Processing Fans and Blowers

Glass manufacturing represents an industry that requires reliable, heavy-duty blowers for many applications. These blowers are an integral part of the manufacturing process, and must be running while the production line is operating. The glass industry has two main divisions: bottle and container manufacturing, and "flat glass" for architectural and automotive applications.

Bottle and Container Manufacturing

Bottle and container manufacturing involves the injection of liquid glass into molds to produce the desired shape. The molds used in the process require constant cooling, which is supplied by air from high pressure centrifugal blowers. The mold cooling blowers used in this application are typically located in a "basement" area below the process floor. Space is limited and the blowers are usually direct drive, Arrangement #8, in the 150 to 200 horsepower range. Typical fan pressure requirements are in the 50" to 60" static pressure range, and often are supplied with "inlet volume control" (IVC) dampers. Illinois Blower, Inc. series D72C, HPSC and HPBC fans have been used in many mold cooling applications.

After the glass containers have been molded, they are transported to the next operation on a conveyor. Conveyor cooling fans are associated with this area. These are also often located in basements. Conveyor cooling fans generally range up to about 100 horsepower, and because of their lower power requirements are sometimes belt-driven Arrangement #1 or #9. Static pressure requirements are in the 20" water range, and usually they are not furnished with any dampers or control devices.

Manufacturing of Automotive and "Flat" Architectural Plate Glass

Manufacturing of automotive and "flat" architectural plate glass involves the use of larger centrifugal blowers for glass tempering. These centrifugal fans are usually much larger than the fans used in container manufacturing. The pressure requirement for this process varies with the thickness of the glass produced and can be up to 100" of water! These fans are often in the 200 to 800 horsepower range, and are normally supplied in Arrangement #8 for direct drive. "Inlet volume control" or Variable Frequency Drive control systems are often utilized. Due to their size and power, and resultant high sound levels, they are usually enclosed in a separate room to reduce plant sound levels. Conveyor cooling fans are also used in this glass manufacturing process. These fans tend to be more standard Backwardly Inclined fans in Class III or IV construction.

Both of these markets in the glass manufacturing industry demand the high quality, heavy-duty process blowers manufactured by Illinois Blower, Inc.