Industrial Dairy & Food Processing Fans
Reliable, sanitary airflow solutions for food-grade environments.
AirPro // Applications
Centrifugal Fans and Blowers for Dairy and Food Processing Solutions
Industrial centrifugal fans are essential throughout dairy and food processing facilities—supporting critical operations such as ventilation, supply and exhaust, combustion, drying, heating, cooling, dust collection, and air filtration.
Because these environments require food-grade construction, every system must meet stringent U.S. FDA and industry sanitation standards. This impacts every design choice, from materials and weld quality to surface finishes, coatings, and custom treatments that resist contamination and simplify cleaning.
AirPro engineers work with you to match each fan’s design and performance to your specific process environment, ensuring safe, efficient, and compliant airflow from start to finish.
Primary Dairy and Food Processing Fan & Blower Applications
AirPro fans are used across a wide range of food and dairy processing sectors, including:
Food Product Manufacturing Applications
Dairy Product Manufacturing Applications
- Food product manufacturing
- Animal food manufacturing
- Animal slaughtering and processing
- Bakeries and tortilla manufacturing
- Fruit and vegetable preserving and specialty food production
- Grain and oilseed milling
- Seafood preparation and packaging
- Sugar and confectionery manufacturing
- Butter and cheese production
- Condensed and dry milk processing
- Fluid milk and beverage production
- Ice cream and frozen desserts production
- Whey and yogurt manufacturing
Dairy and Food Processing Industry Fan Selection & Specification
Because centrifugal fans are prominent at many points in and around dairy and food processing industry applications, virtually any of our fans could be used in one or more ways as supply air, exhaust air, combustion air, process heating air, or process cooling air. Select and design your fans based on function, flow, and pressure. Here’s a quick overview of the top fans for each main function:
Supply Fans
- Backward Curved (BCHS)
- Backward Inclined (BIHS)
Exhaust Fans
- Industrial Exhauster Paddle Wheel (IEPW / IEFB)
- Radial Tipped (RTHS)
Process Heating Fans
- Pressure Blowers (P##A/B/C/D)
- Backward Curved Low to Medium Volume (BCLS / BCMS)
Process Cooling Fans
- Backward Inclined (BIHS)
- Backward Curved (BCHS)
Combustion Air Blowers
- Custom High-Pressure Blowers (XP#O/S)
- Backward Curved (BCHS, BCLS, BCMS)
- Backward Inclined (BIHS)
- Pressure Blowers (P##A/B/C/D)
Dairy & Food Processing Fan Arrangements, Accessories, & Design
Common fan arrangements for food-grade systems:
Fan Arrangements indicate how the motors mount to and drive the fans. The specification will depend on your application and the fan(s) selected. Direct driven fans reduce maintenance costs and maximize efficiency between the motor horsepower output and shaft power input. They also can be varied to change speed for various processes through the use of a VFD. Belt driven fans are popular when speed adjustments may be necessary without the use of a VFD, or the process is abrasive and it is important to buffer the motor from the abrasive process inside the fan housing.
Talk with Our Team to Find the Best Fit for Your Application
Food processing-specific accessory & design considerations:
Design and accessories should focus on protecting and optimizing operations, maintenance, and life of the fan and bearings. For the food and dairy processing industry, that means many additional considerations to make all or part of the system food grade as designated by the US FDA.
Most dairy and food processing applications require stainless steel fans. For some, only the fan airstream parts are stainless, while others dictate that the entire fan be stainless steel, including the motors and safety guards. They also require a smooth, uniform finish and no snags to avoid catching food and water.
These are not suggestions for many food and dairy fan applications. The USDA and FDA inspect food-grade machinery and are meticulous about these requirements, and the fans are required to pass inspection before startup and operation.
Food Grade Considerations for Dairy & Food Processing Fan Applications
- Stainless Steel Construction (304, 316, or higher grade alloys) – durable materials designed to meet food-grade requirements.
- Glass Bead Blasting (SSPC-SP10) – uniform near-white blast finish that gives a smooth, consistent profile and removes weld discoloration.
- 32RA Polished Finish – a uniform 32 micro-inch finish on all stainless steel parts for smooth surfaces and easy cleaning.
- Epoxy Coating – applied to non-stainless steel components for added protection and easy maintenance.
- Clean-in-Place (CIP) Nozzles – integrated within the fan housing, paired with a drain system, to enable effective cleaning during operation.
- Washdown Duty Motor – stainless steel motor with a stainless steel shaft, ensuring all parts in contact with the product are food-grade compliant.
- Ferrule (Sanitary) Drain, Cap & Gasket – no-threaded design for improved sanitary performance.
- Teflon Seals & Gaskets – to maintain hygienic sealing and prevent contamination.
- Flexible Inlet & Outlet Connections – flange and slip inlet/outlet configurations allow for easy integration with ductwork via flexible boots.
Additional Accessory & Design Considerations
- 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 Isolators – necessary when foundational mass is insufficient to support fan operation
- Vibration and Temperature Sensors – to monitor bearing and fan health and prevent unplanned outages
Connect with a Food Processing Fan & Blower Expert
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.
