Industrial louvers and dampers are essential airflow control components used in HVAC, power generation, and industrial processing applications to regulate, direct, and restrict air movement within a facility.
Louvers can serve as barriers that allow airflow while blocking unwanted elements, enhancing ventilation and protection in outdoor air intake and exhaust systems. Dampers provide precise control over airflow and pressure by adjusting blade positions; they are often used in ductwork to modulate or isolate air temperature in specific areas.
Effox-Flextor-Mader (EFM) Louvers and Dampers
Lathrop Trotter is proud to partner with Effox-Flextor-Mader (EFM), developer of louvers and dampers constructed with carbon steel, stainless steel, alloy, and/or corrosion-resistant materials. Available in various styles, such as manual, motorized, and gear-driven, industrial louvers and dampers improve energy efficiency, safeguard equipment, and contribute to safe and comfortable working environments.
Our heavy-duty custom-engineered designs are specifically tailored to the process, whether hot, corrosive, or abrasive. We have an experienced traveling technical team who will perform a hands-on assessment of a situation to determine a long-lasting solution. When needed, we also have an experienced turnkey installation arm, providing a one-stop shop to refurbish, or replace control or shut off dampers and solve process issues.
EFM’s butterfly dampers are available in sizes ranging from 12 inches (305 mm) to over 144 inches (3,658 mm) in diameter. They are suitable for environments with high abrasion, corrosion, and dust loading.
These dampers can be equipped with various seals, including tadpole, bar stop, or elastomeric options, and are compatible with electric, pneumatic, hydraulic, or manual actuators. They can function in both modulation and open/close applications, with internal refractory or ceramic wool linings available for high-temperature conditions.
Designed for flow control or isolation, EFM’s louver dampers come in parallel or opposed blade configurations. Parallel blade louvers are primarily used for system isolation, while opposed blade designs offer precise modulation and control of airflow.
Features include bolted dual airfoil blades to minimize deflection, outboard bearings to prevent flue gas exposure, and optional blade and jamb seals to reduce leakage.
For applications requiring complete isolation, EFM provides zero-leak louver dampers in tandem and double configurations.
The tandem design features a single bank of blades with an intermediate space pressurized to achieve zero leakage. The double-louver design consists of two banks of blades with a pressurized cavity between them, ensuring absolute isolation. Both designs are suitable for critical applications where leakage must be minimized.
Also known as guillotine dampers, EFM’s slide gate dampers provide isolation for flue gas and air systems.
The low-leak design is suitable for negative pressure systems or where minimal flue gas passage is acceptable. The zero-leak design incorporates seal air systems to ensure complete isolation, making it ideal for maintenance or bypass purposes. These dampers are constructed to handle large duct sizes and demanding environments.
EFM specializes in toggle and pivot-style diverter dampers for heat recovery steam generators (HRSGs), waste heat recovery, and gas turbine systems requiring gas stream diversion.
These dampers are engineered to handle high temperatures and pressures, with options for low to zero leakage. They can be paired with stacks, silencers, expansion joints, and structural supports to provide a turnkey solution tailored to specific operational needs.
Louver and Damper Applications
- Engineered woods
- Cement
- Glass
- Gypsum
- Gas-fired or coal-fired power
- Underground mining (VOD Damper) and smelting
- Downstream/midstream/upstream oil and gas
- LNG
- Industrial
- Fan dampers/EJs
- Municipal wastewater exhaust
- Steel/aluminum manufacturing
- Biofuels / renewable energy
- Chemical product manufacturing
- Agriculture/food/beverage
- Ethanol
- Pulp & paper
