictly within ±10%.

Interface requirements

Fluid Interfaces: Standard ANSI / DIN flanged or BSP/NPT threaded process water connections (chilled water outlet and warm water return); separate cooling tower supply/return ports on water-cooled models; automatic fresh water make-up inlet (DN20–DN25), drain outlet, and overflow spigot.

Electrical Interfaces: Three-phase industrial power connection with internal isolator; auxiliary terminal strip providing remote Start/Stop digital inputs, common alarm dry contacts, water pump run interlocks, and RS485 Modbus RTU communication terminals.

Installation Footprint: Air-cooled chillers require minimum 1.5 m perimeter clearance for unimpeded condenser intake airflow and vertical hot air exhaust; water-cooled chillers can be placed compactly in indoor equipment rooms.

What the customer prepares on site

The buyer provides a level concrete slab or rigid floor foundation capable of carrying the operating weight (including full water tank volume); three-phase main power supply routed to the chiller internal breaker/isolator switch; external piping loops (insulated carbon steel, stainless steel, or PPR) connecting the chiller manifold to extruder jackets, water baths, or pelletizers; water quality treatment or soft water supply (conductivity < 300 µS/cm, neutral pH 7.0–8.0) to prevent internal heat exchanger scaling; and for water-cooled configurations, external cooling tower water piping with dedicated condenser supply pumps.

Spare parts

Wear parts and recommended spares

Wear parts

Placeholder image: spare part photo, 960 × 720 px (4:3). It shows the space reserved for approved material and is not a photograph of our equipment.

Chilled Water Circulation Pump Mechanical Seals & Impellers

Inspect quarterly for water weeping at pump casing drain hole; replace immediately upon detection of liquid leakage.

High-wear dynamic shaft seals on the internal or external stainless steel water booster pumps. Keep one replacement seal assembly in stock.

Y-Strainer Screen Elements & Water Filter Cartridges

Remove and flush clean monthly; replace damaged or collapsed mesh elements immediately to prevent flow cavitation.

Fine stainless steel mesh elements (80–100 mesh) protecting plate evaporators and pump impellers from water-borne debris.

Recommended spares

Compressor Refrigeration Lubricating Oil (Polyolester / Mineral Oil)

Inspect oil sight glass clarity and level every 2,000 operating hours; perform full oil and filter change every 8,000–10,000 hours or during major compressor overhaul.

High-grade synthetic refrigeration lubricant formulated specifically for R410A / R407C / R134a refrigerants.

Liquid Line Filter Drier Core

Replace whenever the refrigerant circuit is opened for maintenance or when moisture indicator sight glass turns from green to yellow.

Desiccant block located in the refrigeration liquid line to capture residual moisture and acid.

Refrigerant High/Low Pressure Transducers & Temperature Sensors (PT100/NTC)

Calibrate annually; replace sensor immediately if erratic temperature or pressure drift causes false system trips.

Precision pressure switches and temperature probes monitoring suction, discharge, and water supply temperatures.

Electrical Contactors & Thermal Overload Relays

Inspect electrical contacts every 6 months for pitting, carbon build-up, or chatter; replace every 12–18 months under heavy cycling duty.

Heavy-duty contactors controlling compressor starts and water pump cycling.

Blades, screens and other normal consumables are outside the standard warranty. How a spare part is identified and ordered is set out under Warranty & Spare Parts.

Selection

How to choose a model

Accurate sizing and selection of an industrial chiller for plastics pelletizing lines requires calculating total dynamic thermal loads, assessing ambient climate factors, and choosing the proper heat-exchange architecture:

1. Calculating Cooling Capacity from Extrusion Throughput:
The basic rule of thumb for standard polyolefins (PP, PE) compounding lines is approximately 0.10 to 0.15 kW of cooling capacity per 1 kg/h of extrusion throughput (accounting for extruder barrel heat loss, feed throat cooling, and pellet quench crystallization). For high-temperature engineering plastics (PA66, PBT, PET) or soft elastomers (TPU, TPE, EVA), cooling demand increases to 0.15 to 0.22 kW per 1 kg/h due to higher melt enthalpies and critical solidification requirements.
2. Selecting Air-Cooled vs. Water-Cooled Systems:
- Air-Cooled Chillers: Recommended for standalone production lines, plants with scarce water resources, regions with freezing winters, or facilities without existing cooling towers. Highly flexible and plug-and-play, but efficiency decreases when ambient summer temperatures exceed 40°C.
- Water-Cooled Chillers: Recommended for medium-to-large compounding plants (> 500 kg/h to several tons/h) that already possess central cooling towers. Offers superior coefficient of performance (COP > 4.5), lower electrical power draw, and consistent cooling capacity unaffected by outdoor ambient air temperatures.
3. Scroll vs. Screw Compressor Selection:
- Scroll Compressors (3–50 HP / 10–150 kW): Ideal for small-to-medium lines, laboratory compounding, or modular line-by-line cooling where quiet operation, low initial investment, and compact footprint are priorities.
- Twin-Screw Compressors (50–300+ HP / 150–1000+ kW): Ideal for large centralized water chilling stations. Features multi-step (25%-50%-75%-100%) or stepless capacity slides, delivering unmatched part-load efficiency across varying multi-line extrusion operations.
4. Water Quality & Circuit Isolation: For water-ring or underwater pelletizers where micro-fines or plasticizer residues might contaminate process water, always select a closed-circuit system with an intermediate plate heat exchanger and external duplex bag filter, keeping the primary chiller evaporator clean and scale-free.

Information we need from you

01 Total thermal load (kW / kcal/h / RT) or extrusion line production rate (kg/h) Specify polymer types (e.g., PP, PE, PVC, TPU, PET), hourly throughput rate, extrusion melt temperature, and target chilled water temperature.
02 Chilling circuit application targets Clarify which equipment requires chilled water: extruder barrel cooling jackets, feed throat jackets, strand water baths, water-ring cutting water tank, underwater pelletizing water circulation loop, or mixer cooling jackets.
03 Chiller condenser configuration preference Air-cooled package (stand-alone, requires no external water; best for plants with limited water or harsh winters) vs. Water-cooled package (higher electrical efficiency, requires external cooling tower and recirculating pump).
04 Target process fluid delivery temperature and flow rate Desired chilled water setpoint (standard 7°C to 20°C, or sub-zero low temperature down to -5°C with glycol) and required circulation flow rate (m³/h) and supply pressure (bar).
05 Plant electrical utility, space constraints, and ambient environment Three-phase operating voltage/frequency (e.g., 380V/50Hz, 460V/60Hz), available indoor/outdoor installation footprint, and peak summertime ambient air temperature (°C).

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Industrial Chiller