How to Choose Custom Industrial Dampers for Industrial Applications

  1. Identify the application. Industrial dampers are used in a wide range of applications, including industrial process control, airflow modulation, and airflow shutdown involving differing air types of differing particulate density and quality, facilitating industrial fans, oxidizers, heat recovery systems, gas turbines, pumps, seals, exhaust, ductwork, compressors, system isolation, and more. The type of air and how to control it determines the optimal damper for a given industrial air control application.
  2. Identify the type of air that needs to be controlled. Industrial dampers may be used to control clean air, particulate air, corrosive gas, and other air types, and each air type is optimally handled by a different type of damper. Air types, especially discharge of particulate air, is also heavily regulated. Louver industrial dampers are suitable in clean air installations, for example, but light or medium particulate air is likely to require a butterfly damper.
  3. Identify the air control method. The application may call for industrial dampers that control airflow between parts of a system (airflow modulation) or for dampers that can turn the flow of air to virtually off (airflow shutdown). A slidegate or guillotine damper with a single blade that can be opened or closed is ideal for airflow shutdown, while a louver damper is better suited for airflow modulation, or throttling airflow, such as limiting the flow of particulate air into a baghouse.
  4. Identify other variables such as environmental stressors. Systems in which dampers are applied often generate high levels of heat, stress, and pressure. The damper must be fabricated to withstand these extreme environmental stressors.
  5. Identify regulations. The discharge of air, specifically particulate air and corrosive gasses, is heavily regulated by the government and therefore introduce an extra set of variables to choosing the optimal custom industrial damper for an application. Knowing the thresholds required by regulators helps choose the optimal damper.
  6. Consult a custom industrial dampers manufacturer. Industrial dampers are commonly custom-made because of the wide range of variables involved in their applications. After identifying variables like air type, air control method, environmental stressors, and regulations, consult a custom manufacturer to identify the type of industrial damper that meets the needs of the application.
Butterfly Damper