Manufacturer Focus! - Loren Cook Company
By Jeff Love, EIT
Within the commercial HVAC industry there is a very large volume of information and data. Engineers secretly love this fact. We swim in data for fun. However, learning about supply and exhaust fans may give you the best opportunity to feel like…
…you are drinking from a firehose.
There is A LOT of information! The Loren Cook Company has been helping to provide much of this data for over 80 years. Through innovation, hard work, and making the choice to keep quality at a high level, Cook is a leader when it comes to moving air. Today, the Loren Cook Company is my manufacturer focus.
Cook was founded in 1941 and has been growing ever since. Products like the Centrivane, the first mixed flow fan in the industry, helped propel Cook in the 60s. The QMX was introduced in 2004 and Vari-Flow EC motors and controls soon followed in 2015. Now centralized in and around Springfield, Missouri, Cook continues to be poised for growth.
Industry wide, electronically commutated (EC) motors have grown in use because of energy savings, simplicity, and controllability. Cook Vari-Flow EC motors can either have a built-in controller or be a combination of a motor and motor controller. Depending on your project and energy use requirements Cook has the fan option you need. Click here for more information about Vari-Flow Controls.
Selection software is also important, especially to the plan and spec engineers. Compute-a-fan can be installed on your computer and is a powerful selection tool, but the future is the web based CookSelect tool. I am patiently waiting for the full engineering version to be completed in 2024, but for now this tool is still fantastic. Did you know that there is a phone app called CookSelect Mobile? Cook knows the sales rep or engineer may need quick access to view product information, fan curves, or detailed submittals. CookSelect gives us these tools. Click here for CookSelect options.
How about product training? I am honored that my first manufacturer visit was to visit Cook in Springfield, MO. Since that visit I have attended their Fan Engineering Seminar twice. I keep learning more! Cook does a fantastic job with hands on training, discussing options, fan curve analysis, static pressure, and much more. Even seasoned engineers can benefit from a refresher course in the basics. I strongly feel the investment in time for young or new to the industry engineers is worthwhile. So, what are you waiting for? Contact your Cook rep and check on future class offerings.
Cook has a long history of providing quality fans. They have built strong relationships within the industry, as well. All this work over the years has allowed them to stay at the top. I am not surprised, not surprised at all.
Jeff Love is the Marketing Engineer with Langendorf Supply Co. - Indianapolis. Keep watch for more interesting articles, product highlights, and announcements each week.
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