Rotechnic Cuts Cooling Fan Development Time from 10 Days to 1 with 3D Printing

Founded in 1996, Rotechnic manufactures cooling fans, water pumps, EC fans, large-diameter fans, and micro fans. Its products are used in industrial control applications across new energy vehicles, solar PV and energy storage, charging infrastructure, and server power supplies.

Before adopting 3D printing, Rotechnic needed about 10 days to turn a design concept into a physical prototype.

Cooling fans are precision-engineered products. Key performance metrics include airflow, static pressure, noise, power consumption, and efficiency. Fan blade design involves more than a dozen angular parameters, including the blade setting angle and inward and outward lean angles, all of which require high accuracy.

Any deviation from the specified angles can prevent the product from achieving its target performance.

Rotechnic follows an IATF 16949-compliant product development process with multiple stages from project launch through mass production. After receiving customer requirements, the team develops the overall structural design and uses simulation to verify performance in advance. If the design does not meet the target requirements, it must be revised and revalidated until the target is achieved.

New products progress from the C1 stage (design review) to the C2A stage (prototype fabrication) before entering mass production. Products with demanding acoustic and efficiency requirements may require five to ten iterations between C1 and C2A.

Traditional prototypes are primarily CNC-machined, with a typical lead time of seven to ten days. For complex geometries, CNC tools may be unable to reach internal areas, making certain features impossible to machine. Achieving the required performance in an industrial fan depends on an integrated approach to fluid dynamics, structural design, material selection, motor control, and noise control.

Rotechnic currently uses PEEK as its primary material for printed prototypes.

PEEK was selected for its high-temperature resistance, mechanical strength, dimensional stability, and excellent surface finish.

Fans can reach speeds of up to 50,000 rpm. At such high rotational speeds, the blades are subjected to significant aerodynamic loads. If the material lacks sufficient strength, the blades may deform and compromise overall fan performance. When customers install the prototypes in complete systems for functional testing, ambient temperatures can approach 100°C (212°F), making high-temperature resistance essential.

Rotechnic previously tested materials such as PA and PETG, but the resulting surfaces were rough and required sanding and painting. These additional steps complicated the workflow and reduced R&D efficiency.

PEEK fan blades come off the printer with a smooth surface and can be used directly.

When evaluating equipment, Rotechnic focused on printing accuracy, material compatibility, high-temperature capability, and warpage control. After testing and comparing multiple systems, the team found that INTAMSYS offered advantages in dimensional accuracy, print performance, and high-temperature process control.

The system now runs continuously, 24 hours a day.

Demand for customized products continues to grow, shifting order volumes from traditional mass production in the millions to smaller customized batches of several thousand to tens of thousands of units. The need for faster market response is also driving manufacturers to build more agile production capabilities. At the same time, product designs are becoming increasingly complex, with more flow channels, microchannels, and irregular geometries. By combining high design freedom with tool-free production, 3D printing has the potential to replace conventional mold-based manufacturing in suitable applications.