As winter approaches, manufacturers who dispense coatings, sealants, adhesives, and other fluids face the unique challenge of colder temperatures. While winter brings a welcome reprieve from the summer heat, it can create significant complications for production processes that rely on the proper flow and application of fluids.

Lower temperatures increase the viscosity of these fluids, leading to inconsistencies in application, quality issues, and potential equipment damage. So, how can manufacturers prepare for these challenges and ensure smooth, efficient operations during the colder months?

Common Strategies for Managing Cold Temperatures

There are several strategies manufacturers commonly implement to mitigate the impact of colder temperatures. Let’s take a closer look at some of the most frequently used techniques.

1. Adjusting Staging Practices

One common approach is to adjust staging practices to keep fluids, such as paints and adhesives, closer to optimal temperatures. This could involve storing materials in heated rooms or staging them in areas where temperatures are more controlled. However, while this can keep the fluids at an appropriate temperature for application, it introduces logistical challenges, especially during warmer months. In the summer, maintaining these controlled environments can be expensive and unnecessary, and during the winter, increased energy usage could significantly impact operational costs.

2. Developing Summer and Winter Blends

Another strategy involves developing separate summer and winter formulations of fluids to account for temperature variations. Winter blends are often adjusted to have a lower viscosity to account for the cold. It allows for greater control over application, but it also complicates inventory management. Manufacturers must track multiple part numbers and ensure the right formulations are used in the appropriate seasons. It gets even murkier when dealing with various colors because slight formulation changes could result in subtle differences in final product appearance.

3. Increased Solvent Use

To address the challenges of thicker fluids in cold temperatures, some manufacturers increase the use of solvents in their formulations. While solvents can help thin out the fluid, they also come with significant risks. Using too much solvent can alter the chemistry of the original material and potentially introduce defects, such as poor adhesion or finishes. Solvent-related issues can affect product quality and increase the likelihood of rework or waste.

4. Installing Paint Heaters

Paint heaters are another common solution for cold-weather fluid dispensing. These devices are designed to raise the temperature of paints and other fluids before application, ensuring the material is dispensed at the right viscosity. However, paint heaters come with their own set of challenges. Their low surface area requires the use of localized heat, which can potentially damage or prematurely cure the material. Additionally, heaters must be positioned far from the spray booth due to explosion risks, which can expose the material to variable ambient temperatures during transport to the point of application.

5. Insulation

Insulation is often used as a supplementary measure to prevent fluid temperatures from dropping as they move through the dispensing system. Insulation can help mitigate some heat losses to ambient temperatures, but it is usually ineffective unless paired with active temperature control systems. Without consistent temperature management, the benefits of insulation are limited.

6. Using Pressure Changes

Some manufacturers rely on pressure changes in the dispensing process to help manage viscosity in cold temperatures. This method can allow thicker fluids to be dispensed more easily. However, pressure adjustments often lead to overspray and material waste, which can result in higher costs and inefficiencies in production.

Long-Term Solutions vs. Temporary Fixes

While the adjustments I just listed can help mitigate the immediate challenges posed by cold weather, they often serve as temporary fixes. Most of these methods involve combating temperature change rather than embracing it as an element to optimize operations. This reactive (rather than proactive) approach leaves operations vulnerable to inefficiency, product defects, and unnecessary waste.

A Proactive Approach: Saint Clair Systems’ Point-of-Application Temperature Control

Our approach is to always maintain precise temperature control of the material—morning, day, and night, through every season of the year. Instead of reacting to changing temperature, we proactively control the material where it matters most: at the material’s dispense point.

Our solutions use temperature-controlled water, which is both heated and cooled, to maintain the optimal temperature of the fluid as it is dispensed. We set the temperature at the ideal value. Then, with our temperature control system that sends regulated water to a heat exchanger, we maintain the temperature within +/- 1 degree of that set point. (Which means more cooling in the summer and more heating in the winter.)

This approach offers a long-term, effective solution that ensures consistent fluid viscosity and quality, regardless of the temperature outside. By managing temperature proactively, you can eliminate the uncertainty of winter production and keep your operations running at peak efficiency all year long.