Exoracing | Our fan and shroud vs OEM fan and shroud
Posted by Matthew Marks on 8th Jul 2020
What is a fan shroud?
All cars need some form of heat management as combustion
engines create a massive amount of heat, and in almost all modern cars that is
in the form of a radiator and fan. Water flows through the radiator which helps
to keep it cool, but when the radiator is not being cooled by travelling air
the fan is there to pull or push air through the radiator in turn aiding the
cooling system of the car. The shroud is there to keep the radiator working
more efficiently by channelling the air through the whole radiator and not just
through the spot where the fan sits. To summarise the fan is there to draw air
through the radiator whilst the fan shroud distributes that air evenly through
the radiator core.
Can I use a fan without a shroud?
You could, but you probably should not. Having a fan with no
shroud would still having a cooling effect on the radiator however under heavy
engine load or being stuck in traffic the loss of efficiency could be enough to
cause overheating of the system.
Should I upgrade my fan and shroud?
The fan shroud whilst also gaining efficiency, reduces turbulent air going through the radiator therefore reducing the noise throughout the system.
Upgrading to a slimmer fan and shroud set up will also gain
you as much room as possible in the engine compartment. This helps when doing
maintenance jobs on your car and having more space between engine components
allows air to move more freely which helps keep components cooler.
Why should I get an upgraded fan and shroud?
Here at Exoracing we have spent a lot of time developing our high flow series of fan shrouds. They are designed to work with OEM and aftermarket radiators making installation as easy and simple as possible. This means you can build your car to whatever spec you need. The shrouds and fans are all designed to be as slim as possible whilst still having increased efficiency which leaves you a lot of room to work in the engine compartment and as much space as possible for air flow.
With our shrouds and supplied SPAL fans you can expect to see a CFM increase which is enough to keep the highest powered cars operating at optimal efficiency.
Our fan shrouds combined with the SPAL fans are designed
primarily for fast road and track applications. The design of the shroud itself
allows maximum air to pass through the radiator, whilst remaining lightweight,
strong and stylish.
Who are SPAL Automotive?
SPAL Automotive Srl is a world leader in the design and manufacture of high quality axial electric fans and centrifugal blowers for all types of vehicles.
Founded in Italy in 1959, SPAL initially specialised in plastic mould design and production and subsequently developed into all automotive sectors, designing, producing and marketing high-performance fans and blowers for a broad range of applications including, bus and coach, off-road vehicles, industrial equipment, construction and agricultural machinery, refrigerated transport and motorsport.
SPAL Group has offices and distribution centres on every continent and employs over 1000 people globally.
The process to manufacture an Exoracing shroud
Our high end radiator fan shrouds are fully designed in house and manufactured locally, our process starts by finding an original, or a popular aftermarket radiator to scan in with our high end 3D Scanning equipment. Once we have a fully digitised copy of the radiator we then go about selecting an appropriate cooling fan based on air flow and under fan surface area. We then import the CAD model and position it over our radiator and get to work designing a fan mounting bracket to tie everything neatly together.
For our type of fan shrouds to work effectively the fan must
be mounted as close as possible to the radiator. Our shroud kits are designed
to mount the fan approximately 3-5mm away from the core surface whilst being
careful not to touch and potentially damage the core under extreme use. The
shrouds are laser cut from 3mm thick aluminium and are CNC folded to ensure the
fit is perfect and all holes align as expected. To mount the fan to the shroud
we use press fit studs which are perfectly flush underneath, this ensures no sharp
edges can potentially damage the core should it make contact.
Lastly the shrouds are powder coated in a high temperature powder coat for
excellent aesthetics and durability.
To have a look at our range of fans and shrouds click on the link below:
Not sure on which fan you may need for your application? Give us a message on our contact form, we are more than happy to assist you and find the correct one for you! Alternatively, leave us a comment below with your thoughts or questions.