January 9, 2020

New decade, new frontiers in engine fans.

Horton Inc., the world’s leading provider of engine cooling systems for on-highway and off-highway equipment, is expanding its offering in 2020 to serve the needs of smaller engine makers.

The Roseville, Minnesota-headquartered manufacturer’s latest fan, the LS5, is specifically designed to reduce noise while providing maximum cooling performance for small industrial, construction and agricultural applications.

“The LS5 takes what we’ve developed in solutions for larger heavy-duty equipment and applies the technology in a smaller engine format,” said Blake Harris, Horton’s product manager for off-highway. “The fan’s five-blade design delivers the necessary airflow while taking up less physical space – and giving customers a more affordable option when designing their engines.”

The LS5 is tailored to the engine cooling needs of material handling applications like scissor lifts and forklifts and can be used in a variety of smaller construction and agricultural tractors, as well. As noise and emission regulations continue to impact the way even these less-invasive machines are created, OEM design engineers can gain a significant edge via optimized fan blade design.

The formula: reduced noise via a small lightweight fan, but proper torque thanks to the precise curvature of each blade.

Additional noise and fuel savings are possible when the LS5 is paired with a viscous fan drive. By spinning the fan only as fast as necessary, these fully-variable drives continue to rise in popularity as they cut down on costs and allow smaller engines to perform at peak efficiency more often.

The LS5 is the first Horton molded fan available in a diameter of less than 500 millimeters. Engine manufacturers can select from two options, the LS5A (380-millimeters in diameter) or the LS5B (430 millimeters). Each version weighs less than two pounds.

With diameters ranging from 380 millimeters to more than 2,400 millimeters, Horton now offers a wider portfolio of state-of-the-art, noise-reducing fans.

“Fans aren’t the most prominent component of the engine, but at Horton we know how sometimes the slightest tweaks can make a gigantic difference – especially with smaller off-highway machinery,” Harris said. “Our customers are looking for any advantage in performance they can find while controlling costs, and the LS5 allows them to do both.”