TROX X-FANS opens research centre for fan technology and aerodynamics

TROX X-FANS GmbH opens the new International Center for Fan Technology and Aerodynamics, ICVA for short, at the location in Heinz Trox Straße near the B 62 just before Eichhof. While this is a joyous occasion, it was not originally planned this way.

"Our research and development department was actually located at Seilerweg," explains Christian Söllner, Managing Director of TROX X-FANS. The hall there was only modernised in 2010, and four employees were occupied with the constant development and optimisation of the fans from Bad Hersfeld on an area of around one thousand squaremetres. The fans from Bad Hersfeld are valued all over the world.

The relocation was finally carried out as part of the Wever project, which had actually been considered and finally failed - under time pressure, because the site on Seilerweg had to be cleared by the end of June 2022, because then the demolition excavators were supposed to roll in. 

"Actually, we would have preferred a new building on a greenfield site, so that we would still have room for expansion and the creation of new jobs later on," emphasizes Christian Söllner. However, this was not possible due to the state's subsidy guidelines, which were linked to the Wever project. So the decision was made to remodel one of the production already existing halls on Heinz Trox Straße. "As a local company, we believe it is very important to use companies from the region" says Hartmut Brandau, who together with Christian Söllner forms the management team at TROX X-FANS. 

This worked out excellently. "Without the active support of the companies carrying out the work, we would hardly have been able to keep to the tight schedule," says Brandau, "because the highest demands were placed on the construction itself. Highly sensitive vibration and noise tests were carried out in the hall on Seilerweg, which is not easily possible at the new location near the A4 freeway and the busy B 62."

For this reason, a double-shell structure had to be built to dampen the sound from the nearby roads. A special floor was also installed to absorb the vibrations. In addition, a new pressure room with solid concrete walls was built. The cost of the conversion and relocation is around 1.7 million euros, which will be refunded by the state of Hesse. 

The new Fan Technology and Aerodynamics Center in Bad Hersfeld is the third international center in the globally operating TROX GROUP. "At our location in Neukirchen-Vluyn, we have the International Center for Fire Protection Technology and the International Center for Air Conditioning Technology and Acoustics. Both are testing, researching and development centres and work together with international universities and research institutes" says Udo Jung, who was the managing director of TROX X-FANS for many years and now heads the fortunes of the worldwide TROX GROUP in Neukirchen-Vluyn. 

"Bad Hersfeld now fits in excellently with this line-up and we are pleased to already be working with some well-known partners such as the renowned Hermann Rietschel Institute, the Technical University of Central Hesse, RWTH Aachen or the Research Association for Air and Drying Technology e.V."

Tested safety and quality: Aerodynamic and acoustic tests are performed at the International Center for Fan Technology and Aerodynamics (ICVA). The team of engineers and other technical staff determine performance data and subject TROX X-FANS fans to extensive testing.

The goal is the continuously optimisation and the further development of existing products and systems in terms of their safety and efficiency. Not only can the in-house designers benefit from the many years of experience and the special competence in the research and development of ventilation components, the expertise of TROX X-FANS is also in demand internationally: The ICVA also operates as a service provider on behalf of third parties and carries out performance and prototype measurements, catalog measurements as well as approval tests and trials for certifications.

For this purpose, the engineering team of the research and development center has several test stands according to ISO 5801 at its disposal, on which measurements can be carried out from small roof fans to industrial fans with a diameter of up to 2,000 millimeters and a volume flow of up to 200,000 m3/h.

Four additional pipe test stands for diameters of 400, 500, 710 and 1,000 millimeters allow volume flow and pressure measurements as well as sound measurements according to DIN 45635 and ISO5136. At the company's own fire gas test stand, designed for temperatures of up to 600 °C, impellers, motors or even entire fans can also be tested for their mechanical load capacity; another test stand allows vibration and stress analyses on rotating fan impellers.

"The customer, his individual wishes and his application are the focus of our work," states Frank Wahl, head of the International Center for Fan Technology and Aerodynamics.

Find out more at: https://www.trox-xfans.de/en