Fantech joins an impressive list of innovative companies including Bombardier Transportation Australia, Ecotech and Jayco Corporation as inductees of the Victorian Manufacturer’s Hall of Fame.The hall of fame celebrates the heroes of Victoria’s manufacturing sector and includes companies that have shown a sustained contribution to manufacturing excellence and are recognised as leaders in their field, both in Australia and overseas.

The Manufacturing Hall of Fame induction ceremony was held at Crown Casino on May 3, 2012 as part of an annual industry gala dinner. The Hon Richard Dalla-Riva MLC, Minister for Manufacturing, Exports and Trade announced the award winners to an audience of over 600 industry leaders.

Fantech Operations Director Brad Ackehurst said it was an honour to be nominated by South East Melbourne Manufacturers’ Association (SEMMA) and a greater honour to be inducted into the 2012 Hall of Fame.

“The entire Fantech team can be proud of this achievement which recognises our commitment to the highest quality Australian manufacturing, improving customer service and furthering our technical expertise.”

Brad said investing in people was a key. “Staff are provided with the training, the encouragement and the empowerment to seize opportunities and make changes that improve quality and create efficiencies.”

In the last four years Fantech has provided sponsored training for more than 108 operational staff nationwide to Certificate III and Certificate IV level in Competitive Manufacturing.

Brad said there was also a strong commitment to the training of potential and up-coming management. The company has sponsored a number of key personnel in leadership and quality management training programs which continues today.

Most recently Fantech’s Market Development Engineer Daniel Tan won the ARBS Young Achiever category. Daniel has been integral to the introduction of impulse ventilation and JetVent fans to Australia and the design of the new JetVent EC series which won the ARBS Product Excellence category.

“ The entire Fantech team can be proud of this achievement ...”

“But Daniel is just one example; all staff are encouraged to be involved in the business operations and in reviewing its processes. This feedback and workflow mapping has resulted in a move from a paper-based system to a transparent intranet-based work order management system which has led to a dramatic reduction in lead times and improvements in order fill rates.”

Brad said the factory floor had been transformed with purpose-built workstations and highly efficient production cells. Modern computer stations were now throughout operations utilising the internally developed Clear Vision software. This software and the integration of the computer system has allowed the status of all jobs to be available in real time throughout the sales, manufacturing, warehousing, despatch and finance processes.

“These initiatives are helping to ensure customers receive a high quality product at the right time,” he said.

“Fantech would not have won this award without our staff,” he said. “While it is the company that is inducted into the hall of fame, it is the staff passion and dedication to product excellence and customer service that got us recognised, and ultimately it is our customers who benefit.”

Fantech entersThe Hall of Fame

Want to keep up to date with Fantech’s latest news?Want to keep up to date with Fantech’s latest news? Follow us on twitter.com/fantech_austnzFollow us on twitter.com/fantech_austnz

August 2012Newsletter Number 74

From left to right: Fantech Operations Director Brad Ackehurst, Minister for manufacturing, Exports and Trade, The Hon. Richard Dalla-Riva MLC, and editorof Curve magazine Belinda Stening

with Daniel Tan

A good ventilation system is vital in car parks. It must provide fresh air and ensure harmful pollutants such as carbon monoxide, nitrous oxides and various fumes from the vehicle’s fuels do not accumulate and reach toxic levels.

Traditionally car parks are fitted with a maze of ductwork which carries fresh air from one part of the building to another.

The introduction of impulse ventilation systems has revolutionised car park ventilation in Australia. Impulse ventilation systems use small strategically located high velocity jet fans (also known as induction fans) mounted directly beneath the ceiling in place of ductwork. The fans provide a constant air flow that mix the air, ensure pollutants do not accumulate in dead areas and direct them towards the main extraction fan.

Impulse technology operates on well proven longitudinal tunnel ventilation principles. The fans produce a high velocity jet of air, in turn moving a larger quantity of air surrounding the fan through a process known as entrainment. The amount of air entrained by a single fan increases with the velocity and the quantity of air being discharged by the fan. The ability of a fan to do this is measured by its thrust rating which is measured in Newtons (N).

Fully ducted systems typically require a larger extraction fan with the capacity to generate higher static pressure development to overcome resistance within the ducts.

One of the key advantages of impulse technology is that it largely eliminates the need for air distribution ductwork within the car park and because the mechanical supply and exhaust systems have less resistance, these fans can be smaller and therefore consume less power.

Other savings may occur during construction, for example the reduction of site excavation due to the low ceiling height made possible by using jet fans. And with no duct to navigate around concrete beams, other building services such as cable trays, water and gas pipes are easier to install with potential savings in labour and material costs.

EC motor technologyTo reduce power costs and the building’s carbon footprint, fans can be made to reduce their speed during times of low activity and speed up again at times when ventilation is required. This is usually achieved by using variable speed drives (VSD) paired with a conventional 3 Phase induction motor. VSDs have become accepted as ‘normal practice’, so it is often forgotten that they take up valuable plantroom space and that wiring the shielded cable from the VSD to the fan is an added expense in time and money.

By using an electronically commutated (EC) motor to drive a fan, speed control becomes an integral part of the unit, removing the extra installation, space and costs associated with conventional motors and VSD pairings. Also, by having the speed control as an integral part of the motor, shielded power cables do not have to be used in the power connections to the fan motor. Lastly, because the EC motor is specifically designed to be speed controllable, the result is a motor that is efficient across a huge range of operating speeds and does not have the electronic hum that is characteristic of VSD driven induction motors.

Digital communication systemIn order to achieve speed control of an EC motor, sophisticated motor control strategies are integrated into its on-board electronics. EC motors provide digital/high level communication which allows the fan to respond to and send relevant information to a controllers BMS.

EC motors enable each fan to get full functionality using only a single twisted pair communications wire. This can provide substantial savings, because, each fan function normally requires its own pair or trio of wires, which can very quickly add up to significant cost over a large site. For example, some fans in a system may need to be variable speed controlled, provide run/stop indication, and have a fault alarm signal/switch. In some installations current monitoring may also be required. It means that this fan would require six separate wires to operate the first three features and a smart power meter to monitor power consumption. With the EC motor over digital communication, all of the four required features can be monitored by communicating over the communications bus.

Most EC motor solutions available for HVAC applications with high-level communication, support the MODBUS protocol over RS485 serial connections. With specific reference to JetVent EC applications, the following ways of applying high-level communications are available:

A - Jetvent Digital EC – Integrated Zone ControllerIn this mode of operation, the Jetvent EC system is supplied with a matching carpark pollution monitoring system and a speed controllable fan. In addition to the benefits of high-level communication noted above, this solution also allows pollution sensors to be powered and directly connected to the nearest fan to further reduce wiring costs, while still allowing the integrated zone controller to set the speed of Jet Fans in the system in accordance to any individual sensor readout in the carpark.

B - Jetvent Digital EC – Integrated Zone Controller with BMS Monitoring

The Jetvent EC system with its powerful zone controller can also be connected to the main building BMS. The controller is connected as per the above method (A), but with additional communication lines connected to the BMS, which can communicate to the controller with a choice of BACnet over MSTP, BacNET Over TCP/IP and MODBUS over RS485 protocol and connections. This option allows the facilities manager to monitor CO levels, fan speeds, status and alarms without leaving the office.

C - Jetvent Digital EC – Direct BMS ControlIt is also possible to fully address the fans in the Jetvent System with MODBUS protocol over RS485 connections. If the BMS in the building has enough available programming points and processing capability left free, this will give the building’s facilities manager full BMS monitoring and control of the carpark Jetvent System. It will also be advisable to use MODBUS based sensors for this setup to take full advantage of this arrangement.

Technically SpeakingIntelligent ventilation solutions

for car parks

Main ExhaustFan

Variable SpeedDriveDrive

V

CO/NOx Sensors, typically one per fan

Applicable to fan series JIU-CPCEC

with integrated speed control

Main SupplyFan

JetVent ZoneController

ComLink to EC Fan Unit

Variable SpeedDrive

Digital EC fan control - Conceptual layout

Fantech’s TD Silent fans are helping to breathe life into Madame Tussaud’s in Sydney.

The permanent exhibition of over 70 wax figures is the 14th of its kind, and is an extension of the famous Madame Tussaud’s wax museum in London. Each of the figures takes in excess of 800 hours to produce, with careful measurements, moulding and sculpting to ensure an incredible likeness to the real life model.

Audiovisual experts, The Shirley Spectra, were contracted to bring the wax models to life with special effects and audiovisual integration. Electronics Design Engineer Brian Shirley said Madame Tussaud’s

owners, Merlin Entertainment, were always looking at

ways to enhance the experience for

visitors.

“One of the more unusual requests for the Sydney Exhibition was to recreate the scene from The Seven Year Itch where Marilyn Monroe’s character steps onto a subway grate as a train passes underneath. The scene has become a cinema classic as a rush of air sends her skirt billowing above her waist,” Brian said.

“By stepping onto the platform to get a closer view of Marilyn, visitors trigger a sensor to produce a blast of air. This was a challenging request as the platform was only 100mm high and to get the dress to fly up we needed a compact fan which was capable of moving a large volume of air quickly and quietly.”

Another request was for visitors to feel the sea breeze blowing through their hair as they stood on the surfboard of World Champion surfer Layne Beachley.

Brian contacted Fantech and they suggested the TD Silent, a compact low noise fan. The high

performance mixed-flow impeller of the TD Silent produces 250 L/s in high

speed, but only 42dB(A) of noise, which made it ideal for an exhibition.

The Creative director for Merlin Entertainment commented that because of the unique fan approach, this particular Marilyn Monroe figure gave visitors the most unique experience of all Marilyn Monroe exhibits.

Brian said the intimate encounters with some of the most influential personalities meant the attraction was performing well above

expectations.

Fantech’s new Product Selection Program is full of powerful new features and is now available through your local Fantech office or agent. In each issue of TechTalk we will include tips which will hopefully save you time.

Tip 13: Converting your Air flow or PressureIn the Select Fan screen, you can enter your desired Air flow and Pressure in a number of standard units. You can also do a conversion between two units. If you enter an air flow of 500 L/s, then change the units drop down box to m3/h while holding the Shift key, the program will convert it to 1800 m3/h.

with Stuart Bryson

25 years involvement Fans by FantechProduct Selection Programwith Fantech

A visit to the Fantech factory in Melbourne as a 17 year old

remains a career highlight for Rhys Bennett.

“Fantech founders Jack Pirie and Glen Harries were my hosts and I was blown away that two directors would spend time showing

a junior from one of their agencies around,”

Rhys said.At the time Rhys was

a trainee storeman with Douglas and Fraser, an

engineering supply company and the Tasmanian agents for Fantech. That early meeting had a profound effect on the youngster and was the beginning of a 25 year relationship with Fantech.In 2001 Rhys decided it was time for a change and formed his own company, Major Air, and it was no surprise that Fantech followed. Under his direction the company moved from Youngtown to South Launceston and established a Hobart office by purchasing Pacific Fans in February 2011. “We now have six staff and offer a state-wide service specialising in the supply of dust and fume control equipment, ventilation and filtration,” Rhys said.“I have enjoyed the long term relationship with Fantech who are always striving to do things better and provide high quality, high performance products.“

Fantech brings wax exhibit to life

Hiring Roy Taylor 50 years ago proved to be the right decision for Harvey Industries.

The metal fabricator rose through the ranks to become Manager of the Fan and Blower Company of Australia (FBA), a subsidiary of Harvey Industries, a position he has held since 1979.

Roy joined the fan industry as an apprentice with Davidsons, a large fan manufacturing company in Northern Ireland. On arrival to Australia in 1962 Roy’s skills and experience were welcomed by Toby Harvey, the grandson of the original founder of Harvey Industries.

Toby decided to form a new company dedicated to the design and manufacture of fans. Known as the Fan and Blower Company of Australia, the new company started in 1968 with a staff of 10 including Roy.

“Back then there were no computers, so selecting fans required a slide rule and time” Roy said. “Calculations were all made by hand as were the individual templates and dies for the fans.”

“Technological advances and the introduction of computers have made a huge impact on the fan manufacturing process,” Roy said. “Today a computerised plasma machine cuts fan components to millimetre accuracy and computers can calculate all the required technical data including sound levels.”

Under Roy’s guidance FBA has grown to become the largest manufacturer of centrifugal fans and industrial blowers in Australia.

Roy obviously enjoys his job, having spent 50 years there. “I find the work interesting and quite challenging,” he said. “Over the years we have been involved in some very large projects including Southbank, the City Link Tunnel and Crown Casino in Melbourne; Westmead Institute, ANSTO, the AMP Building and Costco Shopping Complex in Sydney; and all the major hospitals in Brisbane.”

“Our real growth period occurred in 1989 when FBA formed an alliance partnership with Fantech. We were the leading centrifugal fan manufacturer and Fantech had the most extensive range of axial fans, so together we could offer customers the complete fan package with the best technical support,” Roy said.

“It has been a great opportunity for both companies. The relationship is stronger than ever and has helped both companies build their brands and provide their customers with the highest quality products.”

Roy TaylorCelebrates50 yearsof service

Optimisingindoor comfort

Square to round ceiling diffuser

Square to square ceiling diffuser

with Peter HenryProduct News

There is a growing need for products that help create comfortable indoor spaces while maintaining a healthy and productive working environment. At the same time, new government policies and the dramatic increase in energy costs have created greater demand for products and systems that utilise energy efficient technologies.

Rickard’s Variable Air Volume (VAV) diffusers help create a well ventilated indoor environment that maintains a consistent and comfortable temperature in most types of applications. Air is discharged from the diffuser and circulated around the room to ensure the air within the space is thoroughly mixed and the space is kept at the desired temperature.

A key benefit of Rickard VAV diffusers is their ability to reduce the demand on the fan system by providing only the required volume of hot or cold air to enter the conditioned space. If the air volume required reduces, the diffuser’s aperture size also reduces which creates additional pressure in the ductwork.

This pressure signals to the air conditioning system to slow down which in turn saves fan energy. If the air volume required increases, the diffuser’s aperture opens which allows more conditioned air to enter the space.

The volume of air entering the space is determined by the temperature in the space and the set point on the diffuser’s in-built temperature sensor or wall thermostat. The set point on individual diffusers can be easily adjusted by the occupant, giving them total control over their environment during any part of the day.

Rickard VAV diffusers are available as:

• System controlled, electronically powered plug and play models

• Standalone, mechanically controlled, thermally powered models

Each VAV diffuser model is available in various configurations which are suitable for numerous applications or mounting positions. The electronically powered range comes in square, linear slot and bulkhead models; the thermally powered models come in square models only.

These easy to install diffusers feature a modern ‘flush’ to ceiling/wall stylish look and aerodynamically shaped components that minimise noise while improving air flow characteristics. The thermal diffuser requires no external wiring or power supply, while each electronic diffuser can control other diffusers via a daisy chain, or be attached to a wall thermostat. The electronic diffusers operate standalone software and are also compatible with LON or BacNet Building Management Systems (BMS).

The Rickard range of diffusers do not require routine maintenance, but in case a repair is required, all components are easily accessible from inside the room. As a result any maintenance is simple, low cost and can be carried out with minimal disruption to the room occupants.

The Rickard range of diffusers helps to create a comfortable environment within a building which results in better productivity. It provides an energy saving solution to the differing heating and cooling requirements within areas of a building, while maintaining low operating costs and flexibility within the conditioned space.

Fantech founder

Fantech moves in as

Lightens his workload

QLD mining booms

After almost 40 years Jack Pirie is stepping down from his leading role in Fantech.

August saw Jack

relinquish his chairmanship

and directorship, but he’s not ready

to completely walk away from the company

he founded with mate Glen Harries back in 1973.

The company has grown considerably from those early days working in Glen’s home, but the core values remain the same.

Jack likes to surround himself with people who want to achieve something and said Fantech staff were the company’s greatest achievement; the reason it holds a leading market position and reputation.

“We have had some very skilled people and so many self-starters; it’s fantastic.”

“One of my saddest memories at Fantech was in September 1992 when Glen had a stroke. It was devastating for Glen, his family and the company,” Jack said. “I was on holiday at the time and returned to find everyone had stepped up and taken on more responsibilities as a consequence.

I was extremely proud of them all, and with everything running so well I was able to return to my holiday, which says a lot for the people we employ.”

Elta Group Asia Pacific Chief Executive Peter Wingfield said Jack had played a key role in developing the fan industry in Australia. “As well as having introduced a raft of market leading products, Jack has been instrumental in assisting with the growth plans of Fantech, including the expansion into New Zealand and Malaysia along with a number of company acquisitions.”

“He has continued to work tirelessly engineering and promoting fan products and could still be seen recently coming straight out of a board meeting and onto his graph paper where he would draw up his latest product improvement.”

“ We have maintained our ethics, continually striving to improve product quality and customer service.”

Jack’s quest to better the industry has been fuelled by his generosity to pass on skills and knowledge through Fantech’s relationship with young engineers and the Fantech Engineering Training Program for customers.

These and other actions, such as his years of innovation with AIRAH and CIBSE, have earned Jack respect among his peers, with his efforts and dedication over a long period of time recognised in 2010 when he was inducted into the ARBS Hall of Fame.

Jack said he would find it hard to stay away from the company he has been involved in since day one, but was also looking forward to taking a less active role and spending more time with the family and travelling.

Workers in QR National’s Willowburn Workshop can breathe a breath of fresh air thanks to four JetVent Air Movers.

Activity in the workshop has increased substantially due to the growth of Queensland’s mining sector. The company is Australia’s largest rail freight operator and is the transport backbone of Queensland’s coal industry. It has over 700 locomotive engines that need to be regularly serviced and repaired, with much of this work conducted at the Willowburn Workshop.

With two lines of rail, the workshop can house up to four diesel locomotives at one time and exhaust fumes and smoke can be a problem for the workers.

“ They now have a workshop that has cleaner, healthier air ...”

John Gilbert of John Gilbert Electrical has done a lot of work for QR National over the years and was asked to find a solution to the growing pollution problem.

“The system they had in place was simply not adequate and a health risk for workers,” John said. “I asked Michael Mauldon from Air Design to visit and he suggested four JetVent Air Movers which could be started individually or together, depending on the number of locomotives in the workshop.”

Developed by Fantech, the JetVent Air Mover is a ventilation solution with carefully designed aerodynamic internal flow elements. These elements maximise the air velocity footprint and provide a cross flow of air to an area so that fumes can’t accumulate.

John said the air movers had a low profile and were normally mounted from the ceiling, but plans for an overhead crane in the workshop meant an alternative mounting position was needed. Furthermore, the ventilation system had to be flexible as the number of locomotives in the workshop varied and they would not always be parked in the same position. To overcome this, Fantech designed a custom wall bracket with a swivel top that mounted the JetVent Air Movers to the side walls where they would be out of the way but also allowed the air flow to be easily redirected.

“We temporarily installed one air mover to see how it performed,” John said. “It worked well so we proceeded with the installation of all four units. It’s a win, win situation for everyone.” They now have a workshop that has cleaner, healthier air and as a result happier, more productive workers.”

2012 marks another milestone for Seasonair; one of South Australia’s leading commercial and industrial air conditioning and ventilation service providers.

Established in 1972 by Brian Cox and Kevin Kelly, the company is now owned and operated by Mark Beatton and his professional team of experts. Since its inception, Seasonair has grown to employ 50 staff and specialises in all aspects of air conditioning, heating and ventilation.

Based at Melrose Park in South Australia, Seasonair has established an excellent reputation in the industry and is continually sought out by regular and new clients to solve their heating, cooling and ventilation requirements. “We have a great team, who are well versed in all facets of air conditioning” says Mark.

“ The staff at Seasonair really is dedicated to our customers ...”

“Our business expertise spans all areas of the industry from contracting to service, preventative maintenance and breakdown repairs through to our fully equipped sheet metal workshop where we manufacture high quality individually designed duct work for any application.

We also have a specialist Engineering department that provides design and construction solutions for all types of air conditioning, heating and ventilation systems.”

Over the past 40 years, Seasonair has also built strong working relationships with various industry suppliers and manufacturers and Fantech is one of the company’s preferred suppliers of ventilation plant and equipment.

“We pride ourselves on consistency and engineering detail, which is complimented by the high quality Fantech product and support team” says Mark.

As an ISO9001 company, Seasonair’s client base spans a broad cross section including architects, developers, builders, private enterprise, state government bodies and the mining sector.

When asked about the current industry climate and what impact it will have for the company, its obvious Mark is confident that Seasonair will continue to develop and implement solutions for existing and new customers. “Our outlook remains positive and given our proud heritage of 40 years, I’m confident we’ll continue to serve our clients well. Our mission as one of South Australia’s leading commercial air conditioning and mechanical service providers, remains to deliver the best possible professional air conditioning and mechanical services solutions and ongoing maintenance for our clients.”

“The staff at Seasonair really is dedicated to our customers and they don’t hesitate to go the extra mile to achieve successful outcomes for them.” says Mark.

Visit our website at www.fantech.com.au

Fantech ContactsAustraliaAdelaide (08) 8294 0530Albury (02) 6025 1866Brisbane (07) 3299 9888Canberra (02) 6280 5511Coffs Harbour (02) 6652 9435Darwin (08) 8947 0447Launceston (03) 6344 6888Melbourne H.O. (03) 9554 7845Melbourne CBD (03) 9696 3044Geelong (03) 5229 0188Newcastle (02) 4961 6088Perth (08) 9209 4999Sydney (02) 8811 0400Sydney CBD (02) 9698 8130Sydney South (02) 9153 6005Townsville (07) 4775 5222Wollongong (02) 4226 5133

New ZealandAuckland H.O. (09) 444 6266Christchurch (03) 379 8622Wellington (04) 566 0532

AsiaFor agents in the Asian regioncall (603) 7846 0340 or visit www.eltafantechasia.com

Please send me a “Keen to be Green” fan installation Mouse Mat

Please send me a “Keen to be Green” fan installation Poster

Please send me a copy of the Fans by Fantech Product Selection CD

Please send me a copy of the TD Silent range brochure

Please send me a copy of the Rickard Diffuser range brochure

We know you enjoy Tech Talk. How would you prefer to receive it? Please tick one, complete your contact details and return it to us

I would prefer the electronic version of Tech Talk only

I would prefer to get both electronic and printed versions of Tech Talk

I would like to be removed from the Tech Talk distribution list

Have you relocated?Please help us keep our records up to date by including your new details

NEW DETAILS

Name: ........................................................................

Position: ....................................................................

Company:..................................................................

Address: ....................................................................

...................................................................................

Suburb: ................................... State: ....................... Postcode:..............................................

Tel: .......................................... Fax: .......................... E-mail: ...................................................

Photocopy this form and mail or fax the information to: Fantech Pty. Ltd., 42 - 62 Pound Rd West, Dandenong South, Vic. 3175, Australia. Fax: 61-3-9554 7833 or E-mail: rmayen@fantech.com.au

Fantech - a member of the Elta Group of Companies

Would You Like More Information?

OLD DETAILS (if applicable)

Name: ............................................

Position: ........................................

Company:......................................

State: .............................................

40 year milestone

Want to keep up to date with Fantech’s latest news? Follow us on twitter.com/fantech_austnz

Seasonair celebrates