Preparing your blog post
Preparing your blog post
A high-volume plastics manufacturing facility in Ipswich was struggling with outdated cooling equipment that couldn’t keep up with production demands. When the facility’s primary process chiller failed beyond repair, and an old air blast cooler underperformed in summer heat, the client needed an urgent and effective cooling solution. Refcool stepped in with a custom propane chiller installation, modernizing the factory’s cooling infrastructure to boost efficiency and support uninterrupted operations.
The client’s injection moulding hall housed 17 machines with two separate cooling circuits. One circuit used a decades-old industrial chiller for cooling the moulds, while the other relied on an open water tank feeding an air-blast cooler to chill hydraulic oil. Over time, both systems became liabilities: the chiller finally broke down and was not economically repairable, and the air blast cooler struggled during high ambient temperatures, forcing the moulding machines to slow production to avoid overheating. The challenge was twofold – restore reliable cooling capacity quickly to keep production running, and engineer a long-term solution that would improve efficiency and reduce environmental impact. Additionally, the client desired a greener footprint, meaning the new cooling system should use a low-GWP (global warming potential) refrigerant and cut energy usage if possible.
For the immediate emergency, Refcool first supplied a rental chiller to stabilize operations and buy time. The Refcool engineering team then conducted a detailed survey of the plant’s cooling requirements for both the mould cooling and hydraulic oil circuits. The proposed solution was a single high-capacity propane chiller system custom-built to handle both circuits efficiently. This modern chiller was designed with two independent refrigeration circuits, providing built-in redundancy to ensure continuous operation even if one circuit goes down. A free cooling coil was integrated to take advantage of lower ambient temperatures in winter, allowing the system to cool without engaging compressors and thus saving energy. The chiller also featured advanced capacity control for efficient part-load performance and a plate heat exchanger linking the two cooling loops while allowing them to run at different temperatures. Crucially, Refcool selected propane (R290) as the refrigerant – an ultra-low GWP refrigerant (GWP ~3) – virtually eliminating the climate impact of refrigerant leaks compared to the old system. The new design was calculated to cut electricity usage by about 33%, equating to an estimated reduction of 7,250 tons of CO₂ emissions per year for the facility. Refcool’s team handled the entire retrofit, including fabricating a custom skid for the chiller, connecting it to the existing dual-circuit setup, and ensuring minimal downtime during the changeover.
The propane chiller upgrade transformed the factory’s cooling reliability and sustainability. With the new dual-circuit system in place, the plant can maintain full production rates even during peak summer heat – no more slowdowns due to insufficient cooling capacity. The built-in redundancy means unplanned downtime has been virtually eliminated, safeguarding the client’s manufacturing schedule. In terms of performance, the facility’s energy consumption for cooling dropped significantly (approximately one-third less electricity usage), immediately lowering operating costs. Moreover, by switching to propane refrigerant with a GWP near zero, the company has dramatically reduced its carbon footprint – the new system’s refrigerant impact went from the equivalent of ~41.7 tons of CO₂ to almost nothing. This greener cooling solution not only meets environmental compliance but also positions the client as an industry leader in sustainable manufacturing. Overall, Refcool’s solution delivered a win–win: improved cooling performance and reliability for the plastics factory, alongside substantial energy savings and environmental benefits that strengthen the client’s corporate sustainability profile.
