Commander SK drives from Control Techniques are helping to control the fan-sets at Titanic Belfast, the visitor experience located on the slipways where the ship was built.
The Harvey Group, a provider of mechanical and electrical building services in Northern Ireland and the UK, was contracted by Titanic Foundation, owner of Titanic Belfast, to supply and install complete building services. This was a unique challenge due to the highly unusual shape of the14,000m2 building.

In February 2012 smoke ventilation specialist, G S Stothers Mechanical & Electrical Engineering, was asked by the Harvey Group to supply a system which could control two twin fan-sets within the smoke extraction system in the building's atrium.

Titanic Belfast was due to open before the 100th anniversary of the April 1912 sinking of the Titanic and the opening date was set for March 31, 2012, the 100th anniversary of Titanic leaving the slipway before its fit-out at Thompson Dry Dock. Delivery of the control system was required before the end of February, giving G S Stothers less than a month to complete the job.

The company chose Commander SK drives from Control Techniques to control the fan-sets. The drives were recommended by Northern Ireland drives distributor, Motion Control Systems, because time was critical and Commander SK drives are designed to be easy to program and can be interfaced to any external control system.

The twin fan-sets were positioned in the 5th and 6th floor areas near the top of the atrium and are connected to a Very Early Smoke Detection Apparatus (VESDA) system.

G S Stothers approached Motion Control Systems, who recommended using 37 kW Commander SK drives, and the firm supplied the four modules within two days.