We are a European sales and project support office. Behind us is a factory founded by industry veterans with many years’ experience in the production of fans and electric motors.
It’s time to show it!
When we talk to our clients about quality, lead times, and technical capabilities, we always stand behind a specific place: Haining AFL Electric Appliances Co., Ltd. – our parent factory located in Haining, in Zhejiang Province, China. This is where we design, manufacture, and test every fan and motor that is delivered to Europe.
Our European office is responsible for sales, project support, and customer communication. However, technical expertise, production capacity, and quality systems all of this “lives” in Haining. That is why it is worth understanding what this factory looks like from the inside.
Where we come from
The factory was established in 2014, on the initiative of a group of experienced engineers and managers from the electrical and ventilation industries people who knew the industry inside out and wanted to build something of their own, with demanding markets in mind. The registered capital exceeded 27 million yuan. The location the city of Haining in Jiaxing, Zhejiang Province was no accident: it is one of the most industrialised and technologically advanced regions in China, with a deeply rooted ecosystem of electrical and electronic components.
Today, the factory covers more than 20,000 square metres of production space, employs around 350 people, and produces nearly 2 million fans annually. In 2018, we decided on a significant expansion the purchase of approximately 50 acres of land for a second production facility, with an investment estimated at 80 million yuan. New production lines are due to be launched there.
What we produce
We specialise in axial and centrifugal fans with external rotors, in DC, AC, and EC technologies. Our portfolio includes:
- Axial fans from 200 mm to 950 mm
- Forward-curved centrifugal fans from 120 mm to 250 mm
- Backwards-curved centrifugal fans from 133 mm to 630 mm
More than 80% of our machinery comprises specialised equipment that enables us to produce fans from the ground up – from stator manufacturing and rewinding through precision machining and rotor balancing, to programming electronic systems, and finally to final assembly and testing.
Certifications and technological recognition
Our products and management systems have undergone rigorous certification processes both in China and in European and American markets:
- ISO 9001 — Quality Management System
- ISO 14001 — Environmental Management System
- ISO 45001 — Occupational Health and Safety
- CCC (China Compulsory Certification), CE, ETL, UL, RoHS
The factory is officially recognised by the Chinese government as a National High-Tech Enterprise. In 2018, the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Science and Technology granted us the status of a Provincial R&D Centre. A year earlier, we were recognised as a High-Tech Enterprise in Hangzhou. These are not honorary titles — they carry specific obligations to invest in R&D, which we consistently fulfil.
How we ensure quality
As a European office, we take daily responsibility for the quality of the products delivered to our clients. We do this with full confidence, based on our in-depth knowledge of the quality management system operating in our factory. Below are its key elements:
· Full material traceability
Every batch of material from receipt in the warehouse to shipment of the finished product has a unique identification number tracked in the ERP system. We have full traceability in both directions: from raw material to finished product and back. The FIFO principle is implemented both digitally (ERP) and physically in the warehouse through flow racks, labelling, and regular audits. In the event of a complaint or product recall, we know exactly which material and which batch were used for a given order.
· Incoming inspection and quarantine zone
No material enters the production line without passing incoming quality control (IQC). Inspections are carried out in accordance with formal control plans based on AQL sampling standards. Non-conforming materials are immediately directed to a physically separated quarantine area and blocked in the ERP system, ensuring they cannot be used in production by accident. Every non-conformity is documented and processed through a formal NCR procedure, including feedback to the supplier.
· Engineering Change Management (ECN)
Every significant change in a product related to materials, components, drawings, or processes goes through a formal Engineering Change Notification process. A change does not take effect without risk assessment, updated documentation, and if it concerns a customer product prior notification and approval by the customer. This is one of the foundations of our cooperation with project partners: no surprises in serial production.
· People and competencies
Each production employee has a defined competency profile and may perform only the operations for which they have been formally trained and authorised. We maintain systematic training plans from onboarding, through workstation training, to refresher sessions when processes change or non-conformities are detected. All training documentation is archived and available for customer audits.
Europe – our main export market
Exports account for approximately 40% of the factory’s total production, with Europe the dominant market. Our products are regularly delivered to Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, Poland, the Netherlands, Denmark, the Czech Republic, Norway, Lithuania, and many other countries across the continent. We also sell to Asia, the Americas, Oceania, and Africa.
Our European office was established precisely to ensure smooth cooperation with European clients without language barriers, with an understanding of European standards and project expectations, and with direct access to the factory’s engineers. The standard lead time is 15 weeks; however, with advance planning, it can be reduced to just 2-5 days, as we maintain stock and safety stock for our regular customers.
European office + factory in Haining = one organisation
When you contact us regarding fan selection, technical support, or a quotation, you speak directly with people who are in daily contact with the factory’s engineers, technologists, and quality management team. This ensures efficient, transparent communication, the ability to adapt the product to individual project requirements, assurance of high quality, and full transparency about the origin of the solutions offered.
We are the European arm of an organisation whose operational centre is located in Haining.
You need a backup plan – we will back you up!
Discover our manufacturing process, where innovation is powered by automation and smart solutions.
Author: Eliza Chorosz, Managing director, AFL MOTORS