SMC Corporation’s foray into a comprehensive range beyond pneumatics has secured them what the company describes as the long-standing title of “world automation leader”.
“From humble beginnings in 1959, our company has continued to innovate and places significant emphasis (and investment) on R&D,” says Ming Liu, product marketing manager for SMC Corporation Australia and New Zealand.
This statement is underpinned by the construction of a new technical centre in Japan, set to open in the ‘Kashiwanoha Smart City’ in Autumn 2025.
Equipped with the latest research and development facilities, the technical centre will be based on the concept of a ‘smart wellness office’ and will strengthen co-operation with other SMC technical centres around the world.
“As it stands, SMC has five technical centres in Japan, China, US, UK and Germany to provide product developments and technical support to more than 80 counties, globally.”
Looking to the company’s range of smart automation solutions, Liu says that SMC’s thermo-chiller offering, features most prominently.
“Spurred on by the need for precise temperature control and the demand for water-saving solutions, SMC’s chiller range has continued to grow in popularity across a wide range of applications such as food processing, packaging lines, laser machining, arc welding and the cooling of die, among others.”
He adds that, “industries making use of heat generating devices such as machine tooling, printing and packaging are at risk of high rejection rates, poor product quality and a lack of overall process reliability, and this is where the thermo-chiller comes in.”
A thermo-chiller uses temperature-controlled circulating fluid to regulate a heat source in both facilities and equipment, and it comes in an array of sizes to deliver on precise temperature ranges.
“The heat is removed by the circulating fluid which is chilled by an air-cooled (or water-cooled) refrigeration circuit. The outlet temperature stability is ±0.1°C within a set temperature range.”
Speaking to the clear-cut key benefit, Ming states that accurate temperature control is vital for productivity. “When properly sized and selected, a thermo-chiller improves the quality of the final product, protects valuable process equipment, and reduces costs.”
However, one of the lesser-known advantages of SMC’s thermo-chillers is their availability on local shores. “SMC stocks a large range of chillers (and spare parts) in Australia and New Zealand. Next day delivery is also available from SMC’s national warehouses. “
He adds that SMC’s thermo-chiller solutions range from standard types to high-level triple inverter type chillers that adapt to the variable heat and flow requirements – achieving substantial power savings of up to 53%.
“We continue to introduce new innovations to the range. This includes an environmentally resistant thermo-chiller with an IP54 rating and a metal panel for protection against dust and water. We also offer a rack mount type chiller for space savings; an inverter type for energy-savings, with a large cooling capacity of 28kw; a low temperature type to support temperatures as low as −10°C and a dual channel type designed specifically for laser cutting machines.”
SMC’s says the range of thermo-chillers puts the power in its customers hands. “Thanks to proactive remote controls, these units offer self-diagnostics which enable customers to anticipate and easily manage any incidents.”
