Some of the most useful and best-suited solutions to problems utilize the simplest of processes. There are few ways one could improve, say, a loaf of sliced bread. When it comes to ventilating barns, sometimes the best process is good old fashioned fans and curtains.
The tunnel curtain system allows for precise ventilation through closing off all air entry points except for where the aperture can be controlled, with powerful fans located at the opposite end of the building. With the fans on, the amount of air moving through the building can be adjusted by raising or lowering the tunnel curtain. This changes the size of the opening letting air in.
Wear and Tear
When you look at the system, it’s elegant in its simplicity. You don’t have to adjust the fan speeds. You don’t need to do massive calculations for anything. Want more air? Lower more curtain. Of course, this one area – your tunnel curtain - is going to be exposed to the largest amount of damage.
Basic tunnel curtains are constantly under pressure from the pull created by the fan systems. As most curtains used in barns are sewn, this leads to an awful lot of removed stitching. The constant pull is able to loosen and eventually remove sew lines from the fabric, making the curtains less able to be adjusted and causing them to fall apart.
Prepare for the Air
At Celina Industries, we like to try and solve issues no matter how small they may appear. Yes, the stitching comes out of curtains, and you may ask why we should change the process when you’re going to be replacing them eventually. But just think – the longer it takes a curtain to break down, the longer that one curtain can go without being replaced. That’s money you can use elsewhere.
Our facility is capable of both sewing and fabric welding, the latter of which often proves superior. The seam created through heat welding bonds the two materials together to form an area of fabric with greater tensile strength than the base fabric. This means that pockets, hems, and other connection areas won’t suffer from the constant strain that is placed on most tunnel curtains. In fact, wear may cause the curtain material itself to erode or break down before you’ll see any blemish on the seal!
So go ahead and give heat welded curtains a try – their ability to not only withstand the harsh work environment but also repel water makes them at least two times superior to common stitching. Need more information? Give us a call at (888) 324-0654 and we’d be happy to answer any questions you have, on tunnel curtains or any Celina Industries product.