For automotive manufacturers, the time to simplify scaling production is now. The continued growth of electric vehicle (EV) demand and production means auto manufacturers are either launching new EV production lines at existing facilities or bringing new factories online devoted entirely to EVs.
In both instances, scaling quickly and efficiently is key to help automotive manufacturers accelerate their speed-to-market and outpace the competition. Enclosure cooling units that are versatile, easy to configure and install, and flexible in terms of deployment can help automotive manufacturers create highly-scalable climate systems that don’t sacrifice cooling output or performance.
The development of filter fan enclosure cooling technology has made this kind of industrial climate control a real asset for automotive plants to adapt to fluctuations in production programs. Here, we’ll look at a couple of key benefits that filter fan enclosure cooling units provide, and how automotive manufacturers can harness these benefits to create a more scalable climate control infrastructure.
Filter fan enclosure cooling units are designed for rapid installation
Installing, mounting, or integrating enclosure climate control units can be a cumbersome process that requires a large amount of time and resources to complete. This challenge can be exacerbated by the space constraints of automotive manufacturing plants, particularly those that may be retrofitted for warehouse automation. What’s more, these space restrictions can result in more variable cooling unit mounting needs.
Filter fan unit technology can help automotive manufacturers overcome the prolonged and resource-intensive climate unit installation cycle. With a filter fan unit, plant assemblers and installers can rapidly install cooling units without the need for specialized tooling. Plus, filter fan cooling units allow for multiple mounting capabilities based on enclosure specifications or deployment requirements.
For example, Rittal’s new Blue e+ filter fan cooling units are equipped with simple, easy-to-use hooks for rapid installation on the enclosure itself. This also helps increase the rate at which manufacturers bring new automation systems online and makes it easier to scale automation infrastructure without sacrificing powerful cooling.
Filter fan cooling streamlines maintenance and troubleshooting processes
A significant hurdle for automotive manufacturers is the time and resources necessary to maintain and optimize the equipment that drives production. Not only can frequent maintenance intervals require a hefty investment of time and resources, it can also result in costly downtime or unplanned gaps in production due to equipment failures.
Industrial enclosure cooling units that can operate at peak performance with minimal and streamlined maintenance processes can go a long way toward helping automotive manufacturers increase their productivity. With filter fan units, filters can quickly and easily be cleaned or replaced to maximize performance and uptime.
In addition, the simplified design and engineering means fewer parts that need to be serviced or maintained over time. Rittal’s filter fan cooling units offer easy air filter changes via a new opening mechanism on the grille of the unit. The air filter can be accessed and swapped without the need for standard tooling, and easy access to the motor helps accelerate routine maintenance checks and servicing.
Our use of a pleated filter for our filter fan units can also increase the service life of the filter by 2x, thus helping to reduce maintenance costs and promote more consistent, long-term enclosure cooling.
Filter fan units can help automotive manufacturers leverage more versatile enclosure cooling
Versatile industrial automation systems are key in helping automotive manufacturers adapt to a range of production parameters, from unique factory floor plans to harsh operating conditions. A high degree of versatility is also valuable in helping to unlock an enhanced degree of production efficiency with maximized uptime and minimal disruptions in manufacturing cycles.
The streamlined maintenance, simplified design and engineering, and rapid installation make filter fan cooling units a highly versatile enclosure climate control solution that can go virtually anywhere. Choosing a filter fan cooling unit with a multi-voltage capacity — like Rittal’s filter fan unit — allows for seamless integration on a world stage, making it easier for manufacturers to accelerate their speed-to-market regardless of location.
This level of versatility is supplemented by the complete digitalization of the filter fan configuration process. Using Industry 4.0 and IIoT principles, our filter fan cooling units are compatible with our RiTherm climate control tool for an end-to-end digitalization of the design process. This simplifies the task of configuring custom, versatile cooling units for almost any application.
Filter fan units can help automotive manufacturers leverage more flexible enclosure climate control systems that can be scaled quickly and easily to meet market demand. Rittal’s innovative approach to filter fan enclosure cooling units can help automotive manufacturers increase airflow performance by up to 40% and reduce unplanned maintenance intervals for more reliable, consistent enclosure cooling.