Tempco Blog articles

Compact thermoregulating units for wide temperature range in pharma labs

15/11/2024

We have often talked about pharma production processes and about thermoregulating systems for the production processes of pharma products and APIs.

Clearly, before starting with industrial production, there are also pharma laboratories where new products and drugs are tested, let’s say produced in an early stage those same substances that later on will be produced in batch for an industrial consumption. Also pharma laboratories therefore require temperature control tasks.

At this purpose, there are very compact and small machinery which are employed in pharma laboratories, and they have to offer an extremely wide working range. That’s because a laboratory is where testing tasks are deployed, and very often the final temperature range is not yet defined, but it’s necessary to make several trials, in order to verify if at a certain temperature the expected reaction is going to take place, and then is necessary to find out at which temperature the product must be cooled in order to maintain the characteristics achieved at the high temperature level.

At this purpose, there are special and very flexible temperature regulation units that can be highly adapted to the varying needs of pharma labs.

Usually the heating cycle in these systems is carried out via an electrical system, since the powers required are very low. Same thing for the cooling section, which uses small refrigeration units with low power capacity but which allow to reach very low temperatures. Therefore, there are these systems that offer a wide range of working temperatures, offering for example the possibility of reaching -30° C and then up to +250° C, therefore a very extended temperature range to guarantee the possibility of carrying out all production tests, establishing the process parameters which will then be translated into industrial production.

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Advantages and disadvantages of spiral heat exchangers

08/11/2024

An interesting type of exchangers are spiral heat exchangers, particularly appreciated in many industrial applications thanks to their unique characteristics. These exchangers are often used in applications with sludge or very dirty fluids.

Below is a summary of the main advantages and disadvantages of spiral heat exchangers.

Advantages of spiral exchangers:

1. Compactness: spiral exchangers are designed to be very compact, which allows to save space compared to other types of exchangers.

2. Self-cleaning: the continuous flow configuration and spiral geometry creates turbulence which can help reduce the build-up of dirt and scale. This makes spiral exchangers more suitable for fluids with suspended or viscous solids.

3. Heat transfer efficiency: the spiral geometry guarantees a high thermal exchange surface area compared to the overall volume, improving thermal efficiency.

4. Resistance to clogging: thanks to their configuration, spiral heat exchangers are more resistant to clogging than shell and tube exchangers or plate exchangers, especially in applications with particularly dirty fluids.

5. Ease of maintenance: maintenance is generally simpler as opening the lid of a spiral exchanger allows easy access to the internal surface, making cleaning easier.

6. Versatility: Spiral exchangers can handle a wide range of fluids, including corrosive and dirty ones, and be used in applications requiring high pressures or temperatures.

Tempco scambiatori a spirale

Disadvantages of spiral exchangers:

1. Initial cost: spiral exchangers may have a higher initial cost than other types of exchangers, such as plate or shell-and-tube exchangers, especially for small-scale installations.

2. Manual cleaning: while they offer good resistance to clogging, when heavier fouling occurs, cleaning requires to open the unit, which can take time and resources.

3. Pressure limits: although they resist high pressures well, spiral exchangers still have a limit, especially when compared to shell and tube exchangers, which can handle much higher pressures in some critical applications.

4. Not suitable for all fluids: in applications with extremely viscous fluids or large solid particles, there may be increased resistance to flow, reducing heat transfer efficiency.

5. Less flexible design: once built, a spiral exchanger is less flexible than modular plate exchangers, which instead allow you to add or remove plates to increase the exchange capacity.

Tempco scambiatori di calore a spirale fluidi sporchi fanghi

Tempco scambiatori di calore a spirale spiral heat exchangers

In conclusion, spiral heat exchangers are an excellent solution in applications where compactness, efficiency and resistance to clogging are critical, but they can be more expensive and less flexible than other solutions.

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Candies production and temperature control… treat or trick?

31/10/2024

Halloween is literally knocking at the door… what better occasion to talk about candies? But first, we can’t help but going with the traditional question… Trick or Treat? Which in the temperature control sector of Tempco can be figured out like this:

Treat: it is when optimal thermal management is guaranteed, where temperatures are constantly maintained within the established parameters, ensuring maximum efficiency of the production processes and the desired comfort, without surprises or unexpected changes that make us sweat cold… From this point of view, the ‘treat’ is a sweet, stable and smooth thermal regulation, without fluctuations or surprises that could compromise productivity or quality.
Trick: it’s when unexpected deviations in thermal regulation occur, which lead to changes or inefficiencies, even process interruptions… and then it gets spooky and creepy. ‘Trick’ can therefore mean a heat peak or a sudden unwanted process cooling, sensors that give readings out of range or energy recovery systems that do not turn-on right on time, putting the stability of the production process at risk.

Tempco produzione caramelle dolcetto scherzetto controllo temperatura

The goal is therefore always to eliminate any ’trick’ and guarantee a sweet, smooth and constant thermal management.

But let’s get to candies! Speaking of candies and sweets, we have often talked in the past about chocolate production, where our thermoregulation and cooling equipment is often used. A very same thing happens in the production of candies. In fact, when producing candies, or even gummy sweets, the production process involves as well cooling tasks or requires to be thermoregulated.

How are candies made? Essentially, there is a sugar die that gets formed, the candy is made using a mold and the candy enters a thermal treatment system where it usually gets cooled. Cooling is necessary to get rid of moisture within the sugar in order to obtain a very glossy look of the candy achieving an attractive aesthetic appearance.

Following the cooling step, there is a post-heating process aimed at ensuring a controlled temperature before packaging. It’s interesting how every food production needs anyway a control of temperature, regardless of whether it is pasteurization or cooling, or heating. In this case this is not related to a particular process aimed at maintaining organoleptic characteristics but it’s related to a purely aesthetic factor and to get rid of the excess of humidity which would probably also change the taste of the candy.

In addition, in this kind of productions there are also processes involved for the washing of production lines that then require a post-heating in order to dry the overall plant and get it ready for a brand new production.

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Temperature management in tire and rubber hose production

25/10/2024

Tire and rubber hose production plants require a precise temperature control for a variety of reasons.

First and foremost, temperature control is critical in order to ensure material uniformity. When mixing rubber with other ingredients (such as additives and reinforcements), maintaining a constant temperature is essential to ensure that the composition is uniform. Excessive or too low temperatures can lead to an incorrect mixing, compromising the mechanical properties of the final product.

Another process involved in the production of rubber hoses and tires is vulcanization: this is a chemical process that gives rubber its elasticity and final resistance. In vulcanization, the temperature must be strictly controlled to ensure that the process occurs correctly. Inadequate control can lead to rubber that is too stiff or, on the contrary, too soft, negatively affecting the quality of the product.

Tempco controllo temperatura produzione pneumatici e tubi in gomma

A proper and accurate temperature control therefore helps to ensure production efficiency. Well-managed temperatures reduce production cycle times and increase overall energy efficiency. Maintaining ideal temperatures also reduces the probability of scrap and rework, optimizing the production process by reducing waste of material, increasing the sustainability of the process.

Finally, a correct temperature control is crucial for the surface quality of the products. In particular, for tires, the temperature directly affects the surface quality and adhesion of the layers. Accurate temperature control avoids defects such as bubbles, roughness or distortion.

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PCHE exchangers in hydrogen refueling stations at the Hydrogen Technology Expo

18/10/2024

To foster the innovative technology of PCHE exchangers applied in hydrogen refueling stations, Tempco is participating with our partner for PCHE printed circuit exchangers, Microchannel Devices, at the Hydrogen Technology Expo (booth A3 G50), in Hamburg on 23-24 October, to present all the benefits offered by PCHE single and multi-stream heat exchangers in hydrogen filling stations.

PCHE heat exchangers have a key role in hydrogen refueling stations, an essential asset to realize an adequate distribution network serving the diffusion of fuel cell vehicles for the sustainable electric mobility of the future. This special type of heat exchangers can work at high pressures, up to 700 bar, required for an efficient and rapid supply of hydrogen to fuel cell powered vehicles, thanks to the special diffusion bonding technique employed for their construction.

Tempco scambiatori PCHE Microchannel Devices stazioni rifornimento idrogeno Hydrogen Technology Expo Amburgo

The PCHE exchangers therefore ensure the proper heat management during the hydrogen compression cycle, guaranteeing high energy efficiency thanks to the microchannel structure of the plates while offering a very compact size, saving precious installation space in refueling stations. The extremely robust construction therefore ensures the necessary reliability to withstand the extreme operating conditions in hydrogen refueling stations.

We look forward to seeing you at the Hydrogen Technology Expo at Hamburg Messe, Germany, on 23 and 24 October at Microchannel Devices at booth A3 G50.

Tempco scambiatori PCHE Microchannel Devices stazioni rifornimento idrogeno Hydrogen Technology Expo Amburgo A3 G50
Registration and free entry ticket to the fair at the page https://www.hydrogen-worldexpo.com/.

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Cooling systems in crisis due to a very hot summer, how to react

08/10/2024

Entering the Autumn, we are leaving at our back a very sweltering summer 2024. The past one has been indeed a very hot summer season, and this extremely hot weather involved a series of critical situations for refrigerating groups and conditioning systems.

Looking more in detail at the reasons of these critical situations, firstly one would easily say, well the weather has been very hot. But refrigerating groups and conditioning systems are employed exactly when the weather is hot. The problem is that usually these refrigerating and conditioning plants are designed considering an ambient temperature for condensation of about 35° C. During the last summer, the temperature raised very often above 35° C. With peaks of 38°, 40° or even 42° C, and a very high relative humidity rate. This led to very high condensation temperatures, and thus high condensation pressures.

Machines that were not designed for such ‘tropical’ conditions, so extreme, did undergo a failure, and got blocked: blocked refrigerating groups and conditioning systems, cooling systems for industrial production in down. Clearly, if the cooling systems go down on a conditioning plant, well, there is a discomfort for people due to the heat, but not entailing a great damage.

Instead, when this happens on industrial refrigeration groups that serve industrial production processes, the problem is way more relevant. And in fact, upon request of our customers, in Tempco we are re-designing cooling systems engineered considering higher ambient temperatures. Therefore we are starting sizing refrigerating groups intended for project ambient temperatures of 40° C, aiming at ensuring the required proper working efficiency in the future. That is, if we’ll have again further summer seasons so sweltering and hot, for sure these refrigerating groups will be able to keep on functioning, ensuring the required availability.

If you are interested in discussing more in depth this topic, contact our Tempco team.

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ESG sustainability certification 2024 within the supply chain for Tempco

04/10/2024

The adoption of sustainable behaviors is as important for Tempco as supporting customers within the process industry in pursuing maximum energy efficiency, reducing the environmental impact of industrial production activities.

In our constant commitment to achieve sustainability targets, we are therefore pleased to have added the 2024 Certification issued by Synesgy for the assessment of sustainability relating to ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) in the supply chain, which we completed upon the initiative of one of our customers who requested this qualification.

Tempco 2024 ESG certification sustainability Synesgy

Synesgy, the body that issued the Certification, is a global platform for assessing ESG sustainability within supply chains. Tempco has adopted in its sustainability strategy some measures aimed at the implementation of photovoltaic, for the use of renewable energy covering the entire energy needs for the activities at its headquarters, in addition to the implementation of a paperless strategy with the digitalisation of paper documentation, reducing the environmental impact of operations.

To increase energy efficiency and well-being for the people who work in Tempco, in our offices and in the workshop, heat pumps have also been introduced, and the replacement with LED lamps has been completed for 100% of the lighting systems.

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Printed circuit exchangers PCHE for hydrogen refuelling stations at the Hamburg Messe

27/09/2024

Tempco is participating with our partner for PCHE printed circuit exchangers, Microchannel Devices, at the Hydrogen Technology Expo in Hamburg, scheduled at the Hamburg Messe in Germany on October 23-24.

After the Italian appointment with Hydrogen Expo in September and the June one with the Hydrogen Technology Expo in Houston, Texas, we are back with another European fair to present the advantages of the application of single and multistream PCHE heat exchangers in hydrogen refueling stations.

Hydrogen refueling stations are a key enabler for the widespread adoption of hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicles for the sustainable mobility of the future using renewable energy. A key aspect of these stations is heat management during the hydrogen compression and distribution process. Printed Circuit Heat Exchangers (PCHE) play a fundamental role in this context, offering high efficiency and reliability, thanks to the ability to manage the gas at the high pressures imposed by this kind of applications.

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What are PCHE heat exchangers? 

Printed Circuit Heat Exchangers (PCHE) are highly efficient thermal management devices used to transfer heat between two or more fluids. These innovative heat exchangers are made using the photo-etching technique on metal sheets, creating microchannels through which the fluids pass. The engraved sheets are then welded into a single block using a process called diffusion bonding, which joins the sheets at an atomic level, creating a very solid and compact structure.

The high structural robustness of PCHE exchangers therefore allows it to meet the extreme operating conditions imposed by emerging high-pressure hydrogen cooling applications, and in particular for hydrogen refueling stations.

Come visit us and discover all the benefits of PCHE exchangers for hydrogen refueling stations with Tempco and Microchannel Devices at the Hydrogen Technology Expo in Hamburg, 23-24 October 2024.

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Thermoregulation during the production phases of cosmetic creams

20/09/2024

In the cosmetic cream production sector, Tempco has supplied a series of TREG thermoregulation units to machine builders and final cosmetics producers.

A precise and fine control of the temperature in the production of cosmetic creams is indeed essential to ensure the quality, stability and effectiveness of the final product.

Tempco centraline termoregolazione TREG produzione creme cosmetiche

During the production process of cosmetic creams, temperature affects several critical phases, which include:

Mixing ingredients: many ingredients used in cosmetic creams, such as oils, emulsifiers and preservatives, must be dissolved or held at a certain temperature to mix properly. A careful temperature control prevents ingredients from separating or degrading.
Emulsification: creams are often emulsions, that is mixtures of water and oils. The temperature must be precisely controlled during the emulsification phase to ensure uniform distribution of phases and a homogeneous texture of the product.
Cooling: after the emulsification step, it is essential to cool the product at a controlled rate to avoid phase separation or the formation of unwanted crystals. Cooling too quickly or too slowly can compromise the consistency and stability of the cream.
Product stability: ensuring the proper controlled temperature during production and packaging helps to preserve the chemical and microbiological stability of the product, preventing alterations over time.
Safety: avoiding excessive temperatures prevents thermal degradation of sensitive active ingredients, which could reduce the effectiveness of the cream or generate potentially irritating secondary products.

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PCHE exchangers for hydrogen refuelling stations at Hydrogen Expo

10/09/2024

Let’s gonna talk again about PCHE, printed circuit heat exchangers. This week Tempco is participating at the Hydrogen Expo, in Piacenza, Italy (hosted by the MCD stand in Pav.1 Booth B118), an exhibition dedicated to the hydrogen technologies. Tempco will be present because this is a very interesting market with very interesting applications, and especially with regard to hydrogen distribution applications.

Everyone is involved in problems related to mobility and sustainability, and one of the incoming solutions for the near future is related to cars or anyway transports and vehicles using hydrogen as energy source in the powertrain. Hydrogen both as a direct source of energy for internal combustion engines or as indirect source of energy to power electric engines in electric vehicles and e-mobility solutions.

Tempco scambiatori PCHE sistemi distribuzione idrogeno refueling

In fact, we are especially speaking about hydrogen distribution stations, for the refueling of cars and vehicles powered with hydrogen, thus employing hydrogen powered engines. In particular, these distribution systems require the presence of heat exchangers in order to decrease the hydrogen temperature during the refueling operations for these kind of vehicles, cars, buses, trucks or whatever. Decreasing the hydrogen temperature and storing a high pressure volume of it aiming at lowering refueling times and to be able to store the hydrogen at the proper pressure level.

Tempco scambiatori PCHE sistemi distribuzione idrogeno hydrogen refueling stations

PCHE exchangers, thanks to their peculiar characteristics, consisting in being fully manufactured in stainless steel, completely welded, and thus constructed in a compatible material, being full-inox, these exchangers are the ideal solution for hydrogen cooling tasks.

We have seen it already in other videos focused on PCHE exchangers employed in multi-stage compressors for hydrogen and technical gases. In this case a mono-stage exchanger is employed for the direct cooling of hydrogen but with very high operating pressures.

The application is very intriguing. If you’re interested, come visit us in Piacenza at Hydrogen Expo, Pav. 1 Booth B118, or contact us.