World market leader LAUDA DR. R. WOBSER GMBH & CO. is setting new standards in sustainability and innovation with a trailblazing new development in its portfolio: the Integral IN 2040 XTW process thermostat is the first LAUDA process thermostat to use CO₂ as a natural refrigerant, marking a significant milestone in the company’s history. This pioneering development will expand LAUDA's broad portfolio for precise temperature control, which comprises environmentally friendly carbon dioxide and hydrocarbon-based alternatives to conventional F-gases. With this development, LAUDA is once again emphasizing its commitment to innovation and continuing its longstanding efforts towards greater sustainability and future viability. The Integral IN 2040 XTW is therefore a perfect example of technological excellence combined with ecological responsibility.

Sustainability in focus

Around 95 percent of the CO₂ emitted over the lifespan of constant temperature equipment occurs during ongoing operation. To minimize this ecological footprint, LAUDA has long focused on high energy efficiency and low CO₂ emissions. This is achieved with solutions such as electronic cooling control, speed-controlled compressors and natural refrigerants. 

Natural refrigerants at LAUDA

Thanks to the European F-Gas Regulation and the availability of efficient new technologies, LAUDA has been gradually transitioning both its device portfolio and industrial system solutions to natural refrigerants for several years already. Depending on the requirements, location of use and target temperature, LAUDA offers constant temperature equipment with different refrigerants, including carbon dioxide (R744) as well as hydrocarbons such as propane (R290) and ethane (R170).

“The switch to sustainable refrigerants not only fulfills current regulatory requirements, but it also part of our commitment to environmentally friendly temperature control technology,” says Dr. Marc Stricker, Managing Director of LAUDA.

The new Integral IN 2040 XTW process thermostat

Integral XT devices operate according to the flow principle with a cold oil blanket that enables the utilization of temperature control media over a large temperature range – optimal for dynamic temperature control tasks. The electronically controlled, magnetically coupled pump can set the flow rate optimally both for the requirements of pressure-sensitive consumers and for applications with high hydraulic resistance.

With the Integral IN 2040 XTW, LAUDA presets its first process thermostats to use CO₂ as a refrigerant. As a refrigerant, CO₂ stands out for its stable cooling output at temperatures under 20°C, non-flammability and low global warming potential (GWP) of 1, compared with over 1,000 for many F-gases. In line with other Integral products, the highly efficient IN 2040 XTW with CO₂ cooling technology offers an impressive temperature range of -45 to 200°C and 20.8 kW cooling output at 20°C outflow temperature. The new variant in the established product line combines tried-and-tested technology with innovative cooling technology. Thanks to its frequency-controlled compressor, the Integral IN 2040 XTW is extremely efficient, especially in partial load operation, and consumes up to 50 percent less energy than comparable F-gas devices. It is also quieter to run in ongoing operation, making it more pleasant to work with.

The Integral IN 2040 XTW can be retrofitted with additional interface modules for variable scenarios in process control systems and can be operated in internal LAN via a web server on a PC or tablet.