Mould temperature controllers · pressurised water to 140 or 160 °C or heat-transfer oil to 320–360 °C, pumped through die-casting and plastics mould channels, one or two circuits per unit
A mould temperature controller (mould TCU) is a unit set beside the casting or moulding machine: a pump drives water or heat-transfer oil through the mould's channels, a heater brings the mould up to working temperature before the first shot, and a heat exchanger removes the heat each shot puts in. Decide three things first: water or oil for the temperature the mould must run at, heater and pump size for the mould and its channels, and whether one circuit is enough or the fixed and moving halves need separate control.
Mould temperature controllers that circulate pressurised water or heat-transfer oil through the channels of die-casting and plastics moulds: water versus oil units, heater and pump ratings, single- and double-circuit units, mould-side temperature sensing, mould drain and alarms. Units that heat and cool the jackets of reactors and process vessels are covered on the Jacket temperature control system (temperature control unit) page, and pressurised hot-water loops for steel and glass-lined reactor jackets on the Tempered-water temperature control unit for steel and glass-lined reactor jackets (pressurised hot-water loop) page. Machine-side chillers and combined chiller–temperature control units for plastics and rubber moulds are covered on the Mould cooling unit for plastic and rubber moulding machines page, and fired or electric hot-oil plant for process heating on the Thermal fluid (hot oil) heating system page. Panel-mount electronic controllers belong to the Temperature controller page.
Start with your task
01
Longhua's single-circuit die-casting units step up together in heater and pump size: the LH-DCMTC-10Y has an 18 kW heater, a 0.6 kW pump delivering 0.5–30 L/min at 0.5–5 kg/cm²; the 20Y has 24/30 kW, 1.1 kW, 0.5–55 L/min at 0.5–5.5 kg/cm²; the 40Y has 36/48 kW, 2.8 kW, 0.5–80 L/min at 0.5–8 kg/cm². Maximum power consumption is 19, 32 and 51 kW, and the oil pipe connections are 3/4, 3/4 and 1 inch. [1]
Editorial calculation: on the 40Y, 48 kW of heater plus the 2.8 kW pump gives 50.8 kW, which is the 51 kW maximum consumption Longhua lists, so the supply must be sized for the heater, not for the pump. [1]
Tool-Temp's die-casting brochure gives 6 to 48 kW heating capacity for its pressurised water units and 8 to 48 kW for its oil units, and adds that the unit must be able, in performance terms, to control the mould temperature. It ties the choice to the mould: heating and cooling channels must be large enough for an even temperature distribution, and a large cross-section keeps pressure losses in the mould low. [2]
Tool-Temp also links mould temperature to die life: preheating the mould before casting and keeping the temperature difference between casting and mould low reduces surface stress and delays heat-checking cracks, while casting into a cold mould raises reject rates. [2]
Give the supplier the mould weight and channel layout (number of circuits, channel diameter, connections), the working mould temperature, the cycle time and shot weight, the cooling water available, and the supply voltage.
02
In Tool-Temp's water units the circuit is closed, so static pressure raises the boiling point to 140 °C or 160 °C depending on the model; an expansion tank lets the unit work at low pressure with stable control. Tool-Temp strongly discourages pressurised water units in magnesium processing because of the burn risk. [2]
Above that range the medium is oil. Tool-Temp's oil units run to 360 °C with a closed hot-oil circuit under a cold oil receiver: the expansion tank stays cold in operation, so the oil cannot evaporate or boil in the unit, and the heaters are designed so that the oil does not crack. Its recommended oil is a mineral-based, temperature-stable heat-transfer oil rated to 360 °C. [2]
Longhua's LH-DCMTC units circulate heat-transfer oil from room temperature +30 °C up to 320 °C with PID control to ±1 °C and indirect cooling; expansion tanks are 30 L on the 10Y and 20Y and 56 L on the 40Y. [1]
For a die change Tool-Temp drains the mould: its water units drain the mould and on some models blow the channels dry with compressed air, while its oil units switch to vacuum operation to pull the oil back into a tank sized for the return volume. [2] Editorial note: ask how much oil the mould channels and hoses hold and whether the tank takes it all.
03
Autodesk's Moldflow documentation sets the target for coolant in mould channels: turbulence in water begins between Reynolds numbers 2,300 and 4,000, 4,000 is treated as fully turbulent, and 10,000 is described as the ideal for cooling circuits because pumping losses above it outweigh the heat-transfer gain. [3]
The same pages give the trade-off: in laminar flow heat transfer rises with the cube root of flow, so doubling flow adds about 24%; in fully turbulent flow it rises with the square of the cube root, so doubling flow adds 59%; pumping power rises with the cube of flow, so doubling flow takes eight times the power. [3]
Editorial calculation: 2^(1/3) = 1.26 and 2^(2/3) = 1.59, which are the 24% (rounded) and 59% figures; 2³ = 8 is the pumping factor. Below Reynolds 4,000 the extra pump capacity of a larger unit buys little heat transfer, so check the flow per circuit, not only the pump's maximum L/min. [3]
Tool-Temp units show flow and pressure on digital indicators and can regulate on the tank temperature or on a sensor at the mould. [2]
04
A double-circuit unit carries two heaters and two pumps in one frame, so the fixed and moving mould halves, or two zones, can run at different temperatures; Longhua describes it as heating or cooling different parts of the mould as the process requires. [1]
Editorial calculation: the double-circuit 40Y lists 102 kW maximum consumption against 51 kW for the single-circuit 40Y, exactly twice, so a double unit needs a supply for both circuits at full heat. [1]
| Model | Heating | Pump and flow | Expansion tank | Size L×W×H and weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LH-DCMTC-20Y (single) | 24/30 kW [1] | 1.1 kW; 0.5–55 L/min [1] | 30 L [1] | 1160×420×1100 mm; 156 kg [1] |
| LH-DCMTCS-20Y (double) | (24/30) kW ×2 [1] | 1.1 kW ×2; (0.5–55) L/min ×2 [1] | 55 L [1] | 1300×650×1300 mm; 340 kg [1] |
| LH-DCMTC-40Y (single) | 36/48 kW [1] | 2.8 kW; 0.5–80 L/min [1] | 56 L [1] | 1350×500×1260 mm; 280 kg [1] |
| LH-DCMTCS-40Y (double) | (36/48) kW ×2 [1] | 2.8 kW ×2; (0.5–80) L/min ×2 [1] | 55 L [1] | 1400×650×1500 mm; 370 kg [1] |
05
| Part | What the makers state | Ask for |
|---|---|---|
| Circulation pump | Magnetically coupled pump built for corrosive and solids-laden liquids (Tool-Temp); 0.55–2.8 kW (Longhua). [2] [1] | Flow at your channel pressure drop. |
| Heater | Designed so the oil does not crack (Tool-Temp oil units); 18–48 kW per circuit (Longhua). [2] [1] | Heater kW and surface loading. |
| Cooler | Indirect cooling through a heat exchanger in the cooling-water circuit. [1] [2] | Cooling capacity at mould temperature. |
| Expansion tank | Cold oil receiver above the hot circuit (Tool-Temp); 30–56 L (Longhua). [2] [1] | Volume against channel and hose volume. |
| Mould drain | Compressed-air blow-out on water units; vacuum return on oil units. [2] | Drain method and time. |
| Control and sensing | Tank or mould sensor (Tool-Temp); PID ±1 °C (Longhua). [2] [1] | Mould sensor input and interface to the casting machine. |
| Alarms | Phase loss, oil shortage, overheating, overload, oil overflow, abnormal heating. [1] | Alarm list and safety cut-outs. |
06
Paste it into your enquiry below or into an email to a maker, then replace every bracket.
Mould: [casting or plastics; weight; channel diameter; number of circuits] Temperature: [working mould temperature; preheat target] Medium: [pressurised water or oil; oil type] Unit: [single or double circuit; heater kW; pump L/min and bar] Sensing: [tank or mould sensor; machine interface] Utilities: [cooling water; supply voltage] Die change: [drain method; hose and channel volume]
Longhua lists single- and double-circuit oil units for die casting alongside its die-casting machines.
Lists single- and double-circuit oil mould temperature controllers for die casting, alongside die-casting machines and chillers.
Product scope checked 2026-10-12
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When it runs above what a pressurised water unit reaches: Tool-Temp's water units go to 140 or 160 °C, its oil units to 360 °C. [2]
One frame with two heaters and two pumps, so two mould zones run at different temperatures; Longhua's 40Y double unit lists 2 × 36/48 kW and 2 × 0.5–80 L/min. [1]
Moldflow says gains are small above Reynolds 10,000, while doubling flow takes eight times the pumping power. [3]
Sources checked 2026-10-12. Longhua and Tool-Temp publish data for their own mould temperature controllers; Autodesk's Moldflow help describes coolant flow in mould channels as used in its cooling analysis.
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