A review of the recent advances in heat transfer through ducting in the rotational moulding process and the future trends

A common technique for producing large-scale hollow plastic items is rotomoulding. Rotation speed, mould design, and temperature management significantly affect the quality of finished products. A production peak in the rotomoulding business is imminent due to the increasing demand. Though theoretic...

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Main Authors: Sutirtha Chowdhury, Jayantha Epaarachchi, Ahmad Sharifian-Barforoush, Md Mainul Islam
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-05-01
Series:International Journal of Thermofluids
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666202725001867
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author Sutirtha Chowdhury
Jayantha Epaarachchi
Ahmad Sharifian-Barforoush
Md Mainul Islam
author_facet Sutirtha Chowdhury
Jayantha Epaarachchi
Ahmad Sharifian-Barforoush
Md Mainul Islam
author_sort Sutirtha Chowdhury
collection DOAJ
description A common technique for producing large-scale hollow plastic items is rotomoulding. Rotation speed, mould design, and temperature management significantly affect the quality of finished products. A production peak in the rotomoulding business is imminent due to the increasing demand. Though theoretical and experimental data from the previous studies regarding rotational moulding validate their hypothesis but lack of information about practical usage while production time evolves questions about the accuracy and efficiency of innovations. Meanwhile, the lack of sufficient research on the phase transition from the heat source for the rotomoulding procedure led to a great research gap in this field. Nevertheless, conclusions are of substantial value to the subject matter; however, previous studies cannot be regarded as precise in the analysis. Consequently, the review paper sought to emphasise the increasing challenges, such as temperature variation, air leakage, pressure drop, and improved heat distribution techniques. The first phase of the paper involves a discussion and analysis of research findings from the previous decade. The enhancement of the mould area is being proposed based on previous findings to improve heat efficiency. In the second phase, the authors aimed to provide insights into enhancing heat transfer within the ducting system of a rotomoulding oven by exploring duct designs, implementing FADS, and optimising insulation techniques, all while minimising carbon emissions in the process. In addition, the cost-effectiveness of ducted ovens, enhanced insulation processes, and the selection of insulation materials based on oven configuration will yield benefits for rotomoulders in the near future. The authors presented the economic advantages of installing an appropriate ducting system in a rotational moulding machine oven, demonstrating a net annual savings of 12.7 % and a short payback period for an additional investment.
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spelling doaj-art-e44f7de0153741f89340b804849fe58c2025-08-20T03:09:12ZengElsevierInternational Journal of Thermofluids2666-20272025-05-012710123910.1016/j.ijft.2025.101239A review of the recent advances in heat transfer through ducting in the rotational moulding process and the future trendsSutirtha Chowdhury0Jayantha Epaarachchi1Ahmad Sharifian-Barforoush2Md Mainul Islam3School of Engineering, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, QLD 4350, Australia; Centre for Future Materials & Institute of Advanced Engineering and Space Sciences, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, AustraliaSchool of Engineering, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, QLD 4350, Australia; Centre for Future Materials & Institute of Advanced Engineering and Space Sciences, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, AustraliaSchool of Engineering, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, QLD 4350, AustraliaSchool of Engineering, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, QLD 4350, Australia; Centre for Future Materials & Institute of Advanced Engineering and Space Sciences, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, Australia; Corresponding author.A common technique for producing large-scale hollow plastic items is rotomoulding. Rotation speed, mould design, and temperature management significantly affect the quality of finished products. A production peak in the rotomoulding business is imminent due to the increasing demand. Though theoretical and experimental data from the previous studies regarding rotational moulding validate their hypothesis but lack of information about practical usage while production time evolves questions about the accuracy and efficiency of innovations. Meanwhile, the lack of sufficient research on the phase transition from the heat source for the rotomoulding procedure led to a great research gap in this field. Nevertheless, conclusions are of substantial value to the subject matter; however, previous studies cannot be regarded as precise in the analysis. Consequently, the review paper sought to emphasise the increasing challenges, such as temperature variation, air leakage, pressure drop, and improved heat distribution techniques. The first phase of the paper involves a discussion and analysis of research findings from the previous decade. The enhancement of the mould area is being proposed based on previous findings to improve heat efficiency. In the second phase, the authors aimed to provide insights into enhancing heat transfer within the ducting system of a rotomoulding oven by exploring duct designs, implementing FADS, and optimising insulation techniques, all while minimising carbon emissions in the process. In addition, the cost-effectiveness of ducted ovens, enhanced insulation processes, and the selection of insulation materials based on oven configuration will yield benefits for rotomoulders in the near future. The authors presented the economic advantages of installing an appropriate ducting system in a rotational moulding machine oven, demonstrating a net annual savings of 12.7 % and a short payback period for an additional investment.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666202725001867Rotational mouldingConvectionMould area enhancementCycle time reductionPressure dropAir flow rate
spellingShingle Sutirtha Chowdhury
Jayantha Epaarachchi
Ahmad Sharifian-Barforoush
Md Mainul Islam
A review of the recent advances in heat transfer through ducting in the rotational moulding process and the future trends
International Journal of Thermofluids
Rotational moulding
Convection
Mould area enhancement
Cycle time reduction
Pressure drop
Air flow rate
title A review of the recent advances in heat transfer through ducting in the rotational moulding process and the future trends
title_full A review of the recent advances in heat transfer through ducting in the rotational moulding process and the future trends
title_fullStr A review of the recent advances in heat transfer through ducting in the rotational moulding process and the future trends
title_full_unstemmed A review of the recent advances in heat transfer through ducting in the rotational moulding process and the future trends
title_short A review of the recent advances in heat transfer through ducting in the rotational moulding process and the future trends
title_sort review of the recent advances in heat transfer through ducting in the rotational moulding process and the future trends
topic Rotational moulding
Convection
Mould area enhancement
Cycle time reduction
Pressure drop
Air flow rate
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666202725001867
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