Fan Guards: Types and Uses

Fan guards, which can either be made from metal or plastic materials, are grills that act as protective barrier between the fan blades and the surroundings. They also serve as shield from contaminants and particles which may enter or exit the rotating fan.

All household fans typically have fan guards. But there are many other types of fan guards that are sold in the market these days. Each of them is used in specific industries and is designed in a wide variety of finishes and materials. They come in different shapes and sizes too. Besides the regular sphere designs, there are fan guards that are flat, rectangular, dome, hexagonal, cone-shaped and others. The common materials are steel or stainless steel, while the usual finish treatments of fan guards include zinc plating, PE coating, chrome plating, powder coating and even hot dipping galvanize.

Here are a few types of common fan guards and their uses:

Rotating Fan Guards
Ideal in factories and manufacturing plants, this type of fan guard is designed to avoid injury to people who are working close to the rotating fan. It also reduces the level of noise that ordinary or stationary fans normally produce. A patended rotating fan guard consists of various concentric rings in order to avert the ingress of a person’s finger between the rings and into contact with the blades of the fan.

Ceiling Fan Guards
Ceiling fan guards are specifically installed in conventional ceiling fans. Like any other fans, these provide a guard for ceiling fans and function to give better and efficient airflow.

Three Dimensional Fan Guards
Stylish yet functional three-dimensional fan guards have already been designed by some manufacturers. These fan guards are a great way to make an mundane looking fan into an eye-catching work of art. Fan grills are usually hand painted and have decorative purposes. Also acting as fan covers, they can be installed using rubber washers and machine screws.

Wire Mesh Fan Guards
As what its name suggests, a wire mesh fan guard is made of wire mesh. The components used in manufacturing this type of fan guard are similar to mesh bumper grills that are attached in body kits of racing cars.

About the Author:
Andrei Smith writes for Midwest Metal Products, one of industry’s leading providers of wire-formed, sheet metal fabricated and tubular metal products. Learn more information about sheet metal fabricating, point of purchase displays and wire forming.