CSI Composite Solutions and Innovations Oy, a Finnish pioneer in advanced composite technology, has spent years developing high-performance fan impellers made from cutting-edge composite materials. These impellers are approximately 70% lighter than conventional steel alternatives, offer a 3 to 5 times longer service life, withstand corrosive environments, and eliminate many of the mechanical limitations associated with traditional welded steel impellers.
Hundreds of these innovative composite impellers have already been deployed across various industrial applications. According to end-user feedback, X-tend Impeller solutions have delivered up to 75% energy savings in highly cyclic operations—on top of their superior durability and reduced weight.
“The reason for such impressive energy savings is surprisingly straightforward,” explains Jani Korpimäki, CSI’s CTO and co-owner. “Take the glass tempering process, for instance, where a huge volume of air is required in 15-second bursts every 100 seconds. Thanks to their lightweight and mechanical properties, our composite impellers—typically around 1500 mm in diameter—can accelerate to 1850 rpm in under five seconds, run for 15 seconds at full speed, then stop when airflow is no longer needed. Steel impellers simply can’t do that. Their welded seams fatigue rapidly under constant speed changes, and their heavy mass makes quick acceleration or deceleration practically impossible.”
“With steel, you’re forced to run the fan at full speed continuously and adjust airflow by restricting the intake. Not only does this waste up to 75% more energy, but the steel impeller also wears out significantly faster. In contrast, our composite impellers provide 3–5 times longer life span —even with such aggressive duty cycles,” Korpimäki adds.
CSI’s composite impellers are ideal for moving air in countless industrial processes where temperatures stay below 150°C. Thanks to the flexibility of composite design, impellers can be fully customized—with diameters ranging typically from just under 500 mm to over 2000 mm—to meet the specific needs of each customer.
A key advantage lies in CSI’s patent-pending manufacturing process, which allows for fast and cost-efficient geometry modifications. This makes X-tend Impellers equally suitable for new machinery and as replacement parts or spares for existing fans.
To design and produce a new impeller, CSI typically requires the geometry, operating conditions, and rotation speed. For retrofit projects lacking a 3D model, CSI offers on-site 3D scanning services to precisely capture impeller geometry. All composite impellers undergo ultrasonic testing before delivery, and CSI also offers on-site NDT inspections for impellers in extended use, especially when vibration monitoring suggests changes in fan balance.
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