When HVAC, ventilation equipment manufacturers, and OEMs evaluate fan supplies and manufacturers, Ziehl-Abegg is often one of the established names considered EC fans and air-moving solutions. However, OEMs, distributors, and engineering teams may also look for a Ziehl-Abegg for reasons such as sourcing flexibility, lead time management, and cost optimization.
This guide explains what buyers should consider when finding Ziehl-Abegg alternative, comparison between LONGWELL and Ziehl-Abegg, and how to evaluate an alternative fan based on actual performance.
What Does Ziehl-Abegg Offer?
Ziehl-Abegg, founded in 1910 and headquartered in Künzelsau, Germany, is one of the three benchmark EC fan platforms worldwide. Ziehl-Abegg covers products and services across axial fans, centrifugal fans, process fans, motors, and other ventilation control technology. Its axial fan and centrifugal fan portfolio includes products designed for applications such as air conditioning, refrigeration, data center cooling, commercial HVAC, and industrial ventilation applications.
Why Consider a Ziehl-Abegg Alternative?
Nobody argues with the engineering of Ziehl-Abegg fans. And there is no single reason why an OEM should consider an alternative fan supplier. The decision is usually driven by the combination of supply-chain, commercial, and technical demand.
- Supply Chain Flexibility: It is essential for OEMs to have more than one qualified supplier for critical task. Having an alternative fan source can reduce the dependence on a single source. Most premium European manufacturers like ebm-papst and Ziehl-Abegg may have long lead time and at this time, the second source is very important to reduce that risk and add flexibility for managing project schedule, regional sourcing, and production demand.
- Cost at Volume: For an OEM, the cost of the fan isn’t just the unit price. It includes the motor and fan efficiency, operating hours, installation requirements, and maintenance requirements. The cost can be the prior choice for many budget-conscious OEMs.
- Custom Fan Requirements: A standard fan cannot always match the requirements of an OEM. Airflow, static pressure, dimensions, motor technology, control interface, voltage, mounting arrangement, and noise limits can vary from project to project. The alternative fan is valuable if the OEMs don’t simply find another fan.
Ziehl-Abegg Product Lines and Their Closest LONGWELL Equivalents
Ziehl-Abegg’s EC range breaks into a few distinct families, each mapped below to the LONGWELL series built at the same impeller diameter:
|
Ziehl-Abegg family |
What it’s for |
LONGWELL equivalent series |
|---|---|---|
|
RH (backward-curved EC plug fan, Ø280–1120 mm) |
AHU/CRAH plug-fan installations, drop-in interchangeable with ebm-papst K3G at the same diameter |
LWBE3G series |
|
FN (axial EC fan, Ø300–910 mm) |
Condensers, free cooling, heat pump outdoor units |
LWAE3G series |
|
ZAbluefin (premium acoustic winglet plug fan, Ø450–630 mm) |
Urban, hospital, and other noise-critical installations |
LWBE3G series |
|
ZAvblue (premium acoustic winglet axial, Ø630–1000 mm) |
Quiet free cooling and premium heat pump duty |
LWAE3G series |
Ziehl-Abegg RH Series Cross-Reference
|
Ø (mm) |
Ziehl-Abegg model |
LONGWELL replacement |
Airflow |
Max static |
Max power |
η peak |
Fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
250 |
RH28C-VDK |
LWBE3G-280-EC |
500–2,400 m³/h |
720 Pa |
340 W |
82% |
Drop-in |
|
315 |
RH31C-VDK |
LWBE3G-310-EC |
650–3,200 m³/h |
1,000 Pa |
650 W |
86% |
Drop-in |
|
355 |
RH35C-6DK |
LWBE3G-355-EC |
800–4,200 m³/h |
1,200 Pa |
950 W |
87% |
Drop-in |
|
400 |
RH40C-4DK |
LWBE3G-400-EC |
1,000–5,500 m³/h |
1,400 Pa |
1,500 W |
88% |
Drop-in |
|
450 |
RH45C-4DK |
LWBE3G-450-EC |
1,200–7,000 m³/h |
1,550 Pa |
2,200 W |
88% |
Drop-in |
|
500 |
RH50C-6DK |
LWBE3G-500-EC |
1,200–8,000 m³/h |
1,800 Pa |
3,000 W |
89% |
Drop-in |
|
560 |
RH56C-6DK |
LWBE3G-560-EC |
1,500–10,000 m³/h |
1,800 Pa |
4,200 W |
89% |
Drop-in |
|
630 |
RH63C-6DK |
LWBE3G-630-EC |
1,800–12,500 m³/h |
1,800 Pa |
5,500 W |
90% |
Drop-in |
|
710 |
RH71C-6DK |
LWBE3G-710-EC |
2,200–16,000 m³/h |
1,700 Pa |
7,500 W |
90% |
Drop-in |
|
800 |
RH80C-6DK |
LWBE3G-800-EC |
3,000–20,000 m³/h |
1,650 Pa |
11,000 W |
90% |
Drop-in |
|
900 |
RH90C-6DK |
LWBE3G-900-EC |
3,500–25,000 m³/h |
1,600 Pa |
14,000 W |
90% |
Drop-in |
|
1000 |
RH100C-6DK |
LWBE3G-1000-EC |
4,500–32,000 m³/h |
1,550 Pa |
18,500 W |
89% |
Adapter |
|
1120 |
RH112C-6DK |
LWHV-1120-XL-EC |
5,500–38,000 m³/h |
1,500 Pa |
22,000 W |
88% |
Adapter |
Ziehl-Abegg FN Series Cross-Reference
|
Ø (mm) |
Ziehl-Abegg model |
LONGWELL replacement |
Airflow |
Max static |
Voltage |
Fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
300 |
FN030-4ER.4I.V7 |
LWAE3G-300-EC |
900–3,500 m³/h |
240 Pa |
200–240 V |
Drop-in |
|
400 |
FN040-4EQ.4I.A7 |
LWAE3G-400-EC |
1,800–6,500 m³/h |
320 Pa |
200–240 V |
Drop-in |
|
500 |
FN050-VDH.4F.V7 |
LWAE3G-500-EC |
3,200–10,500 m³/h |
380 Pa |
380–480 V 3Φ |
Drop-in |
|
630 |
FN063-VDK.4F.V7 |
LWAE3G-630-EC |
5,500–17,500 m³/h |
420 Pa |
380–480 V 3Φ |
Drop-in |
|
800 |
FN080-ZIK.GG.A7 |
LWAE3G-800-EC |
9,000–28,000 m³/h |
400 Pa |
380–480 V 3Φ |
Drop-in |
|
910 |
FN091-ZIQ.GG.A7 |
LWAE3G-900-EC |
11,000–34,000 m³/h |
380 Pa |
380–480 V 3Φ |
Adapter |
ZAbluefin Series Cross-Reference
The ZAbluefin winglet impeller is a genuine acoustic and efficiency achievement — 90–93% peak η and a 36 dB(A) noise floor. The LWBE3G-Pro variant closes most of the gap, but not all of it: −2 pp peak efficiency and +1.5 dB(A) against the winglet design.
|
Ø (mm) |
Ziehl-Abegg model |
LONGWELL replacement |
η delta |
Acoustic delta |
Use case |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
450 |
ZAbluefin 450 |
LWBE3G-450-EC-Pro |
−2 pp |
+1.5 dB(A) |
Premium acoustic OEM programs |
|
500 |
ZAbluefin 500 |
LWBE3G-500-EC-Pro |
−2 pp |
+1.5 dB(A) |
Hyperscale CRAH, relaxed dB limit |
|
560 |
ZAbluefin 560 |
LWBE3G-560-EC-Pro |
−2 pp |
+1.5 dB(A) |
Industrial AHU |
|
630 |
ZAvblue 630 |
LWBE3G-630-EC-Pro |
−2 pp |
+1.5 dB(A) |
Large CRAH FanGrid |
How to Select a True Ziehl-Abegg Alternative?
To make the replacement match your projects, you need to consider the following factors:
- Impeller diameter and mounting pattern: the bolt circle, shaft height, and orientation need to be a physical drop-in.
- Duty point: compare airflow at the actual static pressure your system imposes
- Control protocol: 0–10 V, PWM, or Modbus RTU compatibility with your existing BMS or controller.
- Voltage and phase: single-phase 220–230 V or three-phase 380–400 V, matched to the original.
- Certifications: CE, UL/ETL, RoHS, and increasingly AMCA-tested performance data for spec compliance.
Take Ziehl-Abegg RH28C and LONGWELL LWBE3G280 as the example. The following chart can help you learn more about LONGWELL alternative fan to Ziehl-Abegg.
|
Specification |
Ziehl-Abegg RH28C |
LONGWELL LWBE3G |
|---|---|---|
|
Impeller range |
Ø280 |
Ø280 mm |
|
Airflow range |
500–2,400 m³/h |
up to 4,377 m³/h |
|
Max static pressure |
720 Pa |
up to 1,751 Pa |
|
Peak wire-to-air η (AMCA 210) |
90–93% |
88–90% |
|
Motor protection |
IP54 / IP55 |
IP54 / IP55 std · IP67 opt |
|
Control inputs |
0–10 V · PWM · Modbus · ZA-control |
0–10 V · PWM · Modbus RTU · Modbus TCP |
|
Certifications |
CE · UL · VDE · EAC |
CE · UL · cUL · TÜV · ATEX · RoHS · REACH · EAC |
|
Sample lead time |
4–8 weeks |
1–3 days |
|
Series production lead time |
12–18 weeks |
15–30 days (≤500u) · 6–10 wk (OEM) |
5-Step Ziehl-Abegg Alternative Checklist
- Check the model, impeller Ø, voltage, and control signal.
- Confirm the duty point. Send airflow and static pressure requirements to LONGWELL Engineering. You get an official technical proposal with the matching model and PQ curves within 24 hours.
- Order a sample. 1–3 days from stock on standard models.
- Test control handoff. 0–10 V and PWM work out of the box.
- Certification parity for EU and North American buyers: LONGWELL holds CE (LVD + EMC), UL/cUL recognition, TÜV component approval, RoHS, REACH, ISO 9001/14001/45001, with ATEX and EAC on specific families. Certificate PDFs are downloadable at download resources.
FAQs
Is a LONGWELL fan a true drop-in replacement for Ziehl-Abegg fan?
At the same impeller diameter, LONGWELL’s LWBE3G and LWAE3G series are built to match Ziehl-Abegg models.
How do I verify the ±0.5 mm dimensional claim?
Order a sample and check it against your mounting plate with a caliper, or request the dimensional drawing per SKU before ordering.
What does a sample cost in time, LONGWELL vs Ziehl-Abegg?
Samples: LONGWELL 1–3 days from stock vs Ziehl-Abegg 4–8 weeks. Production: 15–30 days (≤500 units) vs 12–18 weeks.
Choose the right ec fan
Longwell manufactures 34 ec fans in-house. Send airflow, static pressure and voltage — an engineer replies with a matching model, performance curve and price within one working day.
