1. Significant Energy Savings

The most immediate advantage is the reduction in electricity consumption. Without insulation, a massive amount of heat is lost to the surrounding air via radiation and convection.

• Reduced Duty Cycle: By trapping heat, blankets ensure that the heater bands reach their set point faster and stay there longer without drawing power.

• Lower Ambient Load: In a typical facility, uninsulated barrels act like giant radiators. This forces your plant’s HVAC or ventilation systems to work harder to cool the workspace. Insulating the machines reduces this secondary "cooling energy" cost.

• Typical Impact: Most industrial studies show energy savings between 30% and 50% on the heating portion of the process, often resulting in a return on investment (ROI) of less than 12 months.

2. Improved Process Stability and Quality

Coextrusion, in particular, requires extremely tight temperature control to ensure that multiple layers of different resins bond correctly and flow at the same rate.

• Elimination of Hot/Cold Spots: Blankets provide a more uniform "heat envelope" around the barrel, preventing drafts or environmental temperature swings from creating localized cold spots that could lead to unmelted resin or "gel" defects.

• Faster Start-up: Because the insulation retains residual heat from previous runs and prevents new heat from escaping, machines reach operating temperature significantly faster after a shutdown, reducing downtime.

• Consistent Viscosity: A more stable thermal profile leads to more consistent melt viscosity, which improves part dimensions and reduces scrap rates.

3. Enhanced Operator Safety and Comfort

Manufacturing floors for plastics can become dangerously hot, especially near the extrusion die or the injection unit.

• Burn Prevention: Insulation blankets typically reduce the external surface temperature from several hundred degrees to a level that is safe to touch (often below 60°C or 140°F), drastically reducing the risk of contact burns.

• Improved Environment: By lowering the ambient temperature of the plant, you reduce heat fatigue for operators, which directly correlates to fewer accidents and higher productivity.