L&R Recooling System for Painting Automotive Plastic Components
An automotive supplier is using a new recooling system from L&R Kältetechnik for the painting of large plastic body parts. The system provides a cooling medium at 15 °C and is designed to support energy-efficient production of high-quality Class A surfaces.
After injection molding, the plastic components—such as bumpers, radiator grilles, and covers—are first painted. This is followed by drying and cooling using treated fresh air that has been cooled to 15 °C via cooling coils. Reliable temperature control is an important prerequisite for high-quality painted plastic body parts and for “color matching” with the separately painted steel body. Because a new major order required the expansion of the paint shop, the existing cooling system also had to be upgraded. L&R Kältetechnik sized the new recooling system based on a performance measurement. It provides a cooling medium at 15 °C with a cooling capacity of 130 kW.
Recooling System for the Painting of Plastic Components
Among the system’s efficiency-enhancing features are condensers with speed-controlled fans. The entire refrigeration system is controlled on-demand via a Siemens PLC. Propane (R 290) with a GWP value of 3 is used as the refrigerant, which allows for the design of efficient refrigeration cycles in the 15 °C temperature range. The refrigeration system was designed in a space-saving containerized configuration and could be installed without disrupting ongoing production. The controllable evaporator and load pumps are designed as dual pumps; furthermore, the system can be controlled via remote monitoring as needed.
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