Selecting Chillers, Dryers, and Conveyors for Packaging Lines

Thin-wall molds running PP at 220-240°C melt temperature with 15-25°C mold surface temperature require aggressive cooling. The heat load formula is Q = m x Cp x delta-T, where m is the throughput in kg/hr. An 8-cavity yogurt cup mold producing 6g cups at 4.5s cycles generates roughly 38.4 kg/hr of PP, requiring approximately 18-22 kW of cooling capacity. For an HWAMDA HMD 400M8-SPV running food containers at 3,500-4,000 kN clamping force, specify a process chiller delivering 25-30 kW at 10°C supply water temperature with a flow rate of 80-120 L/min. Water-cooled chillers from brands like Piovan, Matsui, or Chinese suppliers such as Kaifeng offer COP values of 3.5-4.2, translating to energy costs of $0.8-1.2 per hour. Always install a secondary mold temperature controller (MTC) capable of maintaining +/-0.5°C stability, as temperature fluctuations beyond 1°C cause dimensional variation exceeding 0.02mm on 0.4mm wall cups.

Parts exiting a thin-wall mold at cycle times of 3.5-5.0 seconds require conveyor systems that prevent stacking damage and enable efficient downstream handling. For cup and container production on the HWAMDA SPV5 series, a SWITEK side-entry robot with 0.6-0.8 second take-out time feeds parts onto a flat belt conveyor running at 15-25 m/min. Conveyor width should match or exceed the mold pitch spacing, typically 800-1,200mm for 4-8 cavity molds. Automatic stacking and counting systems from SWITEK or Campetella integrate directly with the IML robot, stacking cups in nested columns of 25-50 units for cartoning. For food-grade applications, specify FDA/EU 10/2011-compliant belt materials in white polyurethane or silicone. Budget $5,000-12,000 for a basic belt conveyor with counting, or $25,000-45,000 for an integrated stacking-packaging system. Consider adding a vision inspection station between the robot and stacker to reject defective parts at speeds up to 800 parts/min.

Precise mold temperature control is the single largest factor affecting thin-wall part quality after injection speed. For PP yogurt cups with 0.35-0.45mm walls, maintain cavity-side temperature at 18-25°C and core-side at 15-22°C using separate MTC circuits. Water flow through conformal cooling channels requires 3-5 bar pressure with turbulent flow (Reynolds number above 10,000) to achieve optimal heat transfer coefficients of 3,000-5,000 W/m2K. Specify pressurized water MTCs with 9-12 kW heating capacity and 24-36 kW cooling capacity from manufacturers like GWK, Tool-Temp, or Regloplas. Chinese alternatives from Aocheng or Ounensi offer comparable performance at 40-60% lower cost, priced at $2,000-4,500 per unit. Install flow meters on each cooling circuit to monitor water flow rates of 8-15 L/min per circuit. Cooling water treatment with corrosion inhibitors and biocides extends mold life and maintains heat transfer efficiency, preventing the 15-30% degradation in cooling performance that occurs with untreated water over 6-12 months.

A fully equipped HWAMDA SPV5 thin-wall production cell requires $35,000-85,000 in auxiliary equipment, depending on automation level and brand selection. The breakdown for a typical 400-ton cell producing IML yogurt cups includes: process chiller $8,000-15,000, mold temperature controllers (2 units) $4,000-9,000, dehumidifying dryer $3,000-6,000, vacuum loaders $2,000-4,000, gravimetric blender $5,000-12,000, conveyor system $5,000-12,000, granulator $2,500-5,000, and central control integration $3,000-8,000. European auxiliary brands (Piovan, Motan, GWK) command 50-100% price premiums over Chinese equivalents but offer faster global service response. When purchasing a turnkey line from HWAMDA, request auxiliary equipment bundling for 10-15% package discounts. Ensure all auxiliaries operate on the same communication protocol (typically Euromap 77 or OPC-UA) for centralized monitoring through the INOVA controller. Plan factory utilities for 3-phase 380-440V power supply, compressed air at 6-8 bar, and cooling water infrastructure with 30-40% overcapacity for future expansion.