FEATURE
YOUR BIGGEST FAN
LUCK STONE IMPROVES MAINTENANCE SHOP COMFORT AND EFFICIENCY
WITH PROPER CIRCULATION AND SOME BIG FANS.
By Mark S. Kuhar
CHALLENGE:
Create a comfortable
and energy efficient work
environment in the
maintenance shop.
SOLUTION:
A Big Ass Fan.
TIP:
A large���diameter,
low���speed fan in the shop
will recirculate enough
heat to pay for itself
within three years.
M
aintaining comfortable condi���
tions in your quarry���s mainte���
nance shop can be an
expensive undertaking. This is espe���
cially true during the winter months
when loaders and haul trucks fill up a
lot of workspace. But a familiar, albeit
oversized, concept can be put to work
in these facilities to increase techni���
cians��� comfort and reduce the shop���s
energy usage in every season.
Large���diameter, low���speed fans rang���
ing up to 24 ft. in diameter can use
their immense size, rather than speed,
to efficiently move a massive amount
28 ROCKproducts ��� DECEMBER 2012
of air throughout a space, from ceiling
to floor and wall to door. Depending
on the fan���s speed, this gentle, nondis���
ruptive airflow both cools in the sum���
mer and improves heating efficiency
in the winter.
Heat From Above
Workers subjected to excessively cold
temperatures can suffer a loss of dex���
terity, and may require additional
clothing to cope with the cold. This
might put them at risk for entangle���
ment or other perils. Allowing breaks
for workers to warm back up and giv���
ing chemicals more time to dry in cold
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