There are a number of factors to consider when selecting a material for building, new product development and manufacturing. For many years, the go to material has been steel for a number of different kinds of products. This is at least partially due to the familiarity so many engineers, developers and builders had with the versatile material. It is corrosion resistant,stiff, impervious to UV damage, strong and can withstand contact with a number of chemical substances. It is also very heavy. Manufacturers and others have been looking to other materials. Cooling tower manufacturers, for instance, need to balance stability with efficiency and durability. The best cooling towers today are made from corrosion resistant engineered plastic.
There are a number of reasons this is the best material for cooling towers. Here are a few examples:
- Cooling tower systems made from plastic resist corrosion. They do not call it “corrosion proof” engineered plastic for no reason. This kind of material does not need protective coatings to be applied the way metals such as steel do. It is guaranteed to not flake, rust, peel or chip. While all steel manufacturers counter that their products are galvanized, a process which is said to protect the underlying metal, it is really only a delaying technique.
- Cooling tower structures made from plastic last longer. Perhaps it seems like it should be a given that a product that is corrosion resistant will last longer but it is important enough to repeat. Not only will the individual cooling tower selections last longer when made out of this material but the integrity of the entire structure is stronger and will last a lot longer than if the system was made of metal, any kind of metal.
- Plastic cooling tower systems are lighter. By virtue of their composition, plastics are far less dense than metals. For example, a corrosive resistant plastic will be at least six times less dense than a metal material such as zinc.
- Seamless cooling towers are possible with plastics. When corrosion resistant plastics are used, parts are consolidated. This basically means that one injection molding process can create one piece that will replace several metal parts. The cooling tower structures are much more energy efficient and less costly to run. To give you an example, if you have a thousand ton cooling system and can achieve an energy efficiency improvement of merely 5%, you will end up saving about $10,000 each year. That is from a savings of more than 90,000 kW hours.
- Cooling tower systems are much better for the environment. By saving 90,000 kW hours, you are not only saving money for your business but you are reducing your carbon footprint. There are a number of reasons that this is a good thing for the planet and your company’s bottom line.
- These structures take a lot less maintenance. Cooling tower systems that are made from corrosion resistant engineered plastic are a whole lot easier to maintain than those made from traditional materials such as metal. They do not have coatings that need to be reapplied, monitored or maintained. Because there are many fewer parts in these cooling tower systems, there is a lot less than can break down and need to be repaired or replaced.
- These are easier to construct. Because cooling tower structures that are made of materials like steel and other metals have more parts, they take longer to construct. Whether you are building a new facility or are making upgrades to an existing one, reducing construction time is always a good thing. Cooling systems that are made from a corrosion resistant plastic are made from fewer parts and take less time to construct. Some of these systems are referred to as being packaged and can be delivered to a site in as few as one or two sections, making construction much easier.
Plastics have come a long way since their invention. The development of corrosion resistant plastics has made lighter, more efficient and more durable cooling tower systems possible. This has resulted in lower costs for businesses and less of an impact on the environment. When you are looking at different kinds of systems, consider corrosion resistant plastic.
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