Tempco Blog articles

Thermoregulation in cocoa bean roasting

18/07/2025

We’ve previously discussed the importance of heat management and the use of thermoregulation units in chocolate production. This fascinating and thermally sensitive production process involves a multitude of chocolate processing steps that require precise and accurate temperature control to achieve a high-quality product.

The overall production starts with the roasting process, the first step in transforming cocoa beans into chocolate. It’s during this crucial phase that the product’s characteristic aromas develop, when the beans are heated to temperatures between 110 and 160°C. This is a highly delicate step, as each cocoa variety requires very specific temperatures to fully release its aromatic potential without burning.

Illustrative image of the importance of temperature control and Tempco thermoregulation in the cocoa bean roasting phase, the first step in chocolate production.

This is where Tempco‘s temperature control units are employed, ensuring precise temperature control, preventing sudden changes that could ruin the product and compromise the entire manufacturing process. Furthermore, maintaining a stable temperature throughout the roasting phase helps preserve the cocoa’s nutritional and organoleptic properties. Perfect roasting, enabled by precise temperature control, is the foundation for creating high-quality chocolate that can compete on the market.

We will soon dedicate further articles to the subsequent phases, and the temperature control applications required for the refining, conching, tempering, and shaping with final cooling, respectively.

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A holistic approach to heat transfer systems: the value rises beyond initial cost

11/07/2025

The image below shows a new three flow PCHE excganger (printed circuit heat exchanger) for hydrogen compressors that we built for a new order. Specifically, it’s a hydrogen refueling station in Monfalcone, where three PCHEs will be installed, serving both heavy-duty and light-duty vehicles.

This important new order for Tempco confirms the growing attention this innovative type of heat exchanger is attracting. Therefore it leads to a broader reflection on the concept of a holistic approach to heat transfer systems. In fact, nowadays it’s necessary to go beyond the evaluation of the mere initial cost of a heat exchanger, as industrial thermal engineering involves a series of more complex challenges.

Image of a three-flow PCHE heat exchanger made by Tempco for installation in a hydrogen refueling station

There are many factors to consider:

  • Energy efficiency
  • Installation space and compactness
  • Reliability
  • Ease of maintenance
  • Reduced start-up times
  • Sustainability of the investment

Given all these requirements, limiting the assessment solely to the economics of the initial cost of the equipment risks to provide a too narrow perspective. A holistic approach to thermal transfer systems is therefore needed, taking account of the entire life cycle of the system. This approach should consider not only the technology’s purchase cost, but also operating costs, potential system downtime, energy efficiency, and integration flexibility.

PCHE vs. Shell and tube: a comparison beyond price
A prime example is the comparison between PCHE exchangers and traditional shell and tube exchangers. At first glance, PCHEs may seem less competitive in terms of initial cost of the unit. However, a holistic analysis reveals a somewhat different picture:

Image illustrating the comparison between PCHE and shell-and-tube heat exchangers from various perspectives in a holistic approach to heat transfer systems.

Value is measured over time
A holistic approach therefore also includes considering the overall return of investment (ROI). Thanks to their high heat transfer efficiency, PCHEs reduce energy consumption and improve the overall performance of the production process they serve. In many cases, the initial cost pays off in just a few years, especially in sectors where every percentage point of efficiency makes a difference (hydrogen, cryogenics, power-to-gas, fine chemicals). Furthermore, in modular projects and applications where compactness and safety are crucial (such as hydrogen refueling stations), PCHEs represent the only possible technical solution.

Therefore, choosing the most suitable technology for a given application means looking beyond the initial purchase price. It means adopting a holistic view that takes into account the entire life cycle of the system, and not just the cost of the equipment. From this perspective, PCHEs, although more expensive to purchase, offer superior and sustainable value over time, making them the strategic choice for those looking forward to the future.

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Tempco TREG thermoregulation units in power electronics

04/07/2025

Power electronics is an application field where temperature management plays a crucial role. Devices such as converters, IGBT modules and MOSFETs (power transistors used to control the flow of power in electronic applications) require precise thermal control to ensure efficiency and operational reliability.

TREG thermoregulation units offer an optimal solution for these temperature control needs related to electronic devices.

Main Applications
1. Power converters:
◦ Thermal control in converters ensures energy efficiency and protection from overheating.
◦ TREG temperature control units allow to maintain constant temperatures even in variable operating conditions.

2. IGBT and MOSFET modules:
◦ Heat dissipation is essential to avoid failures and improve lifespan.
◦ Tempco offers precise solutions to maintain optimal operating temperatures.
3. Server and data center cooling systems:
◦ Data centers require efficient cooling systems to avoid interruptions.
◦ TREG thermoregulation units ensure uniform control, improving the overall efficiency of the system and being also able to work with dielectric fluids

Illustrative image of power electronics and transistors for which TREG temperature control units are used for cooling and thermal control

Advantages of Tempco thermoregulation units
• Precision and stability: temperatures controlled with minimum tolerances.
• Energy efficiency: optimization of consumption during cooling and heating tasks.
• Safety: reduction of the risk of overheating and failures.

Thanks to the use of TREG temperature control units, by virtue of precise and controlled thermoregulation, power electronics can achieve higher levels of efficiency and reliability, contributing to improve the overall performance of the devices and systems involved.

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Thermoregulation in research and development in pharma labs

27/06/2025

In pharmaceutical laboratories, temperature control is one of the most critical challenges to ensure reliable and safe results during the research and development processes of new drugs and active ingredients. For this specific field of application, TREG thermoregulation units represent an ideal solution, offering the required levels of precision, reliability and operational flexibility.

Main applications of TREG units in pharma labs

  1. Controlled chemical synthesis:
    ◦ Chemical synthesis processes require stable thermal conditions to obtain reproducible reactions, inside the reactors
    ◦ TREG thermoregulation units guarantee precise control in both heating and cooling, reducing thermal transition times
    ◦ Operational simplicity with the monofluid system
  2. Stability testing:
    ◦ Drugs must undergo rigorous stability testing at different temperatures.
    ◦ The TREG temperature control unit ensures uniform temperature regulation over long periods, which is essential to comply with the imposed standards.
  3. Testing of new active ingredients:
    ◦ In the search for new molecules, TREG control units allow to manage complex tests involving various thermal steps.
    ◦ By combining a TREG with a data recorder, it is possible to monitor these results a posteriori with a more effective analysis.

Immagine di una centralina di termoregolazione TREG soluzione ideale per il controllo della temperatura nei laboratori farmaceutici

Advantages of TREG thermoregulation units
• Precision: accurate temperature control with tight tolerances.
• Reliability: robust design for intensive use.
• CE PED ATEX regulatory compliance

TREG temperature control units therefore represent a strategic resource for pharmaceutical laboratories that aim to guarantee excellence in development processes and regulatory compliance.

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Safety devices and alarms on thermoregulation units

20/06/2025

I wanted to close our video series dedicated to Tempco thermoregulating units with a new one dedicated to the safety systems on thermoregulation units. Thermoregulation units are a sort of boilers equipped with electric heating and a cooling section. These are in fact a quite simple kind of machines. They have very few components, heating electrical resistors, a circulation pump for water and typically a heat exchanger for the cooling task.

These components are very simple, and so are these units overall, and they are intended for a quite simple task as well, the regulation of a certain temperature and the task to maintain it. BUT, these units must have absolute safety systems. That’s because these machines, employing electrical resistors, whether they are working with oil, water or pressurized water, these machines involve some risks, due to the fact that if the electrical heating resistors remain turned on, without a proper water circulation, the temperature rises up to very high levels. And thus the pressure rises up as well, in case of pressurized water units, and the temperature inflammability point rises, in case of units working with oil. Therefore, all of these units are equipped with hardware safety devices.

It means that for sure on heating resistors we install safety thermostats, mechanical safety thermostats or thermal fuses that must be replaced after their intervention. And these safety devices are aimed at cutting off the functioning of the unit, they turn it off, by switching off the heating resistors and the circulating pump as well.

In case of lack of water, there are pressure switches, or flow meters or level switches that can block the unit, by switching off the resistors and the pump by signaling their intervention with an alarm.This is all aimed at avoiding problems. It is therefore very important that all of these safety devices are on and properly functioning and are not tampered with or bypassed. Because otherwise they can represent a potential source of risk.

 

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Special Tempco shell and tube exchangers for high temperature oil

13/06/2025

For our Tempco thermoregulating units, we manufacture internally special heat exchangers for high-temperature oil. Specifically, these are shell and tube exchangers that can work at temperatures of up to 300° C.

Due to the particularity of the application, shell and tube exchangers are used because brazed plate exchangers have a working temperature limit of 200° C. There are in fact also models that can work at higher temperatures, but they have costs and limitations in terms of cleaning and fouling that would compromise their use with diathermic oil in these extreme high-temperature conditions.

L'immagine mostra uno scambiatore a fascio tubiero per olio ad alta temperatura realizzato da Tempco per le centraline di termoregolazione

To ensure full control over the construction standards and the ready availability of these special TCFT HT shell and tube exchangers for high temperature oil, we have therefore decided to bring their construction in-house, and to market them to make available to the market a device that is difficult to find when the working conditions become so extreme.

The TCFT HT exchangers exist in a full stainless steel version and with the possibility of making the casing in carbon steel. The brochure below contains all the technical characteristics of these exchangers.

L'immagine mostra la brochure tecnica degli speciali scambiatori a fascio tubiero Tempco per olio ad alta temperatura
L'immagine mostra la brochure tecnica degli speciali scambiatori a fascio tubiero Tempco per olio ad alta temperatura per unità di termoregolazione
L'immagine mostra la brochure tecnica degli speciali scambiatori a fascio tubiero Tempco per olio ad alta temperatura per unità di termoregolazione
L'immagine mostra la brochure tecnica degli speciali scambiatori a fascio tubiero Tempco per olio ad alta temperatura per unità di termoregolazione

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Exchangers in cogeneration plant operating for over ten years

06/06/2025

In the images of this post you can see a cogeneration system realized by Tempco and that has been in operation since 2014, equipped with our heat exchangers.

Cogeneration plants involve different applications for heat exchangers, as they allow to further increase the efficiency of the process. The use of heat exhangers in cogeneration starts from the pre-treatment of the biogas, an operation aimed at eliminating the impurities and humidity present in the biofuel to preserve the engine, up to the heat recovery from the exhaust fumes of the engine itself using shell and tube exchangers, maximizing the amount of thermal energy that the system can generate.

Immagine che mostra un impianto di cogenerazione installato nel 2014 con scambiatori Tempco

In this case, the Tempco exchangers work both on the jackets, with a brazed plate exchanger, and on heat recovery from exhaust fumes, with a shell and tube exchanger.

Immagine che mostra il dettaglio di uno scambiatore a fascio tubiero di Tempco installato in impianto di cogenerazione

After 11 years of work, the customer then called us requiring a replacement of the gaskets on the flanges, which had worn out over time. At the time of installation, Tempco had supplied the exchangers, while the customer preferred to rely on another supplier for the gaskets, although to be fair, these are anyway components subject to wear and therefore requiring maintenance.

Immagine delle flange in impianto di cogenerazione realizzato da Tempco con scambiatori di calore in funzione dal 2014

Overall, we can say that we are very satisfied with the successful application realized for this customer.

Immagine che mostra la targhetta dell’installazione Tempco di due scambiatori di calore su un impianto di cogenerazione

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Preventive maintenance and the importance of alarms in thermoregulation

30/05/2025

Images of ordinary maintenance of thermoregulation systems… or rather, not exactly ordinary, luckily. In this case, it is true to say that we found ourselves in front of electric heaters that had literally ‘exploded’.

L'immagine mostra un riscaldatore elettrico scoppiato, durante intervento di manutenzione su un termoregolatore

This happened because the user had committed a serious imprudence: following the intervention of the high temperature safety thermostat, he had in fact ignored the alarm ‘bypassing’ it. The alarm was caused by poor oil circulation, for reasons related to fouling of the plant.

The scarce oil circulation therefore caused the intervention of the maximum temperature thermostat. By bypassing it, the customer caused the electrical resistances to break. Fortunately, everything was resolved with a shutdown of the thermoregulator, but the imprudence could have had even more serious consequences, for example if the oil had caught fire…

L'immagine mostra il dettaglio di un riscaldatore elettrico scoppiato, durante intervento di manutenzione su un termoregolatore

L'immagine mostra il dettaglio di un riscaldatore elettrico scoppiato, durante intervento di manutenzione su un termoregolatore

Preventive maintenance, evaluation of the manufacturer’s alarms, requesting the intervention of the service or telephone assistance, would have prevented everything.

L'immagine mostra il dettaglio di una resistenza elettrica scoppiata, durante intervento di manutenzione su un termoregolatore

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PCHE heat exchangers, multi-stream solution for interstage cooling

23/05/2025

Following with the series of articles on multi-stage compressors, PCHE (Printed Circuit Heat Exchangers) heat exchangers represent a cutting-edge solution for interstage cooling, capable of managing complex flows in a compact design. Their multi-stream structure allows indeed for the integration of multiple heat flows in a single device, reducing space and complexity.

Critical advantages of PCHEs:
1. High thermal efficiency:
◦ Microstructured channels that maximize heat transfer.
◦ Reduction of energy losses.
2. Compactness:
◦ Extremely compact design, ideal for systems with limited space.
3. Resistance to extreme conditions:
◦ Designed to handle high pressures and temperatures, making them perfect for applications with hydrogen and other technical gases.
4. Versatility:
◦ Possibility of integrating multiple heat flows in a single device, reducing the number of equipment required.

L'immagine mostra la struttura a microcanali delle piastre negli scambiatori PCHE ideali per applicazioni di raffreddamento multi-stream

Microchannels pattern in the plates of PCHE heat exchangers

Disadvantages:
• High initial cost:
◦ PCHEs require a higher initial investment compared to traditional solutions.
• Clean or filtered fluids:
◦ Cleaning of microstructured channels may require specific techniques, so it is preferable to have filtered or otherwise clean fluids

Why then choose PCHEs? Despite the disadvantages, PCHE exchangers represent a strategic choice for critical applications where efficiency, compactness and resistance are essential. In particular, in the hydrogen sector, PCHEs offer a competitive advantage in terms of performance and sustainability, becoming a key technology for the energy transition.

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Revamping and corrosion protection of cooling radiators in marine installation

16/05/2025

The images of a recent replacement and revamping intervention that we carried out in Tempco for a system installed in a marine climate speak for themselves: in a marine environment, with exposure to aggressive agents, the correct protection of the radiator fin pack is crucial to ensure the necessary duration and operational reliability of the cooling system.

The photos taken before the replacement intervention show very clearly the state of serious corrosion of the radiator thermal transfer pack fins.

L'immagine mostra radiatori installati in ambiente marino con corrosione del pacco alettato

L'immagine mostra in dettaglio lo stato dei radiatori installati in ambiente marino con corrosione del pacco alettato

L'immagine mostra radiatori di raffreddamento installati in ambiente marino con corrosione del pacco alettato

L'immagine mostra il sito di installazione in ambiente marino di radiatori di raffreddamento con corrosione del pacco alettato

We therefore proceeded to replace and revamp the system, installing thermal exchange batteries with a special ELECTROFIN treatment. The ElectroFin treatment is a special anti-corrosion protective coating that is applied by electrodeposition, which ensures the correct protection of the fin pack from the aggressive agents to which the systems and equipment are exposed in a saline/marine environment.

L'immagine mostra radiatori di raffreddamento con trattamento ElectroFin per protezione dalla corrosione del pacco alettato in ambiente marino
L'immagine mostra l'intervento di sostituzione e revamping di radiatori di raffreddamento con trattamento ElectroFin per protezione dalla corrosione del pacco alettato in ambiente marino

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TEMPCO researches and develops systems and solutions for cooling, heating, control temperature and heat exchange in different industrial processes.

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