Acme Engineering 3012 Installation Manual

Acme Engineering & Manufacturing Corporation

P.O. Box 978 Muskogee, OK 74402
918/682-7791
www.acmefan.com

Form 690001

Read and Save These Instructions

INSTALLATION & MAINTENANCE INSTRUCTIONS

Series 400, 3000, 8100 and 8800 (including 3000 & 8100 hurricane option)

General Purpose and Industrial

Typical Series 400

For the 3000 & 8100 models with hurricane construction that complies
with Florida Building Code including High Velocity Hurricane Zones
(HVHZ) see the ADDITIONAL INSTALLATION AND MAINTENANCE
INSTRUCTIONS on page 8.

I. INTRODUCTION

Your centrifugal fan is a carefully engineered and

constructed piece of machinery which will give long,
satisfactory service provided correct installation and
proper maintenance practices are observed. This bulletin,
along with others for belt drives, motors and/or other
accessories which may be furnished as part of your fan,
are supplied for your information and guidance. DO NOT
DESTROY AFTER INSTALLATION — RETAIN WITH THE
UNIT FOR MAINTENANCE. Preventative maintenance
including periodic inspection, testing, cleaning, lubrication
and replacement of worn parts will forestall equipment
breakdowns and minimize equipment shut-downs.

In addition to this manual, all fans are shipped with the Air

Movement and Control Association (AMCA) Publication
410-90, “Recommended Safety Practices for Users and
Installers of Industrial and Commercial Fans”. If you did
not receive this booklet, immediately contact the factory to
obtain a copy or contact AMCA directly. The AMCA Safety
Publication 410-90 should be read before installing and
operating the equipment to insure safety of personnel and
equipment.

II. RECEIVING AND HANDLING

Fans are prepared for shipment according to the Uniform

Freight Classifi cation Rules of the carriers. The equipment
is carefully inspected before shipment and it is the
responsibility of the carrier that it be in perfect condition
upon arrival.

When the carrier accepts a shipment and signs our Bill

of Lading, the carrier is responsible for any subsequent
shortages or damage, evident or concealed, and claim must
be against the carrier.

Immediately upon receipt of a shipment, carefully inspect

for damage and shortage. If any damage and/or shortage is
detected or suspected, the carrier must be asked to conduct
an inspection. The consignee’s representative should not
accept shipment without a notation on the delivery receipt
indicating items not delivered or apparent extent of damage.

When a shipment is opened and damage is found which was

Typical Series 3000 & 8100

Typical Series 8800

not evident externally (concealed damage), it is mandatory
that the consignee request an immediate inspection by the
carrier. Report damage to the carrier within 15 days. Failure
to report damage within the above time limit will cause
rejection of a claim.

Promptly fi le a claim against the fi nal carrier. A claim will

not be considered by a transportation company unless
presented within nine (9) months from date of receipt of
equipment.

WARNING! Fans should never be lifted by the shaft, motor

or accessories. These are not designed to support total
fan weight and may break causing personal injury or unit
damage.

Small, completely assembled units should be handled

carefully to avoid dropping or jarring. The units should
be lifted only by the base; not by the shaft, wheel, drive,
coupling, motor or housing.

Medium sized fans have either four holes in the casing side

sheet support angles or separate tabs welded to the casing
for lifting and handling.

Fan wheels and housings which are furnished with special

coverings, such as rubber, phenolic enamels, or other
protective coatings, should be handled with extreme care
as many of these coatings are easily damaged and even a
small chipped spot will break the continuity of the coating
and destroy its value as a protective covering for the metal

Fan wheels are carefully balanced to provide smooth

operation. If the fan wheel is damaged during handling, it
may result in an out-of-balance condition and require re­balancing. If a shaft is dropped or unduly strained, it may be
bent which will also result in out-of-balance operation of the
fan.

A fan wheel should never be lifted by or allowed to rest its

entire weight on the side plates or blades. The fan wheel
and shaft assembly can be lifted by slings around the shaft
on each side of the wheel so the wheel is supported by its
hub. If a chain is used there must be suffi cient padding on
the shaft and wheel to prevent the scoring of the shaft or
injury to the wheel. The chain or cable should be spread
with timbers, or braced by some other method to prevent
damage to the wheel side plates. If the fan wheel is received
separate from the shaft, a support should be placed through
the hub for lifting, making sure not to injure the fi nished bore
of the wheel.

III. STORING OR LONG TERM SHUTDOWN

Depending upon size, fan equipment may be shipped from

the factory either assembled as a unit or as sub-assemblies.
The fan manufacturer provides suffi cient protection for
shipping the equipment to the jobsite. However, if the
equipment is not installed and operated within several days,
additional precautions are necessary.

Specifi cations should identify any conditions associated

with non-use or storage of the equipment. Precautions may
include specifying added protection by the fan manufacturer
such as special crating, rust preventative on bare metal
parts, special wrapping using tarps, silica gel bags to limit
moisture and special covers over the inlets/outlets.

Once the equipment has arrived at the jobsite, but is not

installed and placed in operation, the rotor (impeller and
shaft) should be rotated by hand periodically to re-coat all
lubricated parts with grease and to minimize brinnelling in
anti-friction bearings. For fans located in a dirty/moist/cold
location, the equipment should be covered and bearings
fi lled with grease to minimize contamination from outside
elements. Before start-up, make sure all excess grease
is purged out. Stored motors should follow the specifi c
instructions of the motor manufacturer.

The factory does not recommend use of any plastic to

cover equipment. This type covering can cause exces­sive moisture, condensation, rusting and equipment
damage.

In addition the factory recommends that wheels must be

blocked to prevent their being rotated by the wind.

IV. INSTALLATION

For the 3000 & 8100 Models with hurricane construction that complies
with Florida Building Code including High Velocity Hurricane Zones
(HVHZ) see the ADDITIONAL INSTALLATION AND MAINTENANCE
INSTRUCTIONS on page 8.

A. There are occasions when a Variable Frequency Drive

(VFD) will cause poor motor performance and possible
damage. To avoid these problems, the following
guidelines are recommended:

1. Select compatible motor and VFD converter; if
possible, the motor and the converter should
be from the same manufacturer or at least the
converter selected should be recommended by the
motor manufacturer.

2. Motors that are to be operated using a Variable
Frequency Drive (VFD) must be VFD compatible.
A Premium Effi ciency motor must be used as the
minimum. Motors that are not supplied by Acme
should have the recommendation of the motor
manufacturer for use with a VFD.

3. The fan frame, motor and VFD must be connected
to a common earth ground to prevent transient
voltages from damaging rotating elements.

4. To reduce over-voltage spikes in the motors,
line reactors may be required. Contact the motor
manufacturer for recommended line impedance
and usage of line reactors or fi lters, if the lead
length between the VFD and the motor exceeds 10
feet (3m).

5. Installer is responsible for performing a fan range
test by varying the speed over the required span
and identifying resonate frequencies after the
equipment is fully installed.

These resonate frequencies may be eliminated by

restricting the fan operation range to non-resonate
speeds. This may be implemented thru the VFD or

environmental control computer. Failure to remove
resonate frequencies from the operating range will
decrease the operating life of the fan and void the
warranty.

6. Where possible, use low voltage 3 phase motor
confi guration.

NOTE: The Company will not honor motor warranty

claims if the customer fails to follow these
recommendations.

B. Foundations

WARNING! Open all disconnect switches, secure in that

position and allow all rotating or revolving equipment to
stop before removing belt guard, installing or servicing
unit. Failure to do so may result in personal injury or
death from electrical shock or rotating parts.

WARNING! The drive motor and V-belt drive

components, when supplied with the centrifugal fan,
have been carefully selected for this unit’s operating
conditions as specifi ed. Changing the drive motor
or V-belt drive components could result in unsafe
operating conditions which could cause personal injury
and/or any of the following:

1. Shaft failure

2. Fan failure

3. Bearing failure

4. Excessive belt wear

5. Motor overload

Fans and motors or other drivers should be mounted on

substantial foundations. Concrete is normally the best
foundation, although substantial steel frame supports
may be used.

The possibility of noise and vibration being present

and transmitted through the building is reduced with
a substantial foundation. The equipment should be
leveled on the foundation and securely held in place by
suitable anchors or bolts.

Sleeves in concrete foundations are desirable to permit

adjustment of hold-down bolts. If shims are used, they
should straddle the mounting bolts and be very fi rmly
held.

When fl exible mountings are used it is very important

to support the equipment so that its operation is not
impaired. This is too frequently ignored and yet without
rigid mechanical support the purpose and intent of the
isolation is defeated. This is particularly true of belt
driven fans, where it is essential that the fan and its
motor be mounted on a common rigid base which can
then be isolated from the building structure, as a single
unit. Since the fan and its motor each operate at its own
separate and distinct frequency, they must be bolted to
a heavy connecting member to prevent drive distortion
and assure smooth operation.

C. Housing Assembly

Self-contained units need only to be securely mounted

in a level position on a good substantial foundation with
V-belts, sheaves or couplings aligned. However, it is
advisable to check the condition of the bearings, fan
wheel, vane control mechanism, if any, and coupling.

D. Convertible

Some fans designated as having “convertible” housings

are designed so the direction of discharge can be
changed easily in the fi eld.

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To change the discharge of convertible fans:

1. Support the housing with a sling or by blocking.
Remove the bolts fastening one or both supports to
the housing.

2. Rotate the housing to the desired position.

3. Replace bolts.

E. Fan Wheels and Fan Wheel Types

All fan wheels are balanced before shipment. They

should fi t the shaft snugly. The key should fi t both the
fan hub and shaft snugly, and the set screws should be
tightened to the appropriate torque.

Rotation of the fan equipment and its corresponding fan

wheel is designated as clockwise or counter-clockwise
viewing it from the drive side. Single inlet fans are
always considered as having the backplate side (or
side opposite the inlet) the drive side (even though they
may be arranged to drive from the inlet side).

For correct performance, it is essential that a fan wheel

of corresponding rotation be assembled in a given
housing, and also that the fan wheel be rotated in the
proper direction. This can be determined from the fact
that correct rotation of a centrifugal fan wheel is always
in the direction leading from the “cut-off” (shortest radius
of the housing) around the housing scroll towards the
outlet. Rotation of a fan wheel where the blades are
carried on a spider is easily determined from the fact
that the supporting spider or arms are on the back of
the blades. The correct rotation being in a direction
away from the supporting arms or spider.

If the bearings are received separate from the fan or

if they are removed from the fan for any reason, be
sure to keep them clean and free from dirt and other
contaminants.

H. Alignment

Bearing alignment is critical even on many ball and roller

bearings designated as “self-aligning”. On all bearings,
if the dust and dirt seals are built into the bearing
housing and not part of the race or journal assembly,
alignment should center the shaft within one-half the
normal radial clearance at the edge of the housing, to
prevent excessive dust seal wear and possible shaft
scoring.

I. Locking Devices (Bearing Collars)

Most bearings have locking devices to insure against

the shaft turning inside the inner bearing race and to
limit end play. Eccentric type collars should be turned
in the direction of shaft rotation until tight prior to
tightening the set screws. Locking devices should be
tightened only after the bearings have been properly
aligned. The locking collars may be on the inside or
outside of the bearings, depending on the design of the
equipment. In all cases the collars must be both inside
or both outside, to prevent movement of the shaft. Any
replacements should be on the same side as with the
original equipment.

J. Wheel/Inlet Installation

The wheel/inlet relationship on commercial and

industrial fans is important if optimum performance is
to be obtained. The inlet should be centered within the
wheel radially. On backwardly inclined and airfoil fans
the inlet fi t distance (AA) is measured from the inner
edge of the inlet bell to the backplate of the wheel.
Radial bladed fans may not have a backplate. For ease
of installation, the inlet fi t distance is measured from the
outside plane of the inlet to either the edge of the hub
(H) or to the backplate (B) depending upon wheel type.

K. Detail of Wheel/Inlet Installation

Air Handling Wheel

Type 400A

Series 3000 Backwardly

Inclined Flat Bladed

Open Material Handling Wheel

Type 400M

Series 8100/8800 Backwardly

Inclined Airfoil Bladed

F. Erection of Heavy Duty Fans

For large heavy duty equipment, it is recommended

that the installation be supervised by an experienced
fan erection mechanic.

G. Bearings

Depending upon bearing speed required, anti-friction

bearings are either grease lubricated at the factory or
supplied with oil cups for oil lubrication. Appropriate
bearing manufacturer’s instruction for mounting
and maintenance of the bearings are supplied in the
instruction envelope for the bearings used.

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