ebm-papst Engineering Solutions

Design News Staff -- Design News, November 25, 2008

ebm-papst specializes in solving air-moving challenges for markets that range from IT and telecommunications, to household appliances, and industry.

In addition to offering thousands of off-the-shelf solutions, ebm-papst also offers expertise for solving unusual or difficult requirements involving challenges as diverse as air flow, acoustics, telecommunications standards, or EMI. Application engineers and an on-site testing lab provide customers with the ability to assess air flow, noise, environmental factors (including salt fog chambers), and temperature extremes and overall system performance.

"We provide a one-stop solution," explains Joe Landrette, an ebm-papst Project Engineer. "Customers not only get our selection of products but they also get our expertise and our abilities to help create answers tailored to their needs."

For instance, he explains, customers frequently look for special capabilities in a fan tray. In one instance, a company needed to increase air flow through an enclosure by about 10-15 percent but they faced a design limitation of 350 watts for their power consumption. This limit effectively precluded adding more or larger fans. "Because we have all kinds of expertise under one roof we were able to redesign the drawer itself to improve air flow and then change the control board approach by building most of the functionality into the fan," explains Landrette. The result was a solution that fit within the design limitations - saving power and boosting performance.

Typically, ebm-papst application engineers work with the customer to select air moving products that can best meet design goals such as high efficiency. But ebm-papst can also help customers take the next step using their onsite, state-of-the-art testing lab, which is equipped with four air flow chambers able to handle anywhere from 150 CFM to 24,000 CFM. Each chamber has been designed to meet AMCA210-99 and ISO5801 requirements.

The lab can also look at other key performance details including sound, temperature, and velocity tests. Then, ebm-papst design and electrical engineers can help hone the design into a packaged air moving device incorporating an enclosure, fan controls, handlers, filters, gaskets, etc.

Landrette notes that the process is highly collaborative. "In addition to our own multi-discipline team, using Pro-Engineer software, we are also able to involve the customers at all stages of the process," he says. As a result, working prototypes can be developed very quickly and evolving to the customers needs.

The design capabilities at ebm-papst are also wedded to on-site manufacturing. For example, processes such as sheet metal cutting, stamping, forming, rolling and welding are can all be performed within company facilities. On-site manufacturing equipment includes:

• TruPunch5000 CNC press
• TruLaser 2525 cutting machine
• Flexibend folding machine
• Fabrivision Flat Part Measurement and Digitizer,
• Haegar automatic inserting machines
• Electrostatic powder paint booth
• ESD assembly area

Further capabilities include adding custom controller PCB's, power supplies, electronic filters, air filters, wire harnesses, and labeling to the final assemblies.

"We really offer the capabilities of a design and a fabrication facility in one," notes Landrette.

For more information, Call 860.674.1515 and ask for any application engineer or email sales@us.ebmpapst.com