Industrial networked HVLS fan control systems help meet operational goals
By Michael Brittingham
Industrial HVLS fans are a great addition to any large facility or warehouse setting. They move air efficiently to keep employees comfortable and products dry. But if you’re like a lot of companies and have 10, 20, even 30 or more fans, managing all those settings is not the best utilization of your time. Industrial networked HVLS fan control sys- tems, such as iFAN by Serco, Carrollton, Texas, can take you out of the business of managing fans and put you back into the business of what you do best, managing your facility.
These HVLS fan controls allow you to network
multiple HVLS fans and control them from a single, centralized interface. The science behind these unique networked fan control systems vary by pro- vider but can often be tied in with a yard and dock management system such as 4SIGHT. Installation of one of these systems takes care of all the hard work, ensuring you receive the maximum levels of perfor- mance and energy savings from your HVLS fans. An integrated HVLS fan control system can
accommodate up to 30 networked HVLS fans per configuration. And, depending on the systems and
application, more fans can generally be added to a system as necessary to provide employees increased comfort and facilities with energy efficiency year- round. These fans are managed by an all-in-one, high-definition touchscreen computer and can even include custom graphic displays of your facility and fan locations. The screen allows you to easily make adjust-
ments to individual fans, fans in predetermined zones or every fan in a facility all from a centralized location such as an office or a controls room. Navigation but- tons can turn fans on or off, control temperature and timer settings, display instructions manuals and even shut down instantly when a fire alarm is triggered. Centralized fan controls restrict access to ensure
unauthorized employees are not changing the fan’s settings. Constantly changing fan speeds and adjust- ing them from their most efficient settings, generally around 70 percent power, can lead to substantial de- creases in your energy saving potential and can even end up costing you more money. These systems can help make sure that op-
erational and energy savings goals for your HVLS warehouse fans are realized through built in track- ing metrics that allow you to generate reports. The system displays a variety of unique metrics for each
fan, zone and entire facility which can be archived and reviewed later for trend analysis to help make decisions about optimizing your fan’s performance to increase energy savings and employee productivity. But managing your fan’s operations and provid-
ing tracking metrics to ensure optimal performance is just part of what networked HVLS fan control systems can do. Many allow centralized trouble- shooting that can quickly identify operational issues and provide a variety of options for a resolution. For example, giving users the option to call up the fan’s owner’s manual to attempt to fix the problem inter- nally. If that method of resolution fails, the control system can place a work order with the local service provider with the diagnosed problem to make sure they are prepared with the right parts to get the job done right and your fans up and running. HVLS fans are designed to keep employees
comfortable and productive as well as serve as an energy efficient supplement to any HVAC system. Getting the most out of your fans is the key to increasing productivity and energy efficiency, and installing an industrial networked HVLS fan control system ensures that the operational efficiency and cost savings goals for your fans and facility are be- ing realized.
Michael Brittingham is the marketing communi- cations manager at 4Front Engineered Solutions, Carrollton, Texas. For nearly 60 years, 4Front Engi- neered Solutions has been revolutionizing the design and manufacture of branded truck and rail loading dock equipment under its industry leading brands, Kelley, Serco, LoadHog, TKO Dock Doors, APS Resource and 4SIGHT. For more information, visit www.sercocompany.com.
LEFT: Networked HVLS Fan Controls Sys- tem—A single, centralized interface allows users to control all or individual fans with a simple touchscreen application.