U Corp. manufactures medical equipment such as X-ray machines and CT scanners. The company was working to develop a new CT scanner. However, the development faced a major design challenge. Mr. E, manager of U Corp.'s design and development department, explained this challenge:
"A CT scanner generates cross-sectional images of the human body by emitting X-rays around a single axis of rotation. Due to the continuous emission of X-rays, the internal temperatures of the CT scanner rises rapidly. Fans are mounted inside the device for cooling to suppress the temperature rise and ensure normal operation. However, the part that emits X-rays rotates at high speed, exerting a high G-force on the fan. The fans used in our previous model could not withstand the high G-force and frequently suffered damage, so periodic maintenance was essential."
Seeking a solution, Mr. E contacted a SANYO DENKI sales representative with whom he had previously worked on another project, to discuss his problems. After listening to his problems, the sales representative suggested he try SANYO DENKI's new San Ace G Proof Fan.
"We found that the proposed fan used strengthened rotor and frame materials to increase durability to withstand high G-forces of 75 G," said Mr. E. "Performance was outstanding, and well beyond the level required for CT scanners."
Intrigued by the proposal, he soon tested the fan in a CT scanner prototype. "Fans used in medical equipment must be highly reliable to operate properly under any conditions," he continued. "We tested the SANYO DENKI fan in our CT scanner prototype, and confirmed that the fan could operate normally without any damage, deformation, abnormal noise, or performance degradation, even at accelerations and decelerations outside the rated range. This gave us confidence that this fan would greatly reduce the amount of maintenance."
Following that, the company officially decided to use the San Ace G Proof Fan in development. The new CT scanner was successfully developed, and has been introduced to the market.
"I had a hard time finding a fan to meet our G-force requirement," he said. "I really appreciate this outstanding product from SANYO DENKI, and expect them to continue developing more products such as this."
