A leading industrial fan manufacturer was experiencing critical field failures with their aluminum fan hubs used in high-torque applications across agriculture, chemical processing, and power generation facilities. The existing aluminum hubs were lightweight but prone to breakage under the demanding operational stresses of industrial air movement systems.
The Dilemma
- Pure aluminum hubs: Lightweight but structurally insufficient, leading to frequent failures and costly downtime
- Steel or cast-iron alternatives: Structurally sound but too heavy, requiring significantly more motor torque and increasing energy consumption
The customer needed a solution that could deliver both structural integrity and weight optimization for their demanding industrial applications.
Solution
Glocon developed an innovative composite material approach, fusing aluminum with steel through gravity die casting to create a revolutionary fan hub design.
Our Approach
- Advanced Material Engineering: Created a proprietary aluminum-steel composite that combines the best properties of both materials
- Gravity Die Casting Process: Utilized precision gravity die casting to ensure uniform material distribution and optimal structural properties
- Design Optimization: Engineered the hub geometry to maximize strength-toweight ratio in critical stress areas
Results
The composite aluminum-steel hub delivered breakthrough performance improvements:
- Eliminated field failures: Zero breakages reported since implementation, significantly reducing maintenance and replacement costs
- Optimal strength-to-weight ratio: Maintained aluminum’s lightweight advantages while achieving steel-like structural integrity
- Reduced operational costs: Lower motor torque requirements and energy consumption compared to heavy steel alternatives
- Enhanced reliability: Improved performance across demanding applications in agriculture, chemical processing, and power generation
Why This Matters
This project demonstrates Glocon’s ability to solve complex engineering challenges through innovative material solutions and precision casting processes. By developing a custom composite material, we helped our customer overcome the traditional trade-off between strength and weight, delivering a solution that outperforms conventional approaches.