Smooth extrusion process! - How to cool machine drives and control cabinets correctly.

In extrusion, plastically deformable to viscous masses are continuously pressed out of a shaping opening under pressure. The resulting rather elongated two-dimensional “extrudate” then hardens by cooling or chemical reaction. In the plastics industry, materials such as PVC, PE, PP, PUR, etc. are extruded for a wide variety of applications, e.g. into pipes, films, profiles, sheets, sheathing, seals.

Direct drives or torque motors that are water-cooled or induction motors that are air-cooled are used for extrusion machines. Often a to cool frequency converter is connected upstream of the motors to generate a variable output frequency and voltage as required. In addition to the machine drives, control & switch cabinets also require thermal management solution components to ensure that the extrusion processes run smoothly.

Pfannenberg realizes the temperature control required for this, in addition to the use of filter fans, by means of energy-efficient cooling units or air/water heat exchangers. The latter find an ideal field of application in plastics extrusion, as the machines there are already cooled with temperature-controlled water. The main advantage compared to other options is also their maintenance-free operation.