Industrial Fans
Industrial fans are systems that provide air and gas movement in ventilation and circulation applications using a propeller. By stirring up the air in enclosed areas, industrial fans replace stagnate and contaminated air with fresh air. By purifying the air, industrial fans offer improved facility conditions, improved worker health and a higher level of comfort. Industrial fans refresh or lower air temperatures in cooling applications, along with a wide range of other applications such as drying, removing odors, product cooling, air circulation, facility ventilation, dock cooling, assembly line cooling, and mezzanine ventilation. Industrial fans serve industries such as including agricultural, photography, automotive, food processing, packaging, pulp and paper, chemical, welding and textile manufacturing.
An industrial fan differs from an industrial blower in the method it uses to move the air. While blowers use blades to draw air into the inlet of the blower housing through the wheel and then release it through the output of the housing, industrial fans instead use a propeller to draw in the air and then discharge it in the same direction. Industrial fans are made using one of two main propeller blade designs: radial or axial. Air currents are generated from circulating blades which direct flow is based on their aforementioned designs. The blades are driven by an electric motor that is mounted behind the industrial fan's center hub, the point on an industrial fan from which the fan blades extend, or hidden within it. Industrial fans are available in many configurations of velocity, pressure, airflow direction and speed; including industrial ceiling fans, industrial axial fans and industrial floor fans. When choosing an industrial fan, manufacturers and facility managers consider the environmental conditions, where to place and/or mount the fan, pressure levels and surface areas of the application.
Industrial fans are essential in many manufacturing processes and facility air pollution control systems, as well as many other drying and finishing processes. Industrial cooling fans provide healthier areas through the reduction of odors, air pollution, contamination and smoke, and they may also provide environmental benefits through a decrease in heat and humidity levels. An example would be how industrial fans regulate gaseous fumes in the chemical and automotive industries. Industrial fans are classified based on how the fan is constructed; three classes were developed and are recognized by the Air Movement and Control Association. In most cases, larger class numbers correlate to greater performance and cost of purchase. This classification is not required by the government of all industrial fans, so other functional and reliable industrial fans may be classified under other rating systems and standards.