Dallas-based Orion Fans, a division of Knight Electronics and a leading manufacturer of standard and custom AC and DC fans, fan trays and accessories, has developed a new family of sealed sleeve bearing DC fans. The Challenger Series fans feature a unique patented sealed sleeve bearing system that has an exceptionally long life expectancy of more than 50,000 hours at 25°C (L10). MTBF is in excess of 200,000 hours. The new sealed sleeve fan technology retains lubricant by using metal foils that serve as a guard to redirect and recycle the lubricant. The fans were developed in response to a continuing demand for fans with a wider temperature range and longer life than sleeve bearing fans, but at a lower cost in comparison to traditional ball bearing fans. “The life expectancy of these fans is comparable to a ball bearing fan and the pricing is substantially lower. This makes the sealed sleeve fans an extremely attractive alternative for OEM’s and designers when cost and reliability are of major concern. With an L10 life expectancy of over 50,000 hours, these fans have nearly twice the life expectancy of standard sleeve bearing products,” said David Luna, Orion Fans’ product marketing manager.The Challenger Series sealed sleeve fans are offered in seven sizes ranging from 40 x 10mm to 120 x 38mm, and are available in 12VDC and 24VDC versions. Airflow ranges from 6.7 to 105 CFM.The fans feature a brushless DC, auto restart, polarity-protected motor with a UL94V-0 plastic frame and impeller. The sealed sleeve fans are RoHS compliant.The sealed sleeve Challenger Series fans are available from stock at Allied Electronics in North America and RS Components in Europe.
