Understanding Process Cooling Systems: Why They’re Vital to Industrial Efficiency

In the world of industrial applications, process cooling plays a significant role in maintaining the quality of end products and the integrity of processes. The reason is simple – the heat generated by applications within the industrial sector can be detrimental to products and applications, so industrial cooling systems are critical to preventing overheating (and thereby heat contamination) from occurring. Process cooling systems can use either water or air as their cooling medium, and keep in mind that there are different types of cooling systems and cooling technologies available.

What is Process Cooling?

Process cooling (also referred to as industrial cooling) is a simple concept, being the method of removing excess, unwanted heat from your process. As mentioned above, the excessive amounts of heat generated during industrial processes can have a negative impact on equipment, applications, and products. By removing this heat, you ensure that the process can continue safely and reliably, thereby protecting your business’ bottom line and helping prevent dreaded downtime.

There are three major cooling areas that process cooling assists with: cooling a specific process, like printing; cooling a specific product, such as plastic during thermoforming; and cooling specific equipment, like laser cutting machines. Other reasons process cooling systems are essential to industrial sector include:

• Maintaining the integrity of the end product’s quality (including preventing product contamination or spoilage)
• Increasing an application’s efficiency
• Reducing equipment wear and tear

Are Process Cooling Chillers and Air Conditioning Chillers the Same Thing?

When selecting a process cooler, keep in mind that the chillers used in process cooling systems are not the same types of equipment as the chillers that are present in the air conditioning market! Though the terminologies sound similar, rather than helping to control the temperature and humidity levels of a space or environment like air conditioning chillers, process cooling chillers instead work to maintain a very precise, consistent water temperature in order to remove surplus heat from business processes.

Want to learn more about Atlas Copco’s portfolio of process cooling equipment? Visit us at www.atlascopco.com/industrial-chillers!