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Powering the Process℠ is a podcast for engineers, plant managers, and operations leaders focused on industrial systems, plant optimization, and manufacturing efficiency. Hosted by ProcessBarron experts, each episode delivers practical insights on material handling, air and gas systems, industrial equipment, and reducing downtime.
Jennifer Little:
This podcast is brought to you by ProcessBarron — handle everything better. Welcome to Powering the Process, the podcast focused on the real work behind industrial manufacturing. Each week, your host, Jennifer Little, digs into the systems, equipment, and strategies that keep plants running efficiently. From everyday operational challenges to emerging engineering solutions, we’re here to share practical insights that help you keep your process moving.
Let’s get started.
Welcome to Powering the Process, where we dive deep into the innovations that keep America’s industries moving. Today we’re taking you inside the ultimate fan experience — and I’m not talking about sports. We’re talking about the massive industrial fans that power critical processes in pulp and paper, cement, steel, and energy production. These fans aren’t just blowing air — they’re the heartbeat of entire operations.
Behind them is ProcessBarron, a leader in the engineering, manufacturing, installation, and maintenance of fan rotors that keep plants efficient, safe, and sustainable. Today our guest is Mike Piazza, Director of Air Handling at ProcessBarron. He has over 30 years of experience in the industry and nearly 20 years with ProcessBarron. Thanks, Mike — we’re glad to have you here.
Mike Piazza:
Thanks for having me.
Jennifer Little:
We’re going to talk about fans and how ProcessBarron plays an integral role across these industries. Let’s start with why industrial fans are so critical to heavy industry operations.
Mike Piazza:
Industrial fans are literally the heart of industrial air movement. They’re the pump that moves gas and air through the system. They evacuate systems, transport combustion air, and induce or force draft through processes. They’re responsible for all airflow throughout the system.
Jennifer Little:
How do fans impact efficiency and reliability in those industries?
Mike Piazza:
From an efficiency standpoint, fans affect not only the fan itself but the entire system. A fan that isn’t properly sized becomes a direct cost to a plant through increased power consumption and poor system performance.
From a reliability standpoint, an unreliable fan leads to forced outages. And those outages go far beyond equipment costs — they impact production time, productivity, and delivery schedules.
Jennifer Little:
The fans we’re talking about are massive — sometimes over 100 inches in diameter and weighing 40,000 pounds. They require an entire 18-wheeler just to transport one. They’re custom designed for each application. Even though fans may fall into categories like ID fans or FD fans, specifications vary from plant to plant.
So what goes into designing a fan rotor?
Mike Piazza:
Every process is different, so we start by looking at fan performance — the required volume, pressure, temperature, and the material being handled. We use fan lines and software to select the optimal fan for the job. Some designs are for dirty material handling applications, while others are for cleaner air systems. Using our experience, we select and design the fan specifically for that application.
Jennifer Little:
Once we gather information, we may also test systems to collect real performance data, correct?
Mike Piazza:
Yes. We typically receive information in two ways: design conditions from engineering firms or actual field-tested performance data from existing systems.
Jennifer Little:
How do you balance performance, durability, and cost?
Mike Piazza:
Fan selection starts with performance, but durability depends on the application. A dirty application requires heavier construction and armor to handle buildup, while clean air applications require different designs. We tailor the fan to meet both performance and durability needs.
Jennifer Little:
What materials are most commonly used?
Mike Piazza:
Our minimum material is 50,000 PSI carbon steel. For higher stress applications, we may use 100-ksi materials. We fabricate with many plate materials and alloys, including corrosion-resistant materials when needed.
Jennifer Little:
What’s one common design challenge you see?
Mike Piazza:
A common challenge is retrofitting existing equipment. With new designs, we start from scratch. But existing equipment often requires redesign or added wear protection. Adding weight changes inertia and stresses, so we must re-engineer the entire system to ensure integrity and performance.
Jennifer Little:
Let’s talk about the Inspect and Advise process. What happens when a rotor arrives at your facility?
Mike Piazza:
We clean and sandblast the rotor, inspect it for runout and damage, and perform magnetic particle or dye penetrant testing to check for cracks. We look for wear, loose components, or missing parts, then provide a repair proposal.
Jennifer Little:
And you can inspect equipment from any manufacturer, correct?
Mike Piazza:
Correct. We can reverse engineer, repair, or fully recreate rotating assemblies.
Jennifer Little:
Sometimes customers experience emergency failures without spares on site. How does ProcessBarron respond so quickly?
Mike Piazza:
We have an experienced team across engineering, estimating, and manufacturing. We stock materials, run multiple shifts, and maintain forgings and round bar inventory to reduce lead times and get customers back online fast.
Jennifer Little:
What’s the most common issue you see when rotors come in?
Mike Piazza:
Bearing failures. Poor bearing maintenance can lead to shaft damage. Preventive maintenance can help prevent those failures.
Jennifer Little:
When plants go down, the cost can be hundreds of thousands of dollars per day.
Mike Piazza:
Exactly. Equipment cost is often minor compared to production losses.
Jennifer Little:
How has technology improved fan rotor design?
Mike Piazza:
Computational modeling has been huge. We can model airflow, predict wear patterns, and design upgrades that improve performance within existing housings.
Jennifer Little:
So customers can upgrade performance without replacing the housing?
Mike Piazza:
Correct. We can install new rotating assemblies in existing housings to increase performance and efficiency.
Jennifer Little:
Let’s talk about the Safety Brake innovation.
Mike Piazza:
The Safety Brake is a braking system for fans that allows operators to slow, stop, and lock out the rotor during maintenance. It’s both a braking system and a safety device.
Jennifer Little:
Where is it most commonly used?
Mike Piazza:
Primarily in the steel industry where multiple fans operate in parallel and one may need to be shut down while others continue running.
Jennifer Little:
Where do you see fan technology heading in the next decade?
Mike Piazza:
Wireless monitoring is a big advancement. Bluetooth sensors now provide real-time vibration and temperature data directly to mobile devices, eliminating the need for control-room monitoring.
Jennifer Little:
How would you describe the culture at ProcessBarron?
Mike Piazza:
We’re a close, customer-service-oriented company.
Jennifer Little:
A big company with a small-company feel. We focus heavily on our customers and long-term partnerships.
Mike Piazza:
We build relationships over time with many companies.
Jennifer Little:
Mike, thank you so much for joining us and sharing the ultimate fan experience.
Mike Piazza:
Thank you for having me.
Jennifer Little:
Thanks, Mike.