ABB and NOVENCO Launch Integrated Axial Fan Package

Republished by AIC Engineering. All rights belong to the original publisher; see Source below.

ABB and NOVENCO Building & Industry have entered into a collaboration to offer an integrated axial fan package combining NOVENCO’s ZerAx fan technology with ABB’s IE5 permanent magnet motor and variable speed drive. The package is designed to improve energy efficiency in ventilation and cooling systems used across data centres, industrial facilities and buildings. The companies said the combined system can achieve efficiency of up to 85% in a typical air handling unit installation.

At the centre of the package is NOVENCO’s ZerAx axial fan, which can achieve up to 92% aerodynamic efficiency at the impeller. Its blade design and hub geometry are designed to improve airflow efficiency while maintaining a compact configuration for installation and servicing. The package combines the fan, motor and variable speed drive as separate components. This modular design allows individual components to be upgraded, retrofitted or replaced rather than replacing the complete fan system.

Erich Labuda, President, Motion Services division, ABB, said the collaboration extends ABB’s work in energy efficiency from individual motors and drives to complete systems. The companies said the package is designed for a service life of 15 to 20 years. Its modular architecture can also support maintenance and upgrades during the operating life of the equipment.

ABB and NOVENCO said the package can provide significant energy savings in cooling applications. In a typical data centre with more than 1,000 fans, replacing existing EC fans with the integrated axial fan package could reduce annual energy consumption by 15% to 40%, depending on the age and efficiency of the existing installation. The same approach can be applied to ventilation systems in food and beverage production, semiconductor manufacturing, pharmaceutical facilities, commercial buildings and other infrastructure where fans operate for extended periods.

Lars Erik Knaack, CEO, NOVENCO, said the combination of the company’s fan technology with ABB motors and drives could help customers reduce energy consumption and support decarbonisation efforts. He added that some fan retrofit projects could achieve a return on investment in less than two years, depending on energy costs and existing equipment.

The package also addresses maintenance and material recovery. Unlike sealed EC fan units that may require complete replacement after failure, the separate fan, motor and drive architecture allows individual components to be serviced or replaced. ABB said its motors can provide high material recoverability, with up to 98% recoverable through specialised processes. The collaboration brings together NOVENCO’s aerodynamic fan technology with ABB’s motor and drive systems to address energy consumption at the system level.

ABB is a global technology company focused on electrification and automation, with more than 140 years of operating history and around 110,000 employees worldwide. NOVENCO Building & Industry develops high-efficiency fan technologies for data centres, industrial facilities and buildings, with a focus on airflow performance, energy consumption and long service life.

Source

• Machine Maker (2026-10-01)
• Original article: ABB and NOVENCO Launch Integrated Axial Fan Package
• https://themachinemaker.com/news/abb-and-novenco-launch-integrated-axial-fan-package/