Mobile Industrial Fan for 350 Pa Process Ventilation: Case Study

What the industrial client wanted

An industrial client asked for a complete mobile industrial fan rather than a part. They needed 350 Pa of static pressure from a 1000mm impeller, moving between 25,556 and 30,809 m3/h.

Electrically the mobile industrial fan runs on 380V three-phase at 50Hz, at a nominal 1450 rpm.

However, what made this a project rather than an order was everything bolted around the fan.

• Firstly a strong wheeled frame, so the unit moves around a workshop.
• Then a control box on that frame, for start, stop and speed.
• Meanwhile a casing length target of 520mm.
• Lastly, a 20-meter cable already fitted with a 32A industrial plug.

That last item tells you the intent exactly. They want a unit somebody wheels into place, plugs in and switches on. Namely process ventilation or spot cooling, run by people who are not electricians.

Building the mobile industrial fan

Basically the match was easy. Our LWCF1000M cased axial fan gives the target airflow and pressure.

The motor the customer asked for was too small

This is the part worth reading. Initially the client specified a 3kW motor.

Our sums, checked against ISO 5801 test data, put the needed shaft power at 4.89 kW. Consequently a 3kW motor would run overloaded from the first day.

So we specified a 5.5 kW, 4-pole IE3 motor instead. That leaves real margin, rather than sitting on the limit. It matters on kit that gets moved, restarted, and sometimes left running against a half-blocked inlet.

The frame

Naturally the fan alone weighs 156 kg, so the frame is no afterthought. Heavy-gauge steel carries that mass and soaks up vibration. Meanwhile industrial locking casters give mobility without the unit wandering as it runs.

Speed control

A plain on/off switch would not meet the brief. So we built a control box onto the frame, housing a variable frequency drive with a panel-mounted knob.

Consequently the operator sets airflow to suit the job, rather than running flat out regardless. On a fan drawing 4.89 kW, that saves real money as well as noise.

Finishing the package

Finally we modeled the whole assembly, fan, frame and box together, checking balance and service access before anything was cut.

Finally we sourced the specified IEC 60309 32A plug and fitted it to a heavy-duty 20-meter cable, which completed the turnkey unit.

Technical Specifications

Note the shaft power line against the motor rating. On a mobile industrial fan that gap is deliberate, and the text explains why.

Technical Documentation

The technical selection report confirms the fan’s performance against the client’s operating point. It is essential for mechanical engineers verifying the P-Q curve and dimensional fit.
Download Technical Selection Report: LWCF1000M-6-6/32.5LH1-4

Here the conceptual drawing shows the arrangement of the cased axial fan on the mobile stand, which became the basis for the final assembly.

The client’s request included very specific ancillary components. These images document the exact 32A industrial power plug required for the project.

Why the whole assembly came from us

On a project that was as much fabrication as fan choice, four things counted.

• An integrated assembly, quoted quickly. This needed a whole mobile industrial fan rather than a component. Designing, quoting and producing a complete mobile assembly with a custom frame and VFD controls in days reflects the same agility as our 90-day NPI process, far ahead of the months European suppliers take on comparable work.
• Standard motor plus a drive, deliberately. Pairing a high-efficiency AC motor with an external VFD gave the output and the speed control the job actually needed. The customer got the function without paying for an integrated platform the application never uses.
• The cable and plug handled here. A specific 32A industrial plug and a 20-meter cable were sourced and fitted by our team. Our Ningbo supply network makes that fast, and it removes procurement work from the customer entirely.
• Targets validated, not assumed. The performance figures were checked against test data from labs working to AMCA 210/211 and ISO 5801. Consequently the 30,613 m3/h at 341 Pa is something a buyer can rely on in their own building.

Browse our industrial axial fan range, or the portable blower section. Industrial plug and socket standards come from the IEC in IEC 60309.

Questions about the assembly

Can it be supplied for other voltages or certifications?

Yes. This project used 380V/50Hz, and the LWCF series takes motors for global voltages including 460V/60Hz for North America. We hold UL 507 component recognition and supply CE-marked units as standard. Our access to a China-local TUV NORD notified body shortens CE certification for new configurations considerably.

What is the lead time for a semi-custom assembly?

A standard make-to-order mobile industrial fan of this size runs 15 to 25 days. Adding frame fabrication and control box integration takes it to roughly 30 to 45 days after drawing approval, which is still far short of the year-plus other manufacturers quote for new configurations.

Can the control box talk to a BMS?

Meanwhile the standard box has manual controls only. For BMS integration we upgrade the VFD to one accepting remote start and stop plus a 4-20mA or 0-10V speed reference. For deeper integration, a SmartEC motor platform with native Modbus RS485 is the better route, since it reports back as well as taking commands.

Why not just fit the 3kW motor the customer asked for?

Because it works on paper and fails in practice. At 4.89 kW of shaft power the motor runs above its rating all day, which shortens insulation life and eventually trips or burns it out. The price gap between the two motors is small. The cost of the failure, on a unit somebody depends on, is not.