Time has wizzed by since the last post / update.
Having made various versions of base profiles and designs to overcome the excessive heat exposure on some stove tops and having thrown the towel in on a few occasions .. or rather toys out the pram !
After quite a few months we found a solution which was both effective and cost efficient.
Armed with pages of data (well a dvd anyway) logged from thermocouples recording both hot plate temperature and base top temperatures (TEG exposure Temp), Fan RPM and motor voltage and current , Tony Gospel arrived at our premises to repeat the tests and put the project to bed with a successful result.
First problem was moving the 600 mm x 600 mm Steel Hot Plate into safe position within the workshop - quite a heavy lump of equipment. Once installed on heat proof materials with plenty of head room and free air around the unit was brought upto temperature. Now anyone that knows the workshop knows its not heated - so the 6 degree C air temperature was not helping with the heating up ! After a couple of hours the plate had just about managed 395 degrees - however initial tests of the same fan assembly were concerning as they HT base did not appear to be preventing the TEG exposure exceeding 210 degrees.
We were troubled to say the least ? why with all the same equipment and test subjects were the results repeated in the Lab in Nottingham not repeating here ? Trying to salvage the day, we set up the Hot Plate to 350 degrees C which it held quite happily, we tested multiple base samples / fan combinations to ensure that normal manufacturing tolerances were proven. The net result, well not the 400 degree C exposure we wanted but at 350 degrees C the TEG exposure was 190 degrees C.
In our view this would cover the vast majority of Stove Top Plate Temperatures. After the heating kit had cooled sufficiently to handle it was loaded up and Tony left me to convert the stock of Fan-C & Fan-Ce over to the new HT base design..... once i had made the first batch.
As of November 1st, all products shipped have been HT versions. Additional improvements include High Temperature adhesive for fan blade to hub & drive plus grub screw amongst others.
Meanwhile, we have managed to secure a stock of the popular Black Fan-C bodies and these have sold as fast as i make them up. The Fan-Ce in black on the other hand is a rare beast and attracts a premium when the units become available - the additional costs in building these special order products will soon preclude sales..... or maybe not ? The current units of which I have two pre-ordered at just shy of £200 and a third to hold as stock.
It is a shame I have as yet drawn a blank when it comes to finding a nickel chrome plating service prepared to undertake the operation - a new search must now be high on the list of things to do, in order to supply this niche market with a select product.
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