Universal Blower Pac - News and Views

Why UBP is the Original Manufacturer

2011-09-19T07:11:00.000-07:00

Blowers are a commodity, so it doesn't matter who provides them, right? Although a blower is a small part of the overall cost, it is actually the "heart" of the system that all other components rely on. Without the blower, nothing operates as it should. To avoid getting a lesser quality blower package, many engineers exclude packagers from their specifications. Is this really the best solution? The only remaining option becomes a factory package; however, this limits you on model selection and a standardized package without many possible modifications.

With Universal Blower Pac, Inc. (UBP) you have the best of both worlds. UBP has more installations in the US and has been packaging longer than most blower manufacturers. We are factory authorized to package by many suppliers and have experience in almost all blowers. With our knowledgeable engineering department, we are able to customize packages with hundreds of blowers in order to find the best fit for your application. Engineering a custom design is so integral for the specific need of each customer that we are invested from the beginning of the process. Our entire sales staff are degreed engineers; thus, we have the technical skills to accommodate your design parameters. This is something you won’t find anywhere else. We also manufacture the package in our own shop, giving us complete control over the quality of our equipment. On all of our packages, we add significant value to each blower - whether it is direct driven for optimal efficiency or an enclosure for noise reduction. To capitalize on our engineering ability, we have equipped our facility to not only package up to 600HP blowers and above, we are also able to repair and test these packages. We recently repaired and tested a 22” blower in our facility with the customer present. In fact, we package many blowers in the 300-600HP range each year. All of these combined offers each of our customers all the benefits and knowledge of a factory package but with the custom upgrades that make your ‘heart’ complete. This is why we call ourselves “The Original Manufacturer”.

What is the benefit of having the ability to make modifications to your package? Since the 1979, we have designed many solutions for our customers to provide them with the best equipment for their money. One example of this was a project in Alabama. The client did not have enough room for the expansion blowers. Their plan was to construct a new building unless they could manage to fit them under a stairwell. The height was restricted to less than 5 feet. Since this was also on a second floor mezzanine, we needed to isolate vibration for a lower dynamic load. We were able to achieve this by having a vertical package with compact silencers and a concrete inertia base to isolate 95% of the vibration. With the use of a partial enclosure, we were able to meet the needed 85 dBA level for a lower cost and space requirement of a full enclosure. The extra benefit above this was we were able to provide a direct drive which made the maintenance easier, increased blower life immensely, and saved 5% on energy costs. Please visit our website for more case studies like this one.

Next time you are working on a more difficult need, call one of our Sales Engineers for a custom solution. Efficiency is extremely crucial in our environment, and this is one of the areas we excel in. We can provide a more efficient solution for a quicker return on investment. This does not have to cost you 25% or take 10 years to make up. We will work with your budget in order to obtain what you want without the huge price tag.

UBP on Facebook!

2011-09-14T12:10:00.000-07:00

Universal Blower Pac is now on Facebook!

Check it out here: UBP

"Like" us and be able to easily contact UBP!

Industry Articles Mentioning UBP

2011-06-22T07:24:00.000-07:00

A few new articles recently surfaced in industry publications that mention Universal Blower Pac and our new energy efficient equipment the EE-Pac. You can view them by clicking the links below.

Pumps & Systems article can be found here.
http://www.pump-zone.com/motors/motors/trends-in-variable-speed-technology.html

Dowload PDF Here

Treatment Plant Operator (TPO) article can be found here.
http://www.tpomag.com/editorial/2011/06/touching_all_bases

Case Study - Chesterton, IN Blower Power Consumption Analysis

2011-05-11T07:32:00.000-07:00

Universal Blower Pac has been asked to explore the benefit of upgrading the Chesterton, IN Fritz C. Dietrich Environmental Control Facility with high efficiency blower systems. The intent is to reduce power consumption and the corresponding cost to operate the equipment. The current blower system, power consumption, and ongoing operating cost has been evaluated and compared with three different proposed blower systems....

Click here to continue reading the document (pdf).

Conserving Energy - Flow Measurement & Average Demand

2010-07-26T07:22:00.000-07:00

Andrew Placek

Universal Blower Pac, Inc.

Flow Measurement and Average Demand

Proper equipment design begins with a thorough understanding of your process requirements. All design engineers are concerned with the quality of a particular air delivery solution, but many have not adequately modeled the problem. Sometimes the end result is a quality system that when placed into operation is not at all suited for the real world application.

Consider the application of mixing a tank through diffused aeration. Mixing is a volume dependent application where fluid displacement to achieve a homogonous mixture is the goal. At the point where the desired mixture is attained any excess air put into the system is wasted. Since mixing through diffused aeration is a costly and an ongoing expense, any reduction you can make will save money continuously over the lifespan of the equipment.

We recommend use of volumetric flow (ACFM or m^3/min) measurement versus a mass flow (SCFM or Nm^3) measurement for this volume dependent application. A mass flow measurement will result in a higher volume and excess fluid displacement when temperature and elevation increase above the standard volume’s defined point (this is typically defined in the US as the amount of air in one cubic foot at 68F, 36% RH and sea level).

Read the rest of the paper here (PDF format).

Repair Capabilities

2010-05-13T06:40:00.000-07:00

Universal Blower Pac is not your typical "blower packager". We take pride in being able to handle the entire process when it comes to blowers. We can assist with design, provide knowledgeable support during the sales process, we manufacture the blower system, and we have our own service & repair department! A more detailed overview of our capabilities will be covered in a separate post. This post briefly highlights our repair capabilities.

We inspect around 65 blowers a year and actually repair about 50 blowers a year. The blower sizes range from small 2" gear machines (~50 CFM) all the way up to 12" and 14" gear machines (over 7,500 CFM). But recently we were able to repair a 2231 PD blower, those are 22" gears (capable of over 11,000 CFM)! This blower presented many challenges, but that will be covered in a later post. It was neat to have in our shop for repair just because of the enormity of the blower as it stood over 6' tall and weighed about 6 tons. Right now we just wanted to share some photos of the process. The first two photos are of the repair center in general (one showing a repair on a helical screw blower) and the last six are of the 22" gear blower.

The repair wall.

Repairing a helical screw blower. The 22" gear blower is in the background.

Removing the blower bearings.

Setting the impellers back in the blower.

Once the impellers are set the machine clearances will be checked.

Once the rebuilding process was finished it was time for testing!

We had to customize a test stand specifically for this blower.

We test many blowers at our facility, but this was one of the largest!

If you have questions about our repair or maintenance services, please contact us!

New Product - The EE-Pac

2010-04-07T06:14:00.000-07:00

As mentioned in the previous post, we would soon be providing information on the EE-Pac and now that time has come. Universal Blower Pac has been in the process of developing this product for a few years and now we are ready to release it! The EE-Pac was spawned due to the increasing demand for energy efficient equipment within the industry. The EE-Pac is a variable flow, variable pressure machine that remains efficient across a wide range of operating conditions. At the end of the post there are links to a flyer and recent advertisement that will highlight some of the benefits of the equipment.

As you can see from the previous post comparing efficiencies we have been able to achieve power consumption values similar to that of multistage centrifugal blowers and high speed turbo blowers at their optimum operating points. Also, we have demonstrated energy savings when multiple operating points are used. Furthermore, the EE-Pac should be a significantly smaller capital expense when compared to similarly sized high speed turbo blowers. What it all boils down to is that the EE-Pac provides energy efficiency for a fraction of the cost of other energy efficient blower systems available.

The EE-Pac is a unique energy efficient blower system because

it maintains high efficiency in variable flow and variable pressure applications. It has a turndown capability of 5 to 1 in most applications and some models can operate up to 20 psig. This flexibility enables the EE-Pac to be used in many different applications.

The EE-Pac offers many features to benefit the user.

FEATURES	BENEFITS
Variable Flow and Variable Pressure Machine	The EE-Pac provides high efficiency over a large range of flows and pressures. Whatever your application, this unit can help lower your energy costs!
Remote or Local Control Available	The unit can be completely controlled in two methods, remotely via the plant SCADA system, or locally by the HMI. The user can control the system using the method of their choice.
Multiple Interface Methods	The unit is equipped to be easily interfaced into existing plants SCADA systems as it can communicate via multiple methods.
Programmed Maintenance Schedule	A maintenance schedule is preprogrammed into the controller that will inform the user when to perform any required maintenance.
No Surge	The unit does not require control schemes to prevent surge and other related conditions that will destroy the equipment.
DO Control Available	The unit comes ready for DO control. Just connect to your existing monitoring system!
Local Service Available throughout the United States	The unit meets municipal funding requirements. Parts and service are nearby to ensure timely remediation of potential issues.

A few photos of the EE-Pac can be seen below.

If you would like more information, let us know here or contact us at our website!

Efficiency Comparison - PD Blowers vs. Turbo Blowers

2010-02-25T05:27:00.000-08:00

Have you ever wondered where the Turbo Blower manufacturers obtained their data for their wild claims of 30-40% increase in efficiency over PD blowers? While pursuing a recent project we found that a turbo blower manufacturer (which we will keep unnamed) took the owner out to an existing WWTP plant in the area to compare the currently installed PD blower to their turbo machines. The owner was amazed at how quiet and efficient the turbo blowers were and wanted his engineer to use them for their plant upgrades! What no one discussed that day, and what the turbo blower manufacturers hope no one discusses period, is that the PD blower packages used in the comparison were 20+ years old! Think about that for a moment. Technology makes leaps and bounds every 3-5 years, let alone 20! Existing technology is modified and improved upon constantly in a competitive market!

Today, PD blower systems are much more efficient than those installed in the past. There are multiple reasons why this is true, but the most significant reasons are as follows: improved blower efficiencies, improved motor efficiencies, direct driven systems. We will touch on each one of these in the attached paper. There are even comparisons at the end for you to evaluate!

Download Efficiency Comparisons Document Here

What are your thoughts after reading the document?

A Brief History Lesson - Universal Blower Pac

2010-01-04T12:54:00.000-08:00

Universal Blower Pac was founded in May of 1979 by Ray Fiechter. UBP was founded because there was a lack of customization regarding blower packages in the pneumatic conveying industry. From his time working as a sales manager for a bare blower manufacturer, Ray noticed that the current manufacturers were limited in their ability to provide a customized solution to their clients. In certain instances the manufacturer’s representative would package the equipment for their regional customers! He felt that this gaping hole in the industry could be filled by an independent blower package manufacturer. Thus UBP came into existence.

UBP manufactured packages primarily for the pneumatic conveying industry until 1985 when it entered the Water Treatment market. Because Ray’s previous experience was in pneumatic conveying he wanted to establish the company and secure a place in that market prior to venturing into another market. He knew there were plenty of opportunities in the water treatment industry and it wasn’t long before water treatment sales became a staple of the company. Universal Blower Pac maintains a presence in the Pneumatic Conveying industry and also has experience building SVE (Soil Vapor Extraction) systems. Shortly after entering the water treatment market, Universal Blower Pac was moved to its current location in 1986. Due to the growth of the company the facility has expanded three times since the original building was erected! 1990, 1995, and 2009 were all years where the facility grew with the company. The most recent expansion, which was completed earlier this year, is a topic in a previous post.

In 1988 UBP begins an alliance with Gardner Denver which had acquired the Sutorbilt and Duroflow PD blower lines in 1987. What separates UBP from the rest of the blower packager manufacturers is our ability to customize our product and include any component requested by our clients. This enables us to meet their needs to the fullest extent. This ability also helps UBP adapt, as the industry and economy are always changing. As an example, UBP has customers that are pressed for time and may not need customized products. They only require a blower package that operates at their specified conditions. Therefore UBP introduced the EXP package, or Express Package, in 1993. This package can accommodate a range of flows and has a very short lead time when compared to other blower packages.

Fun Fact: In the early 1980’s there were only two nationwide independent manufacturers of blower packages and the other company no longer manufactures blower packages. Therefore, UBP is the oldest independent blower manufacturer that operates on a national level.

The company has grown significantly with each passing year. From time to time UBP has grown slower as the company adjusted its managerial and marketing methods to accommodate the market and economy changes. Below is a timeline that highlights the significant events in the history of Universal Blower Pac.

We are currently working on future timeline worthy events such as the new product we will be unveiling in a few months! An Energy Efficient Positive Displacement Blower System that remains efficient at multiple operating points or while turned down significantly! More information on this system will be available in the coming months. We also just secured our second best sales year in this unpredictable economy and have a chance to make it 4 straight record sales years! Check back soon for more information on UBP. There will also be a few “informational posts” that will help explain some of the technology we use and how it compares to other types of technology in the market

UBP Sound Attenuation

2009-12-11T07:10:00.000-08:00

Universal Blower Pac has nearly 30 years experience engineering and producing acoustical enclosures for our customers. Noise regulations are much more prevalent than when we started and workplace safety has arisen as a key issue to private and public entities alike. Additionally, noise pollution has become a community concern and, in turn, its reduction a factor in the buying process of almost all customers. Universal Blower Pac has addressed these concerns with continued testing and refinement of our custom sound enclosures built to meet your specific needs. We offer a wide variety of options available for almost any attenuation application. Please view the technical paper prepared by a member of the UBP team. This is only supplied as a PDF due to the size of the paper. Please let us know if you have questions about the paper, we will gladly discuss it with you!

UBP Sound Attenuation PDF

Positive Displacement (PD) Blower Basics

2009-11-05T12:16:00.000-08:00

A technical post! Now we will provide some technical content to the blog. A brief overview of how positive displacement blowers operate follows.

Positive displacement blowers do not generate pressure internally. Instead, PD blowers overcome line pressure when they are in operation. Air enters the inlet port of the blower and is trapped as the impeller rotates beyond the limits of the port opening. There is no contact between the moving parts inside of the machine. The air is trapped by the tight tolerances between the impeller and blower casing. The air is moved around the impeller and blower casing to the opposite side of the blower towards the discharge port. Once the impeller chamber opens into the discharge port there is an equalization of pressure between the impeller chamber and the discharge line. As the rotation continues, the air is forced out the blower and the process repeats. The following illustration should help explain the process of how a PD blower overcomes line pressure.

Different applications require different blowers. There are various types of blowers available and Universal Blower Pac selects the appropriate blower based on the needs of the facility. We analyze the needs of the process or facility and package the right blower to maximize efficiency, lower noise, or reduce costs, whatever your prerogative may be!

Expanded Facility

2009-10-29T12:53:00.000-07:00

We recently expanded our facility to accommodate our growing client base. We have increased our storage capacity for stocking items and increased our package repair area. What does this mean for you? We can turn around new projects quicker than before and we can repair your existing blowers if you aren't in the market for a new one! Also, some office space has been added to accommodate our growing sales and engineering teams. Take a look at our new facility by clicking on the pictures below!

The exterior of the new facility

New service / repair wall

A Portion of the assembly area

New expanded storage area

The changes are evident when comparing the exterior photo to the previous exterior photo! (found on the blog sidebar)

Request a Post!

2009-10-27T11:25:00.000-07:00

We plan to deliver reading material that our clients and other industry professionals can appreciate. If you are curious about a product, specific technology, or process let us know!