Central Vacuum SystemsIndustrial • Institutional • Commercial

®

The whole purpose of acentral vacuum system

is to make problems go away,including those you didn't know

there were solutions for.

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Forget what “everybody knows”about vacuum cleaning.

What “everybody knows” isoften based on an upright orcanister vacuum cleaner backhome. But the vacuum cleanerbuilt for a two hour work weekin the home is out of its elementin industry. To go after industrial-strength cleaning challenges,you need a solution that’s biggerthan the problem.

Forget about scattering vacuumcleaners around a plant to dealwith litter, production scrapand every other miscellaneousmess. After all, you don’t passout flashlights to everyone whoneeds a light.

Start thinking in terms of avacuum utility you can useeverywhere just like electricity.

Just as you have a plant-wideelectrical system that you pluginto for lighting and other uses,you should extend a vacuum net-work throughout the production,warehouse, laboratory and officeareas. Then you’ll have convenient“vacuum taps” right where they’reneeded. Once your vacuum utilityis in place, you’ll find more andmore uses for it.

The whole purpose of a centralvacuum system is to make problemsgo away, including those you didn’tknow there were solutions for.Spencer systems can be designedfor bulk material conveying, recy-clable material collection, toxicwaste removal, liquid pickup anddisposal, vacuum hold-down orpickup in manufacturing opera-tions, machine side dust and fumecollection—all in addition toheavy-duty cleaning operations.

Spencer systems are custom-designed to clean up anythingfrom gravel to gum drops,bagels to brick chips. Just tellus the problem.

Too many times, people antici-pate a negative answer whenthey ask, “Say, I don’t supposeyou could vacuum up…”. Ourbest advice is, don’t assumeanything. Talk to our experts!

Spencer specializes in creatingcustom solutions to deal withnearly anything—steel balls,shredded vegetables, kerosene,hair, graphite, cotton swabs,talcum powder, pet food, coins,welding fumes, magnesiumpowder, phenolic dust, carbonblack, battery acid, shot blastgrit, candy bars, flour dust,torpedo fuel…you get the point.The system we create for youwill suit your specific require-ments, whatever they may be.

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When you buy a Spencercentral vacuum system,

it will run for years and dowhat it was designed

to do every day.

Air handling has been ourspecialty since 1892.

Since Ira Spencer invented hisfirst air handling systems in the1890’s, we have specializedexclusively in this field. Thefirst Spencer Turbine VacuumCleaner was introduced in1905. It has since retired, butthere are many Spencer centralvacuum systems still runningafter decades of daily service.

The “sleep good at night” factor.

Spencer systems last because theyare built to last. They are engi-neered with plenty of reserve per-formance so that you will alwaysbe satisfied with your choice. Whenyou buy a Spencer central vacuumsystem, it will run for years and dowhat it is supposed to do every day.We call that the “sleep good atnight” factor because you’ve made adecision you’ll never lose sleep over.

All the support you could everneed.

Spencer has direct sales officesand manufacturers representa-tives across North America, andindependent representatives inmany countries. Altogether, wehave the industry’s largest rep-resentative organization.

Backed by our staff ofprofessional engineers—alsothe industry’s largest—ourrepresentatives can evaluateyour application and recom-mend an effective system basedon your cleaning volume andcharacteristics, facility layoutand future needs.

After the sale, your Spencerrepresentative will be there tohelp with the installation andstartup of your system, makingsure components are assembledand adjusted correctly. You cancount on Spencer to stand byyou.

A system approach to the taskof making problems go away.

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All the work of a vacuum systemis performed by pressure, notsuction. In a cleaning applica-tion, room air rushing into acleaning tool carries nearbysolids or liquids along with it.There must be an adequatepressure differential at the tooland throughout the hose andtubing system to overcomesystem resistance and sustain aconveying velocity.

To create a high-velocity inrushof air, a Spencer central vacuumsystem has a powerful vacuumproducer, often a multistage unitthat builds and holds a highnegative pressure, even withseveral operators on-line at once.

Once material is in motion insidea hose and tubing network, theairflow carries it back toward thevacuum producer. Various typesof separators are positionedbetween the pickup point andvacuum source to intercept andcollect the conveyed materials,whether wet or dry, usable ordisposable.

The complete system consistsof a pickup point, conveyingsystem, separating stage andvacuum producer.

Corrosive spillsin laboratory

Packing litterand dust

Liquids on cleanroom floor

Dirt on officecarpeting

Tracked-inmud in lobby

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Fiberglass dust infabrication area

Boiler scale

Grinding andsanding dust

Dust on pipesand shelves

Debris inshipping area

Conveyorspills

Metal chips inmachine shop

Welding fumes

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Spencer Vacuum Producers

Standard OverhungMultistage Centrifugal

Our most popular design, withimpellers mounted on the motorshaft. Simple two-bearingdesign reduces maintenance.

Vacuum: to 8" HgVolume: to 5,000 SCFMPower: to 150 HP

Four Bearing OverhungMultistage Centrifugal

Impellers are mounted on themachine shaft; rotating elementsare supported by a rigid bearingbracket. Standard shaft motor isfurnished, or use your own.

Vacuum: to 10" HgVolume: to 8,000 SCFMPower: to 250 HP

Four Bearing OutboardMultistage Centrifugal

For higher vacuum applications.Impellers are mounted betweensupporting bearings. Outboardbearings are a matched set, onefor radial loads, the other forthrust loads. Inboard bearingabsorbs a share of the radialload and supports vacuumproducer shaft at the dischargeend. Motor is furnished, or useyour own.

Vacuum: to 14" HgVolume: to 15,000 SCFMPower: to 1250 HP

Spencer Vacuum Producers

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Power Mizer® High EfficiencyMultistage Centrifugal

Made with rugged cast iron andcast aluminum components forextra-heavy-duty service. Uniqueshaped impellers and otheradvancements produce a peakadiabatic efficiency about 80%.

Vacuum: to 17"Volume: to 16,000 SCFMPower: to 1250 HP

24" Belt DriveMultistage Centrifugal

Standard four bearing overhungdesign in a belt drive arrange-ment. Output can be varied bychanging pulley sizes. Standardshaft motor is furnished, or useyour own. Diesel, propane orgasoline engine driver may besubstituted for electric motor.

Vacuum: to 10" HgVolume: to 1,800 SCFMPower: to 50 HP

Power Mizer vacuum producerwith pulse-type separatorproviding a continuous duty,high velocity dust collectionsystem at a printed circuitboard manufacturer.

Spencer central vacuum systemserving a pharmaceutical R&Dfacility and production clean-room includes standard over-hung vacuum producers withacoustical wraps; an extensive,large-diameter vacuum tubingnetwork; and Spencer separatorsdesigned for high-velocity dustcollection.

Spencer Vacuum Producers

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Single Stage Centrifugal

Medium-duty scroll designmachine for low volume andvacuum requirements.

Vacuum: to 3.5" HgVolume: to 6,000 SCFMPower: to 60 HP

Lobe-Aire®

Positive Displacement

Series of heavy-duty PDmodels fully packaged forvacuum service.

Vacuum: to 15" HgVolume: to 7,000 SCFMPower: to 250 HP

Vortex® Regenerative

Compact single stageregenerative units suitable forlimited-space installations.

Vacuum: to 8" HgVolume: to 600 SCFMPower: to 15 HP

Spencer Vacuum Systems

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Special Designs

We can honestly say thatSpencer makes everything youneed in vacuum producers,because we will modify anydesign to suit your application.These are some examples of thespecials already produced:

• Alternative drivers such asgasoline, propane or dieselengines.

• Alternative drive arrange-ments such as belt or geardrive, which can be fitted tomost vacuum producer types.

• Multiple vacuum producers,packaged on a common base.

• Special materials such asaluminum, Hastelloy® andstainless steel, and specialinterior or exterior coatingsfor vacuum producers.

Large Spencer system has 27 standard overhung vacuum producers arrangedin tiers (right), connected to a bank of five centrifugal separators and sixtubular bag separators, to serve a cleanroom facility for automated computerdisk production.

“Triplex” vacuum system at a Connecticut hospital evacuates lasersurgery smoke from operating rooms using three Spencer standardoverhung vacuum producers, galvanized wet separator, secondaryHEPA filter, controls and vacuum tubing network.

Spencer Separators

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Hopper Bottom with Legs

High-EfficiencyCentrifugal (Cyclone)

Elongated cone createsa cyclonic centrifugalaction for higherseparation efficiency.Requires continuousdischarge from theseparator or additionof a surge hopper formaterial storage. Oftenused for pneumaticconveying.Removable Dirt Can

Hopper Bottom withI-Beam Mounting Pads

Standard Centrifugal

Centrifugal action removesgranules and large particles.Usually used as a primaryseparator prior to a filtrationseparator (bag or cartridge).

Spencer Separators

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Top Hat®

Small centrifugaldrum-top unit typi-cally connected to acleaning hose; usedas a preseparator tosegregate materialsfor reuse or disposalbefore they can mixwith the main dirtstream. Two sizes for30 and 55 gallondrums; easily movedfrom drum to drum.

Wet Centrifugal

Stationary central unitfor separating liquidsfrom the air stream of awet vacuum system.Available in galvanizedsteel, stainless steel,aluminum and other

Portable Wet Pickup

Small mobile unitattaches to a cleaninghose to isolate andcollect liquids beforethey can contaminatethe dirt stream of adry vacuum system.Typical uses aredrying of just-washedfloors and removingspills. Aluminumconstruction; capaci-ties from 8 to 24gallons.

corrosion-resistantmetals. Ball float shut-off prevents overflow.Range of capacitiesfrom 43 to 307 gallons.Automatic emptyingdevices are available.

Flat Bottom Short-Cone Bottom with Legs

Spencer Separators

Tubular Bag

May be used individuallyor in series after centrifu-gal separator to trap over99% of all remainingsolids. Two-stage separa-tion with centrifugal sep-arator is highly efficient

Hopper Bottom with Legs

Two Spencer four-bearingoverhung vacuum pro-ducers provide suctionto a centrifugal andtubular bag separator.These support a systemdrawing dust and chipsfrom a large machiningoperation of compositeautomotive components.

Removable Dirt CanHopper Bottom with

I-Beam Mounting Pads

even with difficult mate-rials such as pigmentsand powders. Manytypes of filter mediaavailable; bag cleaningmay be manual or auto-matic after shutdown.

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Spencer central vacuumsystem in Springfield,MA, supports a regionaleffort to recycle solidwaste, generate electricityand maintain excellentair quality.

Spencer Separators

Hopper Bottom with Legs

Cartridge

Similar to Jet-Cleanseparator, with filtercartridges instead offilter bags. The car-tridges are fabricatedof various pleatedmaterials. Periodic,sequential air jetactivation cleans thecartridges, allowingcontinuous operation.

Removable Dirt CanHopper Bottom with

I-Beam Mounting Pads Hopper Bottom withI-Beam Mounting Pads

Jet-Clean®

Filter bag separator thathas been adapted forcontinuous operation.A built-in timer periodi-cally activates air jets toclean the filter bags whilethe system is running.

Cleaning is sequential,allowing some bags tofilter while others arebeing cleaned.

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Spencer Separators

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Immersion

Special design for han-dling sensitive materialssuch as flammables.All material passesthrough a water filtrationchamber. Separatorcontents can be emptiedby gravity or pressure.Galvanized steel, stain-less steel or aluminumconstruction.

Special Designs

Spencer separators canbe specially configured tooffer unique capabilities,discharge convenience orother features as desired.

One optional design isthe storage compartmentseparator with oversizedcollection bin, which canaccumulate largeamounts of material. Thisdesign is available withboth centrifugal andtubular bag separators.

Another variation, simi-lar to a Top Hat separatorin appearance, has beenspecially designed tocollect glass fiberstrands and similarhard-to-handle scrapmaterials.

A third unique designfeatures an extremelywide-mouth separator,fitted with an oversizetrapdoor to dischargehard-to-empty materials

Custom 42” Jet-Clean cartridgeseparator withmodified hopperbottom, explosionrelief port, manualdebridger andsolenoid valveassembly, handlingcereal spills for abreakfast foodmanufacturer.

such as found in the tex-tile and paper industries.

And a fourth specialtype, the Bag In/Bag OutSeparator, has uniqueabilities to collect toxicmaterials such asarsenic powder. Thisseparator is designed tohelp companies complywith OSHA regulationsby limiting personnelexposure to hazardoussubstances.

Spencer Separators

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Separator Selection by Type and Volume of Material

Separator Capacities

Material Description Recommended Separator(s)

Very fine Tubular bag Tubular bag Centrifugal,(100 mesh) (3:1 air volume (3:1 air volume Jet-Clean

to bag area ratio) to bag area ratio) and tubularbag (3:1 ratio)

Fine Centrifugal Centrifugal Centrifugal(100 mesh to 1/8") and tubular and tubular

bag (6:1 ratio) bag (6:1 ratio)

Granular Centrifugal Centrifugal Centrifugal(1/8" to 1/2") and tubular

bag (6:1 ratio)

Lumpy Centrifugal Centrifugal Centrifugal(lumps over 1/2")

Irregular Separator selection dependent on specific material(e.g., fibrous, stringy)

Liquids Wet centrifugal or portable wet pickup separator

Volume of Material

Light Average Heavy(e.g., clean (e.g., shipping or (e.g., foundry,room, lab) assembly area) manuf. plant)

Maximum Air Volume

Separator Centrifugal Tubular BagDia., in. Sep., SCFM Sep., SCFM*

20 18524 320 32030 640 61036 1200 107542 1600 151050 2400 205060 4000 300072 6400 4100

*Based on 6:1 ratio, air volume to filter bag area.

Standard Filter Bag Areas in TubularBag and Jet-Clean Separators, sq. ft.

Separator Tubular Jet-Dia., in. Bag Clean

20 3124 53 50 or 6630 102 88 or 11736 179 113 or 15042 252 175 or 23050 341 238 or 31860 495 351 or 46872 682

Maximum Usable Material Storage Volume forCentrifugal, Tubular Bag and Jet-Clean Separators

Separator Hopper Bottom, cu. ft. Removable Dirt Can, cu. ft.Dia., in. Centrifugal Tubular Bag Jet-Clean Centrifugal Tubular Bag Jet-Clean

20 — 2 — 2.25 2.25 —24 16 4 2 3 3 330 24 7.5 6 7.5 7.5 3 or 7.536 34 12 8.5 7.5 7.5 3 or 7.542 43 16 12 7.5 7.5 3 or 7.550 71 22.6 15 7.5 7.5 3 or 7.560 97 35 26 7.5 7.5 3 or 7.572 130 64 — 7.5 —

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Spencer Options and Accessories

Dozens of special-purposecomponents and accessoriesare offered by Spencer forspecific functions or operat-ing and control convenience.All items may be ordered forinstallation at the factory;some can be customer-installed.

Hose and Tools

Vacuum CleaningAttachments andAccessories Catalog,Bulletin 241, containsSpencer’s comprehensiveline of hoses, cleaningwands, hand and floor tools,inlet valves, connectors,adapters and accessoriesfor every application fromgeneral floor cleaning tospecialized bulk materialhandling.

Replaceable Intake Section

Replaceable section ofabrasion-resistant steel,with or without specialcoatings, for handlingabrasive materials.

Rotary Valve – Variety ofrotary valves for continuousdischarge of free-flowing,non-abrasive materialsduring operation.

8" Discharge Valve –Hand-operated valveto discharge hoppercontents after systemshutdown.

12" Slide Valve –Hand-operated slideto empty hopperafter shutdown.

Swing Valve – Lever-operated valve forpartial emptying ofhopper contents aftershutdown; variousdiameters to 14".

Broken Bag Detector

Electronic device to alertoperator of possiblehazardous material releaseto the environment.

Motor-Operated Bag Shaker

Motorized mechanism forautomatic bag shaking aftershutdown; also available withmotor starter and timer.

Explosion Relief Port

Sized according to NFPAguidelines to relieve vesselpressure in case of explosionto avoid equipment damageor personal injury.

Special Material

Standard construction for dryseparators is carbon steelwith epoxy primer inside andoutside, painted with urethanesemigloss exterior finish. Alsoavailable: hot-dipped galva-nized steel, Corten steel,abrasion-resistant steel,aluminum, stainless steel.

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Counterweighted Valve – Swing-type valve allows

high density materials(35 lbs/cu.ft. or more) todrop from separator uponshutdown.

Dump Valve –Double-action, motor-operated valve for continu-ous discharge of separatorcontents (materials lessthan 35 lbs/cu.ft.) duringsystem operation.

Double-Dribble Valve –Double-chamber,double-valved system forcontinuous hopper dis-charge during operation;may be used for abrasivematerials. Density must be35 lbs/cu.ft. or more.

Canvas Neck and Barrel Cover

Allow discharge of collectedmaterial directly into customer-supplied drum after shutdown,lessening dust contamination.

Custom Electrical Control Panels

Spencer offers complete in-house capabilities for controlsystem design and implementa-tion, including sophisticated PLCor microprocessor-controlledsystems with operator interfaces.Any control panel may befurnished with UL Listedcomponents upon request.

Other possibilities includeoverload protection, vibrationand discharge air temperaturemonitoring, bearing temperatureprotection, data acquisitioninstrumentation and remoteprocess controls.

Tubing and Fittings

Tubing, Fittings, andSystem ComponentsCatalog, Bulletin 600, coversall vacuum network componentsfrom metal tubing, elbows,branches, couplings, reducers,adapters and shrink sleevesto air gates and check valves –everything you needfor installation convenience.

Differential Vacuum Gauge

Measures vacuum differentialacross filters to indicate cleaningneed. May be connected to thecontrol panel to activate awarning device.

Grounding System

For grounding separator andfilter bags. A network of copperwires in filter bags is grounded toseparator, which is connected togrounding lug.

Dirt Can Liner

Plastic bag and required vacuumequalizing line for use with dirtcan separators to make handlingof collected material cleaner andeasier.

Sprinkler Head Connection

Removable cover assembly forintroduction of water orchemicals to extinguish firewithin separator.

Filter Bag Media Options

Filter bags of cotton sateen,cotton twill, polyester, nylon,polypropylene and Nomex®

may be specified. For otherpossibilities, consult Spencer.

Throttling Valves

Various types of air gates andblast gates are available forairflow control and systembalancing.

High Level Indicator

Various means for indicatingwhen collected materialreaches a predetermineddepth; may be wired tocontrol panel to sound alarm,activate warning light, etc.

Manual Debridger

Hand-operated device forloosening compactedmaterials in hopper tofacilitate discharge.

Support Frame

Custom frame to support oneor more separators; can befitted with ladders and plat-forms for worker convenience.

HEPA Filter

Filter assembly with steelplenum and tube systemconnections, usually installedbetween vacuum producerand separator for filtration of99.9% at 0.3 microns.

Special Fittings

Special ports, sight windows,flanged covers and connec-tions to accommodate addi-tional devices.

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Spencer Options and Accessories

Industravac® stationary unitsfor central vacuum systems(Series A, B, C, D & V)

Integrated Spencer system withmultistage centrifugal vacuumproducer and tubular bag sepa-rator with dirt can, mountedon a steel frame. Can serve acentral system with one to 15operators, or be assigned tomachine-side scrap removal,high-velocity dust collection,etc.

Spencer Self-Contained Systems

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Industravac® mobile units(Series A, B & V)

Wheeled units which can bemoved around for heavy-duty factory housekeeping,removing conveyor spills,cleaning grain elevators,vacuuming bus fleets, etc.

FastVac® one or two operatorvacuum unit

Compact, heavy-duty vacuumsystem ideal for general cleaningapplications serving one or twooperators using 15' x 1-1/2" flex-ible hoses. The system features aVortex regenerative vacuumproducer, two-stage separator,cartridge filter and quick-releasedirt can, all interconnected andmounted on a steel floor stand.Mobile and stationary unitsavailable.

Sump-Vac® mobile sumpcleanout unit

Highly maneuverable, self-contained unit for cleaningmachine tool coolant sumps.SumpVac vacuums liquid, chipsand slurry from sumps at 14GPM. Chips are strained out,remaining liquid accumulatesin a holding tank until emptiedby gravity flow or pressure.Standard tank capacities of 55and 125 gallons.

Series V

Series B Series D

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Here’s How to Start

System design considerationto discuss with your SpencerRepresentative.

Each Spencer central vacuumsystem is unique, tailored for yourspecific facility. To ensure that yoursystem is planned and sized cor-rectly, with all the service featuresyou want, here are some of thefactors to consider. By looking atthese issues in advance, you canhelp your Spencer representativedevelop the right information todesign a highly efficient system.

Number of operators.

How many people will be using thesystem? Especially, what is themaximum number of simultaneousoperators? What is your work shiftschedule?

Hose size.

What hose length and diameter arepractical for your people and yourfacility? (Standard hoses are up to50' long, 1-1/2" or 2" diameter.)

Types of applications.

Do you need cleaning only?Bulk material handling?Recyclable material recovery?Toxic waste removal?Liquid handling?

Material characteristics.

Consider the nature of the mate-rial(s) to be vacuumed, including:

– Bulk weight, volume, particlesize, abrasiveness and corrosive-ness of each material.

– Is it wet or dry?

– Does material tend to clump?

– In dust form, is it explosive?(if so, does your insurancecompany have requirementsconcerning its handling?)

– Is it toxic to your employees? (ifso, are there regulations restrict-ing exposure?)

Facility layout.

How many stories in yourbuilding? Do you have plansfor plant expansion? Can youfurnish a blueprint?

Equipment location.

What is the most logicalcentral location for the vacuumproducer and separators, tominimize tubing expense andfriction loss?

Tools required.

Do you need cleaning toolsonly, or gulpers for bulkmaterials, extensions forcleaning overhead surfaces,squeegees for liquids?

There are many other issues,such as your preferred methodfor emptying separators and thestorage capacity you need inseparator collectors, which yourSpencer representative willcover with you during anon-site discussion.

Spencer vacuum systemremoves shot blast media usedduring submarine recondition-ing. Skid-mounted turnkeypackage includes all plumbing,wiring, controls, access laddersand platforms; system is readyfor connection to docksideelectricity and compressed air.

Spencer central vacuum system in autobody shop provides a conven-ient “vacuum utility” for vacuum-assisted sanding. By scavenging dustright at the source, this system keeps the whole environment cleaner—benefiting both the workers and subsequent painting operations. Thevacuum tubing network extends to vacuum inlets throughout thefacility for general housecleaning of floors and fixtures.

The Turbine Company, 600 Day Hill Road, Windsor, CT 06095-4706

Since 1892 moving air and gas for a cleaner environment

TEL 800-232-4321 ◆ 860-688-8361 ◆ FAX 860-688-0098 ◆ www.spencerturbine.com

Bulletin No. 242E Copyright ©2004 The Spencer Turbine Company 1204CF Printed in U.S.A.

Spencer Products and Services

Industrially rated products offering effectivesolutions for air and gas moving problems:• Modular central vacuum systems• Mobile or stationary integrated vacuum units• Dust collectors and separators• Multistage centrifugal blowers• Single stage centrifugal blowers• Regenerative blowers• Positive displacement blowers and packages• Gas boosters• Custom-engineered products with special materials

for extreme temperatures and pressures

Complementary accessories with single sourceconvenience and compatibility:• Electrical control panels, including UL Listed and

CUL Listed standard and custom designs• Comprehensive selection of tubing, fittings, vacuum

hoses, valves and tools• Valves, gauges, couplings, shrink sleeves, vibration

isolators and other system components

Comprehensive engineering andother customer support services:• The industry’s largest complement of technical

specialists in air and gas moving technology• Worldwide parts and service organization• Application research and testing facility

Worldwide organization of sales representativesand distributors offering:• Product selection, installation and operation assistance• Comprehensive system design services• Follow-up services and troubleshooting

For the name and telephone number of your local Spencer Representative,call 800-232-4231 or email marketing@spencer-air.com.