How to choose EFU? What parameters need to be considered?
EFU (Equipment Fan Filter Unit) is mainly used for clean air filtration and air supply inside the equipment or in local areas.
Unlike ordinary standardized equipment, EFU usually needs to be installed inside specific equipment, so you cannot just look at product size or motor power when selecting.
A suitable EFU needs to consider:
Installation space, air volume, wind speed, filter, wind pressure, motor, fan, control method and equipment interface.
For some semiconductor, photovoltaic, lithium battery, panel display and electronic manufacturing equipment, product adjustments may also be required based on specific process requirements.
So, how should EFU be chosen?
1. First determine where the EFU is installed
This is the first step in EFU selection.
Before deciding on a product, you need to clarify:
Where will the EFU be installed?
For example:
Depending on the installation location, the product structure may also be different.
Especially for internal installation of equipment, key confirmations are needed:
Length, width, height and installation method.
2. Confirm the available installation space of EFU
Device-side EFU is usually limited by the internal space of the device.
Therefore, it is recommended to confirm before selecting:
Installation length
Installation width
maximum allowable height
air inlet space
Ventilation space
maintenance space
For example, only products with a height of about 70mm are allowed to be installed inside the equipment, so the ordinary structure EFU may not be directly installed, so an ultra-thin structure needs to be considered.
During the EFU product development process, Aili Industrial will comprehensively match the product structure, motor, fan, filter and internal air flow channel according to the equipment installation space.
The height of some EFU products can reach about 70mm , which is suitable for scenarios where the space of some equipment is limited.
3. Determine how much air volume is needed
Air volume is an important parameter for EFU selection.
Simply put:
The air volume determines how much air the EFU can provide per unit time.
Different equipment requires different air volumes.
Air volume usually requires a combination of:
Equipment internal space
Air supply area
Process requirements
Cleanliness requirements
Wind speed requirements
Air outlet area
Make sure.
Therefore, it is not recommended to directly determine the EFU air volume based only on the size of the equipment.
4. Determine the target wind speed
If the equipment has clear requirements for local air flow speed, the target wind speed needs to be determined during the selection stage.
For example:
0.X m/s
Or determine the specific wind speed range according to the equipment process requirements.
Wind speed is related to air volume, air outlet area and airflow structure.
therefore:
When determining the wind speed, both the air volume and the air outlet area need to be considered.
For some semiconductor equipment, lithium battery equipment and precision manufacturing equipment, wind speed may be an important parameter for EFU selection.
5. Determine whether to use HEPA or ULPA
EFU can usually be configured with corresponding filters based on cleanliness requirements.
Common choices include:
HEPA filter
ULPA filter
Specific choices need to be combined with:
Make judgments.
Not all EFUs need to be configured with the same filters.
6. Filter size will also affect the EFU structure
This is an easily overlooked issue with device-side EFU.
The filter not only affects the filtration performance, but also takes up a certain amount of installation space.
If the internal height of the equipment is very limited, you need to also consider:
Filter thickness + fan height + motor size + air flow channel + box structure
Therefore, the design of ultra-thin EFU usually does not simply reduce the height of the cabinet, but requires rethinking the internal structure.
7. Determine wind pressure requirements
In addition to air volume and speed, wind pressure also needs to be considered.
Because air passes through:
Fan → Internal air duct → Filter → Air outlet area
There will be resistance along the way.
In particular, the filter has a certain resistance, so the fan needs to provide sufficient pressure.
It can be simply understood as:
Target air volume + system resistance → determine the fan operating point.
Therefore, when selecting EFU, you cannot just say:
'How much air volume do I want.'
You also need to know as much as possible:
Filter type, filter resistance, and system resistance.
8. How to choose a motor?
The motor needs to match the fan.
Things to consider when choosing:
If the EFU needs to adjust the wind speed, the matching between the motor and the control system also needs to be considered.
Aili Industrial produces its own motors and designs them together with fans and control systems, which has practical significance for parameter matching of the EFU at the equipment end.
9. How to choose a fan?
Fans are mainly responsible for generating aerodynamic force.
When selecting a fan, you need to consider:
Target air volume + target air pressure + installation space
Determine the appropriate fan solution.
If the internal space of the equipment is relatively small, you need to consider both the fan size and the internal airflow path.
Therefore, the fan selection for EFU usually cannot be determined independently of the entire product structure.
10. Is speed adjustment required?
If the equipment requires different air volumes or speeds under different working conditions, the speed adjustment function can be considered.
For example:
Low speed operation
normal operation
High speed operation
Or automatically adjust according to the equipment control system.
If speed adjustment is required, it needs to be determined in advance:
Speed regulation range, control signal, control interface and equipment communication method.
11. Does it need to be linked with the equipment control system?
This is a common requirement in custom EFU.
For example:
Device starts → EFU starts
Device Stop → EFU Stop
or:
Equipment operating status changes → EFU automatically adjusts wind speed
In this case, the EFU is not only an independent air treatment equipment, but also needs to cooperate with the equipment control system.
Aili Industrial has the production capacity to develop self-developed automatic control system software and hardware, so it can consider the EFU control and linkage method according to specific project requirements.
12. Noise and vibration need to be considered
When the EFU is installed inside the equipment, noise and vibration also need to be concerned.
Especially:
Operating noise and mechanical vibration need to be controlled based on actual equipment requirements.
This requires from:
Motor, fan, structure, installation method
Consider multiple aspects.
13. Key points for EFU selection in different industries
Semiconductor equipment
Focus on:
Cleanliness, uniformity of wind speed, installation space, air volume and control method
Photovoltaic equipment
Focus on:
Air volume, wind speed, filtration requirements and equipment structure
Lithium battery equipment
Focus on:
Wind speed, air volume, filtration requirements and equipment internal space
Panel display device
Focus on:
Cleanliness, air flow distribution, air volume, wind speed and structural size
SMT machine
Focus on:
Installation space, product size, air volume, wind speed and equipment linkage
Automation equipment
Focus on:
Size, installation method, air volume, air speed and control interface
14. Standard EFU or customized EFU?
If the equipment installation space, air volume, filters and control methods are relatively conventional, standard specifications can be considered.
If the following conditions exist:
You can consider customizing the EFU.
This is also one of the obvious differences between device-side EFU and ordinary standard products.
15. How does Aili Industry customize EFU?
EFU customization is not simply changing the size of the product shell.
Aili Industry can match from multiple core links:
Motor
↓
fan
↓
filter
↓
Sheet metal structure
↓
control system
↓
Whole machine assembly
These links all belong to Aili Industrial's own production system.
Therefore, when the customer asks:
'The internal space of the equipment is only so large, but it needs to reach a certain air volume and speed.'
Product design needs to consider at the same time:
space, fans, motors, filters and airflow paths.
For example, ultra-thin EFU requires rearranging internal components and airflow channels within a limited height, rather than simply shrinking the casing.
16. What information is required for EFU selection?
If you need to inquire from the EFU manufacturer for quotation or technical confirmation, it is recommended to prepare the following information:
1. Device name
For example:
Semiconductor equipment, photovoltaic equipment, placement machines, etc.
2. Installation dimensions
supply:
Length×width×height
3. Air volume
For example:
Target air volume or air volume range
4. Wind speed
For example:
Target wind speed or wind speed range
5. Filtering requirements
For example:
HEPA, ULPA or other filtration requirements
6. Power supply
include:
voltage, frequency, etc.
7. Control requirements
For example:
Independent speed regulation, equipment linkage, communication control, etc.
8. Inlet and outlet wind directions
Provide air flow direction or structural diagram inside the equipment.
9. Other requirements
For example:
Ultra-thin, low noise, low vibration, special installation method, etc.
It is usually more beneficial to product matching if equipment drawings, installation location photos or 3D structural documents can be provided.
17. Aili Industrial EFU products
Aili Industrial produces EFU, FFU and other purification equipment, and its production system covers:
Motors, fans, automatic control system software and hardware, sheet metal, filters and complete machine assembly.
From core components to complete machine production, many key links are completed by our own production.
For device-side EFU, it can be based on the customer's:
Installation space, air volume, wind speed, filtration requirements, control method and equipment structure
Configure the product.
Currently it can be designed for different application requirements:
Standard EFU
Ultra-thin EFU
High air volume EFU
Device customization EFU
and other product plans.
For example, for projects where the internal height of the equipment is limited, structural matching can be focused on the motor, fan, filter thickness, and internal air flow channels.
18. Summary of EFU selection
EFU selection cannot only look at one parameter.
A more reasonable selection idea is:
Installation space
↓
Air volume
↓
wind speed
↓
filter
↓
wind pressure
↓
Motors and fans
↓
Control method
↓
Equipment installation and linkage requirements
↓
Determine EFU plan
If it is a standard application, you can start with the standard specifications.
If the equipment has special size, special air volume, wind speed or control requirements, further customized design is required.
19. Frequently Asked Questions
What are the most important parameters for EFU selection?
It is usually necessary to comprehensively consider the installation space, air volume, wind speed, filter, air pressure and control method, rather than just looking at a single parameter.
Is the bigger the EFU air volume, the better?
uncertain. The appropriate air volume needs to be determined based on the actual needs of the equipment. Excessive air volume may also change the local air flow state.
Does EFU necessarily require HEPA?
Whether to use HEPA needs to be determined based on specific cleanliness requirements. Filtration solutions such as ULPA can also be considered based on application requirements.
Can EFU be customized according to device size?
The structure and parameters can be matched according to the equipment installation space and technical requirements.
How thin can the EFU be?
It needs to be determined comprehensively based on the air volume, filter, motor, fan and internal structure. The height of some EFU products of Aili Industrial can reach about 70mm, and the specific product plan shall prevail.
Can EFU be connected to the equipment PLC?
The corresponding control interface and communication method can be configured according to project requirements, and the specific needs are determined according to the equipment control system.
