The Full SMC Chiller Lineup

One Authorized Distributor. Every SMC Thermo-Chiller Family.

An industrial chiller removes heat from a process or piece of equipment and rejects it to the surrounding environment. SMC builds three distinct types, and the difference matters when you specify: refrigerated chillers use a closed vapor-compression cycle for heat loads above roughly 1 kW and set points below ambient; Peltier Thermo-cons use thermoelectric modules with no compressor and no refrigerant at all; and heat exchangers reject heat to facility water without a compression cycle.

The catalog spans 0.2 kW benchtop Peltier units for analytical instruments, 19-inch rack systems for test labs, compact 1.3 to 5.9 kW refrigerated units for machine tools and laser processing, 15 to 30.5 kW inverter-driven chillers for high-heat production lines, high-temperature heat exchangers running to 90°C, and SEMI-certified fab chillers on fluorinated coolants.

Automation Distribution carries the full catalog, including the low-GWP lineup (R-454C, R-32, and CO₂) that meets EPA AIM Act, CARB, and EU F-Gas thresholds. If you are replacing a legacy HRS, HRZ, HRL, or HRSH unit, we can map your existing model to its low-GWP successor.

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Chiller Selection Basics

Three Decisions That Narrow the Catalog Fast

Decision 1 Air-Cooled vs. Water-Cooled Air-cooled units dissipate heat into ambient air via fans. Simpler install, no facility water needed, but sensitive to ambient temperature. Water-cooled units reject heat to a facility loop or cooling tower. Higher efficiency at high loads, quieter, but requires water infrastructure. HRW and HRZC are water-cooled only.

Decision 2 Refrigerated, Peltier, or Heat Exchanger Refrigerated (HRSF, HRSC, HRSHF, HRSE, HRR, HRRF, HRLF, HRZC) use a compressor cycle for loads above roughly 1 kW and set points below ambient. Peltier Thermo-cons (HEC, HECR, HED, HEB) are refrigerant-free and compressor-free. Tightest stability in the catalog, low vibration, no AIM Act exposure. Under 1.2 kW. Heat exchangers (HRW) use facility water as the heat sink. No compressor, and the only family that runs to 90°C.

Decision 3 Standard Coolant vs. DI / Fluorinated Water / glycol covers most machine tool, laser, and general process loops. Deionized water requires copper-free wetted materials. Available on HRW, HRSC, HRRF, and select HRZC. Fluorinated fluids (Fluorinert, GALDEN) for semiconductor service use HRZC, HRZ-F, or HRW.

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Series Quick Reference

All 14 SMC Chiller Series at a Glance

Series	Type	Capacity	Refrigerant	Best Fit
HRW	Heat exchanger, no compressor	1 - 30 kW	None	High-temp process to 90°C, facility-water sites, DI and fluorinated service
HRSF	Refrigerated, low GWP	1.3 - 20.5 kW	R-454C (GWP 146)	Machine tools, lasers, general manufacturing. HRS successor.
HRSC	Refrigerated, CO₂	1.3 - 11.5 kW	CO₂ / R-744 (GWP 1)	Lowest GWP, non-flammable A1 facilities, air-freight eligible
HECR	Peltier Thermo-con, rack mount	0.2 - 1.2 kW	None	19-inch rack, refrigerant-free, ±0.01 to 0.03°C, low vibration
HRR	Refrigerated, rack mount	0.2 - 5 kW	Legacy HFC	Existing rack installs. See HRRF for the low-GWP successor.
HRZC	SEMI, double inverter	2 - 10 kW	CO₂ / R-744 (GWP 1)	Semiconductor fab, fluorinated fluids, -20 to 90°C, SEMI S2/S8/F47
HEC	Peltier Thermo-con, benchtop	0.2 - 1.2 kW	None	Analytical instruments, built-in equipment cooling, refrigerant-free
HRSHF	Refrigerated, smart inverter	15.7 - 30.5 kW	R-32 (GWP 675)	Large-capacity production cooling, IPX4 outdoor-rated, HRSH successor
HRSE	Refrigerated, basic compact	1 - 5 kW	Legacy HFC	Cost-sensitive general cooling, air-cooled only, 100 to 240 VAC
HRRF	Refrigerated, rack mount, low GWP	1.2 - 1.8 kW	R-454C (GWP 146)	Labs, test equipment, space-constrained installs. HRR successor.
HED	Peltier Thermo-con, chemical	0.3 - 0.9 kW	None	Direct temperature control of chemical liquids. Fluoropolymer heat exchanger.
HEB	Peltier thermoelectric bath	0.2 kW	None	Immersion and sample conditioning. Compact, low noise, uniform bath temperature.
HRZ-F	SEMI, legacy F-Gas	2 - 10 kW	EU F-Gas compliant	Existing SEMI installs, fluorinated and glycol service
HRLF	Refrigerated, dual channel	20.5 kW + 1 kW	R-454C (GWP 146)	High-power fiber, CO₂, and YAG laser cooling. Oscillator plus optical head.

Legacy HRS, HRZ, HRL, and HRSH series remain supported for existing installations. Browse Spare Parts or contact us for replacement sizing.

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Common Applications

Where SMC Chillers Go to Work

Machine Tool / CNC Spindle, coolant, and hydraulic cooling on mills, lathes, grinders. HRSF or HRSC for most platforms.	Laser Processing Fiber, CO₂, YAG cutting and welding. HRLF dual-channel for oscillator plus optical head.	Semiconductor Fab Wafer processing, etch, CVD, metrology. HRZC on CO₂ or HRZ-F for SEMI S2/S8/F47.	High-Temp Process Set points to 90°C where refrigeration will not reach. HRW heat exchangers on facility water.
Lab & Analytical Instruments, chambers, test benches. HEC benchtop Thermo-cons and HECR or HRRF rack units.	Wet Chemistry Direct control of aggressive process liquids. HED chemical Thermo-cons with fluoropolymer heat exchangers.	EV / Battery Formation, cycle testing, thermal shock chambers. HRSHF large-capacity inverter units.	Plastics & Extrusion Mold, platen, melt-stream, and granulator cooling on injection and extrusion lines.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Industrial Chillers: Common Questions

What is an industrial chiller and how does it work?

An industrial chiller removes heat from a process fluid or piece of equipment and rejects it to the surrounding environment. Refrigerated chillers use a closed vapor-compression cycle: refrigerant absorbs heat from the process fluid at the evaporator, a compressor raises its pressure and temperature, and an air- or water-cooled condenser dissipates that heat before the refrigerant returns to the evaporator. Peltier Thermo-cons and heat exchangers move heat without a compression cycle at all.

What is a Thermo-con, and how is it different from a Thermo-chiller?

A Thermo-con is SMC's Peltier-type temperature control unit. It places a thermoelectric module between heat exchangers for the circulating fluid and the facility water, then controls the DC supplied to that module to hold the outlet temperature. There is no compressor and no refrigerant, so it is quieter, lower-vibration, holds tighter stability (±0.01 to 0.03°C), and sits entirely outside refrigerant regulation. The tradeoff is capacity: Thermo-cons top out around 1.2 kW, where refrigerated Thermo-chillers run to 30.5 kW. The HEC, HECR, HED, and HEB series are Thermo-cons.

What types of SMC chillers are available?

Automation Distribution carries seven SMC chiller subcategories: Low GWP Chillers (R-454C, R-32, CO₂), General Purpose Chillers, Heat Exchangers, Rack Mount Chillers, Benchtop Chillers, SEMI Standard Chillers, and Spare Parts. Those cover 14 series and 760 SKUs.

How do I choose the right chiller for my application?

Start with five inputs: required cooling capacity (kW or BTU/hr), process fluid set point, ambient conditions at the install location, fluid type (water, glycol, DI water, fluorinated), and facility constraints (available power, footprint, noise, indoor/outdoor, flammable-refrigerant policy). Those five narrow 760 SKUs to one or two series quickly. Share your current chiller model number or the heat load of the equipment you are cooling and we will map it.

What is the difference between air-cooled and water-cooled chillers?

Air-cooled chillers dissipate heat into ambient air using integrated fans. They are simpler to install and need no facility water loop, but efficiency drops as ambient temperature rises. Water-cooled chillers reject heat to a facility loop or cooling tower: higher efficiency at high loads, quieter, more stable in hot environments, but they require an accessible water source. Most refrigerated series offer both. HRW and HRZC are water-cooled only.

How tight is temperature control across the range?

It varies by technology, and the difference is worth knowing before you specify. Peltier Thermo-cons (HEC, HECR, HED, HEB) hold ±0.01 to 0.03°C - the tightest in the catalog. Refrigerated thermo-chillers (HRSF, HRSC, HRSHF, HRRF, HRLF) hold ±0.1°C. SEMI HRZC units hold ±0.02°C under stable load. HRW heat exchangers hold ±0.3°C, trading stability for a 20 to 90°C range no refrigerated unit reaches. All series use PID control with multi-alarm monitoring and support RS-232C/RS-485 serial, contact I/O, or analog for PLC and HMI integration.

Should I buy a new high-GWP chiller or a low-GWP model?

For new purchases in 2026 and beyond, the practical answer is low-GWP. The EPA Technology Transitions Rule caps most new industrial process chillers at 700 GWP, the HFC Management Rule is in effect, and state-level regulations (CARB in particular) are actively enforced. SMC's low-GWP lineup is engineered as drop-in replacements for legacy HFC units with matching dimensions and performance. Existing installed chillers are grandfathered and can run to end of life. Worth noting: Peltier Thermo-cons and HRW heat exchangers use no refrigerant at all, so they sit outside the rule entirely.

What maintenance do SMC chillers require?

Routine maintenance includes checking circulating fluid level, inspecting and cleaning the condenser coil or water strainer, verifying flow and pressure, and replacing in-line filters or DI resin cartridges per the model manual. Most wear items are available as factory-original spare parts. Peltier Thermo-cons have fewer moving parts than refrigerated units - no compressor - which is part of their reliability case.

Does Automation Distribution provide chiller sizing and technical support?

Yes. As an authorized SMC distributor, we provide pre-sale sizing reviews, replacement mapping for legacy HRS, HRZ, HRL, and HRSH units, lead-time confirmation, and post-sale technical support. Contact our team with your current chiller model, heat load, and fluid type, or use the SMC Thermo-Chiller Model Selection Software to configure online.