Top 5 Advantages of Water-Jacket-Cooled Motors in the Plastic Processing Industry

ELIN Motors` pioneering role in water-jacket-cooled motors over the last 50 years has given us a wealth of experience and expertise.

Based on this know-how, we list the top reasons for using water-cooled compared to air-cooled motors in the plastics processing industry for optimal efficiency of your system.

1. High Dynamics and High Torque

A motor with water cooling can operate more dynamically due to waters` 25 times better thermal conductivity than air. The flow-optimized water jacket transfers thermal losses directly into the cooling medium and thus enables a higher power density. A compromise between a small motor with high dynamics but low torque and a large motor with low dynamics but high torque no longer must be found here. Due to the excellent heat dissipation, the water-cooled motor is the ideal solution for dynamic load points.

2. Independent of Cooling Air

In some areas of the plastics processing industry, the ambient air is very dusty. Air-cooled motors can whirl up a lot of dust, clog the motor, and become very warm on the outer surface, which – in the worst case – can cause air-dust mixtures to ignite. The advantage of a water-cooled motor is that these problems do not exist. There are no dangerous ignitions, since the heat is dissipated directly via the water jacket, thus always ensuring a moderate surface temperature.

3. Space Saving

The improved thermal conductivity allows building water-cooled motors to be significantly smaller and more compact than their air-cooled counterparts. This leads to a significant weight reduction and can deliver up to 50% more torque at the same frame size. This design has already proven itself for decades in extruder machines, especially regarding the increasingly limited installation space and optimal space utilization Thanks to the excellent heat dissipation and compact size, several electric motors can also be installed close together without heating the surrounding air or each other.

4. Robust and Reliable

The cooling water jacket is robust, making it mechanically very resistant and does not place any special demands on the water quality. Due to the wide openings of the separating bars in the cooling jacket, it’s impossible for clogging to occur if the water is appropriately filtered before the inlet. In contrast, air-cooled motors tend to overheat due to fan blockage and the resulting lack of cooling capacity, leading to bearing or winding damage and production downtime. The robust design, without any cooling fins, fan blades and cover, brings also advantages in vibrations and a significant noise reduction.

5. Energy Saving and Economical

The simple design of the motors scores with high economy and low maintenance effort. The overall economic efficiency increases significantly with the use of water-jacket-cooled motors. Hardly any energy is needed for cooling, e.g. no external fan, no air conditioner, no air exhaust system, which increase the total losses for the extruder system. ELIN Motors engines comply with current guidelines such as IE for reducing energy consumption.