When powerful textile machines run continuously, components reach their limits. Effective and precise cooling is then often the best way to extend the service life of motors, for example, and so ensure process reliability.
In this application, our cost-effective Adjustable Spot Cooler is used for this purpose. It is easy to operate and simple to retrofit. The result is a real success story.
Drive technology at its limit
A US clothing manufacturer was unhappy with the service life of its industrial knitting machines. The reason: the high-speed, high-temperature bearings fitted in the couplings of its 128 spindle motors regularly failed before the end of their intended service life.
Fans and electric blowers were used for cooling. Even so, there were frequent production stoppages whenever a bearing had to be replaced and machines stood idle as a result. The repair costs involved in overhauling failed equipment also added up.
View of a bearing housing
Small costs add up
Extra labour, sourcing new components and unplanned machine downtime: in our case study, the calculated costs including lost production come to around 1,925 USD per bearing failure. With around 180 premature failures a year on the twelve most frequently affected knitting machines alone, this already adds up to the considerable sum of almost 350,000 USD per year, which the textile manufacturer no longer wanted to lose unnecessarily.
After individual consultation, the American company opted this time for the Adjustable Spot Cooler system. This is an adjustable spot cooler that uses air as the cooling medium.
Two hose outlets for perfect cooling
To cool the bearings at risk of failure, model 3925 was recommended, which has two separate cold air outlets. The two flexible hose outlets ensure that the cold air reaches all the points where it is needed.
On all versions, airflow and air temperature can be easily adjusted with a knob. Another plus: the unit is maintenance-free, space-saving and ready for immediate use.
Adjustable Spot Cooler 3925 with hose system
How the Adjustable Spot Cooler works
The Adjustable Spot Cooler always works without liquid coolant. Instead, ordinary compressed air is passed through a vortex tube, where it is converted into two low-pressure streams (hot and cold). While the hot air is released into the hall through a muffler, the cold airstream flows through a flexible hose. Its tip can be positioned exactly where needed, so cooling is very precise. The swivel magnetic base also helps here, as it makes installation particularly flexible. The adjustable spot cooler operates quietly (max. 75 dBA) and requires no electricity.
Maintenance-free spot cooling: the vortex tube reliably supplies cold air.