Industrial Process Heating Fans & Blowers
Precision airflow for stable heat transfer and temperature control.
AirPro // Applications
Centrifugal Fans for Process Heating Applications
Reliable airflow is essential to effective process heating. Ovens, furnaces, boilers, burners, and heaters all depend on precisely controlled air to maintain temperature, efficiency, and safety.
AirPro builds high-temperature centrifugal fans and blowers designed for demanding industrial environments. Our heavy-duty, energy-efficient designs are available in both pre-engineered and custom configurations—ensuring the right fit for your process, space constraints, and performance requirements.
Primary Industries for Process Heating Fans & Blowers
Many industries rely on process heating systems for drying, curing, melting, and thermal treatment operations. Process heating fans and combustion air blowers are critical components in these systems, supplying consistent, controlled airflow for safe and efficient heat delivery.
- Food processing
- Energy & power generation
- Metals & foundries
- Plastics & composites manufacturing
- Glass manufacturing
- Paper & pulp processing
- Chemical processing
- Pharmaceutical manufacturing
- Building materials (cement, gypsum, aggregates)
- Textiles & nonwovens
- Wood products & engineered lumber
- Waste treatment & thermal recycling
Process Heating Fan Selection & Specification
Fans and blowers not properly designed for the high temperatures that may be involved will catastrophically fail when used at temperatures above their design.
Your required pressure, airflow, and inlet density (temperature, elevation, inlet pressure) will dictate your high-temperature centrifugal fan selection and specifications.
Industrial Fan Designs Commonly Used in Process Heating Applications
- Backward Curved
(BCHS) - Backward Inclined
(BIHS) - Pressure Blowers
(P##A/B/C/D) - Extreme Pressure Blowers
(XP#O/S) - Industrial Exhauster Air Handling
(IEAH) - Industrial Exhauster Paddle Wheel
(IEPW / IEFB) - Industrial Exhauster Radial Shrouded
(IERS) - Radial Tipped
(RTHS)
Process Heating Fan Arrangements, Accessories, & Design
Industrial process heating fan arrangements commonly used:
Fan arrangements indicate how the motors mount to and drive the fans. The specification will depend on your application and the fan(s) selected. Here are two examples:
Arrangement 1 – Belt Drive with an overhung impeller. The fan and motor mount separately to a unitary base.
Arrangement 8 – Direct Drive with an overhung impeller. The fan shaft is directly coupled to the motor shaft with a flexible coupling.
Fan accessory & design considerations for heating applications:
Protecting the fans used in any industrial application, like the heating process, starts in the design phase and never stops. Proximity to high temperatures and possibly corrosive gasses means designing for the extremes, including vibration and temperature variations.
Fans and blowers not properly designed for high temperatures may catastrophically fail when used at temperatures above their design. Key design considerations for applications that involve heating process include:
Rapid Temperature Change
Thermal expansion during heating and cooling can cause movement, misalignment, and vibration. Custom materials, heat-treated components, and flexible connectors or expansion joints help protect the fan and connected ductwork. If temperature swings exceed 15F/min, shrink fitting the impeller to the shaft is a must.
Vibration Management
High temperatures can intensify vibration and imbalance. Vibration monitoring systems protect bearings and fan components while helping prevent unplanned downtime.
Bearing Protection
Bearings are a common failure point in heating applications. Isolating bearings and motors from heat and process gases using cooling wheels and high-temperature shaft seals extends service life and improves reliability.
Additional accessory & design considerations we recommend for industrial process heating applications:
- 304/316 Stainless Steel Construction – provides corrosion resistance and durability for high-temperature or chemically aggressive process environments
- SSPC-SP10 Bead Blast Surface Preparation – ensures proper surface cleanliness and adhesion for coatings in demanding industrial applications
- Insulation Jackets – protects workers from contacting hot surfaces and keeps the heat inside the fan
- Custom Shaft Seals – with purge gas (such as Nitrogen) to separate internal hot gas from external ambient conditions
- Flex Connectors – to accommodate shifting during rapid temperature change
- Spring Vibration Isolators – to isolate the fan from insufficient foundational mass or vibration transmitted from nearby operating equipment
- Flow Control Options – includes inlet vane dampers, variable frequency drives (VFD), outlet dampers, or a combination, each offering control over airflow volume and pressure
- Inlet Box – a solution for installations with limited ductwork space on the inlet side
- Vibration and Temperature Sensors – to monitor bearing and fan health in real time, enabling predictive maintenance and reducing unplanned downtime
- Split Housing – for easier maintenance access to the fan wheel and shaft
Talk with Our Process Heating Fan Application Engineers
Our experienced application engineers are ready to help you find the right fan. Whether you’re replacing an existing unit or designing a new system, we’ll make sure you get a solution that fits your specs, timeline, and budget.
Call, email, or submit your info to get started and our team will respond quickly.
