Vietnam Injection Molding Factory Cuts Scrap Rate 35% with HBC-10(D) Packaged Chiller

BINH DUONG, Vietnam \u2013 A mid-sized injection molding factory in the VSIP II industrial park has reported significant cost savings and quality improvements after replacing its aging water-cooled chiller and cooling tower system with the HBC-10(D) 10-ton packaged industrial water chiller from AGS Chiller.

The Challenge

The factory operates 8 injection molding machines producing plastic components for electronics and home appliances. The existing cooling system relied on a water-cooled chiller paired with an external cooling tower, a setup that had accumulated years of problems:

\n
• Cooling tower maintenance required chemical treatment twice monthly due to rapid algae growth in Vietnam's tropical climate
\n
• The brazed plate evaporator had developed calcium scaling from hard bore well water, reducing heat transfer efficiency
\n
• Mold temperature fluctuated by \u00b14\u00b0C, causing inconsistent product dimensions and a scrap rate hovering at 8%
\n
• Afternoon voltage drops frequently triggered the chiller's overload protection, causing unscheduled production stops
\n

\"Every time the chiller tripped, we lost 2 to 3 hours of output,\" said the factory's production manager. \"With the tight delivery schedules our buyers demand, that was becoming unacceptable.\"

The Solution

AGS Chiller recommended the HBC-10(D) 10-ton (30.5kW) packaged industrial water chiller. The unit arrived as a complete system with built-in 200L water tank and 1.5kW circulation pump, requiring no cooling tower, no additional piping, and no water treatment setup. Installation was completed in one day.

The Results

After three months of continuous operation, the factory documented the following improvements:

The elimination of cooling tower maintenance alone saved approximately $4,400 per year. Combined with the scrap rate reduction and increased output, the factory recovered the full cost of the HBC-10(D) within the first three months.

\"Before, we budgeted for chiller repairs like a recurring expense. Now we don't think about the chiller at all. It just runs,\" the production manager noted.

Key Success Factors

Shell-and-tube evaporator. With bore well water that would destroy a plate heat exchanger within 3 years, the 8-to-12-year service life of the shell-and-tube design was a deciding factor.

All-in-one packaged design. No cooling tower saved installation time, maintenance burden, and floor space.

Copeland scroll compressor. Local availability of replacement parts through Vietnam's supply chain meant no waiting for imports.

R410a compliance. The refrigerant aligns with Vietnam's HCFC Phase-Out Management Plan.