Two common types of blowers are belt-driven and direct drive. Direct Drive blowers connect the blower head directly to the motor, and the motor “directly drives” the blower. Out of necessity, the blower and the motor rotate at the same speed. In a belt-driven system, on the other hand, the motor and blower head are connected via a belt drive system, enabling the motor and the blower to rotate at different speeds. The motor pulley and the blower pulley are connected via a belt, and the size ratio between the two pulleys dictates the speed of the blower head, determining the resulting flow and pressure.
Why does a two-pulley system result in a better performance?
- First, a two-pulley system provides flexibility in the speed of the blower, to adjust for application specific needs. A direct drive blower operates at the same speed as the motor. In order to adjust the speed and the air flow characteristics, a variable frequency drive (VFD) is required. A two-pulley system, on the other hand, can be adjusted by varying the pulley sizes. For example, a Paxton PX-750 centrifugal blower can achieve flow rates ranging from 340 – 700 cfm, at pressures from 30 – 80” H2O, depending on what pulley size is used.
- Secondly, a two-pulley system extends the bearing life of the blower bearings, by moving the bearings away from the heat generated by the motor. In a direct drive blower, the bearings are in direct contact with the motor heat, and therefore, direct drive blowers require bearing changes every 6000 hours, whereas bearings in a two-pulley system will last for many years.
- And finally, unlike direct drive blowers, two pulley blower systems use a standard 3 phase induction motor, which is readily available in the market. In return, the customer receives a cost-efficient option and avoids purchasing a specialty motor. Most of the maintenance required on a two-pulley system can be completed in-house.
How are Paxton’s two-pulley systems unique?
Paxton’s centrifugal belt-driven blowers utilize a combination of varying sizes of motor and blower pulleys, custom-engineered for each application. What’s in it for the customer? Paxton is able to dial into the most energy efficient and effective performance for each application. Paxton’s focus is on giving their end user a blower that reaches peak efficiencies of 80%, reducing the energy cost by much as 2.5 – 10 hp, as compared to other blower systems. And compared to compressed air drying and blow off systems, Paxton Products’ two pulley blower system utilizes energy better to reduce electricity costs by 80%. Paxton Products has durable and reliable blowers and air delivery systems AND they have application engineers who have over 75+ years of combined experience in air flow technology. With this knowledge, Paxton is the unsurpassed leader in Engineering expertise and support before and after solution development.
So why Paxton Products? Because we blow air smarter!