After the difficult times experienced by the ventilation industry during a good part of the previous year, due largely to the global economic crisis, today there is an air of tranquility in this sector due to the increase in demand for its products.
by: Santiago Jaramillo H.
After enduring the strong blows brought by the global economic crisis, and although in Latin American countries the impact was not as devastating as in other latitudes of the world, today the issue of energy saving and improvement in the performance of equipment are fundamental in the awakening that the ventilation industry is experiencing.
Consequently, the demand in Latin America is basically focused on solutions in which indoor air quality is maintained, of course it is minimizing energy consumption, especially in nations that have adhered to international ecological treaties. In short, the priority in demand, according to experts, is to have efficient equipment with low energy consumption with which industrial processes that require ventilation, cooling and controlled atmosphere are improved.
It is for this reason that at present the greatest efforts of the industry are devoted to research topics in terms of increasing the performance of equipment in terms of aerodynamics, aeroacoustics and the creation of more environmentally friendly fans.
In this sense, Roberto Lara Gutiérrez, deputy director of the company Big Fans de México S.A. de C.V., emphasizes that "currently the main trend in industrial ventilation is energy saving and efficiency in the consumption of the same, better performing the work for which the equipment was designed. This trend speaks of air extraction, injection and movement equipment that must save the maximum consumption of electrical energy thanks to the combination of components of high technological efficiency and a practical design".
On the other hand, and regarding the development of sales during this year, Lara emphasizes that they are on the rise, but points out that there are factors that affect the demand for this type of equipment, such as "the interest on the part of the designers for the improvement of ventilation conditions, replacing or complementing other systems, and also the low initial cost, operation and maintenance of the equipment, compared to others".
Meanwhile, Alejandro Treviño V., director of Multi-Wing Mexico S of RL de CV., comments that "the global crisis affected us all, we saw companies disappear and companies like us strengthened. For me the key to success is to take all our advantages and exploit them to the fullest, for example we have more than 87 years of experience in customer support by a team of engineers specialized in ventilation, we offer technical and engineering support for life, we have a team that strives to satisfy customers, so much so that selecting a fan for each of them is like making a tailor-made suit."
As for what characteristics a good industrial ventilation system should have today, Kristin Forsthoefel, international sales representative of Big Ass Fans USA, indicates that "it is important that industrial ventilation systems are effective, with the ability to offer great comfort to a specific area, taking into account that industrial spaces are usually large. It is also important that a ventilation system frees up valuable space and does not interfere with machinery and employee mobility. Equally important is the efficiency of the system," he stresses.
For her part, Verónica Villanueva, representative of Soler & Palau Mexico, maintains that in her view three aspects are key for a system of this type to ensure its success in the industry: "Apply new technologies and always be up to date, energy efficiency in HVAC systems and air quality that benefits occupants of premises".
In the same way, the representative of the company Big Fans of Mexico, which has its main market niche in Mexico, the United States, Colombia and Brazil, agrees that success, but at the same time the main challenge is "to look for practical, economical and efficient designs to solve ventilation problems using technologically efficient devices and materials to always seek energy savings when operating and manufacturing them".
The teams and their benefits
Like every technology used by each manufacturer in their ventilation products, installers and users seek to make the best choice when carrying out their interventions. There weigh many aspects, including the requirements of the installation, the budget, the benefits of each system and the infrastructure itself where it will be located.
Obviously each system seeks to stand out and specialize, so we wanted to investigate with our guests what were the most outstanding characteristics of the products marketed by their companies and what aspects made them be considered as effective ventilation solutions in the Latin American market.
On this occasion we wanted to focus on the equipment for the circulation of large air flows, in that order of ideas the representative of Soler & Palau indicated that for this segment the Jet Fan Tuboaxial Fan (TCP) "is a product that offers many advantages, by eliminating traditional ventilation methods, changing them for more efficient methods. Optimizing spaces and minimizing the investment by installation and consumption. Additionally, this product may in a special way contain features for use in emergencies."
"By making new high-tech ventilation options available to engineers and contractors, it creates an atmosphere conducive to the enrichment of our ventilation culture. This product has taken a new turn in subways and parking lots where air quality is essential, always coupled with an energy efficiency that we are all obliged to cover".
For his part, our guest of Multi-Wing Mexico assures that "the fans of the Airfoil series are practically the answer for any application. The technical characteristics of our fans are the diversity of materials we use depending on the application. The contorted profile of the blades of our Airfoil series creates a wide operating range, making it suitable for every application, from the most demanding engine cooling applications to simple ventilation. The series' low power consumption saves energy and reduces noise, making it a high-efficiency solution for a wide range of applications."
Meanwhile, Roberto Lara Gutiérrez, of Big Fans of Mexico, ponders that the Macroair and especially the Airvolution XL model "is an industrial ceiling fan of enormous air displacement and large coverage area, low speed, minimum consumption of electrical energy, silent, operated with a motor of 1 hp of power, built in aluminum and steel with an average total weight of 90 kg. and with eight different sizes from 2.4m. up to 7.3m, in diameter".
This representative of the company also complements by indicating that its main application "is to ventilate giant spaces, based on the distribution of a huge flow of air at low speed with the minimum of electricity consumption, causing comfort in places where it is not necessary to move the air in all directions. The application sectors are in the manufacturing, commercial and service industry, practically any place that has the right height from floor to ceiling in its facilities and a large area where it needs greater comfort and air distribution, qualifies to apply this system. "
In summary, we can indicate that the offer in Latin America is very wide and that manufacturers and distributors are in full power to meet the demand of the region, of course, competing with quality and variety of equal with the global offer.
