Overview

One of the many industries Vortec serves is steel manufacturing. Steel plants require high levels of heat to shape their product. However, excess heat can fry electrical systems and cause plant shutdowns. Vortec’s specialized products can deliver targeted cooling where it is needed, enabling steel plants to maintain production quotas.

The Challenge

When one of Vortec’s steel industry clients built a new compressor building, plant employees discovered the compressors’ own radiant heat, combined with the typical hot conditions of a steel manufacturing facility and regional high temperatures, resulted in frequent overheating of the compressor control panels. The plant manager noted that “We were experiencing downtime when the compressors became too hot. We obviously didn’t want to re-engineer the whole building, so we needed some way of cooling the compressors, which are very critical to our operation. Because we’re a steel mill—which is a horrendously dirty and dusty environment—we also needed some way of keeping this sensitive electronic equipment clean.”

The Solution

The steel plant manager did some hunting to solve this problem which was hindering production. “When I found Vortec’s enclosure cooling product, I knew it would do what we needed,” he notes. The facility now uses Vortec’s model 787 Vortex Coolers. The Vortex Coolers serve a dual purpose at the steel mill, both cooling and purging the control panels, with cold air pressurizing the panel so that dirt cannot get into the panel. “Vortec’s product is very simple to use, reliable and within our budget,” states the satisfied client.

How Steel Plants Benefit From Using Vortec

“With the Vortex enclosure cooler, we can maintain a cooler operating temperature which means our compressors don’t shut down anymore,” notes the steel mill manager who has installed Vortex Coolers in his plant. “That means we don’t lose production time. Plus, the company’s investment in the compressors is protected: we know they’re going to last a longer time because they’re not getting dirt and dust in the works.”

Conclusion

The plant manager, a twenty-year veteran of the steel industry, observes “we have used the Vortex coolers on a regular basis for several years now. If we need any additional cooling products, we would definitely go to Vortec. They make a good, made in the USA product that holds up great and is inexpensive. I absolutely recommend their products to anyone looking for cooling solutions.”