Efficiency boosted, costs cut
January 1st 2004

Efficiency improvements and direct cost benefits have been achieved by Cheshire-based Ironside Lubricants following installation of a new cooling system from Coolmation. As part of the manufacturing process, grease and lubricant mixes are steam heated within a series of jacketed vessels to temperatures to 200C, then cooled to 80C for the addition of required finishing ingredients. To cut the time taken to achieve temperature reduction, the company sought the help of Coolmation. A 450kW dry air cooler was connected into a closed circuit cooling system. A glycol solution is cooled by the dry air cooler from 52 to 32C, then re-circulated through the same jacketed space as the steam. At a stroke this provides much faster cooling of the greases and lubricants under production, while eliminating the cost of mains water going down the drain on its own a cost saving worth 6000 per annum. Coolmation also supplied the control panel for the cooling system.

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