A method for aligning a centerline of a motor shaft in a direct drive fan assembly , the direct drive fan assembly includes a hub , a fan and two motor supports that each include a respective notch , the method comprising: selecting a motor from among a plurality of motors ; matching a motor plate from among a plurality of motor plates to the motor , the matched motor plate is based on the selected motor , creating, from the selected motor and the matching motor plate , a motor-plate assembly that has a resulting height (H2) that is measured from a base of the matching motor plate to a centerline of a motor shaft of the selected motor , wherein the resulting height (H2) of the motor-plate assembly corresponds to a particular height (H1) of the direct drive fan assembly ; aligning a centerline of the motor shaft of the motor-plate assembly to the direct drive fan assembly , wherein the particular height (H1) of the direct drive fan assembly is measured from a top of the motor supports to a center of the hub ; changing the motor to a different motor ; changing the motor plate to a different motor plate in response to the changed motor , the different motor plate comprising two flanges; matching the different motor to the different motor plate to create a different motor-plate assembly that has a second resulting height (H2) that is measured from a base of the different motor plate to a centerline of a motor shaft of the different motor ; receiving, by each notch of each motor support , a respective flange of the two flanges of the different motor plate ; and aligning the centerline of the motor shaft of the different motor-plate assembly to the direct drive fan assembly , wherein the second resulting height (H2) is equal to a different particular height (H3) of the direct drive fan assembly that is measured from the notches to the center of the hub , and wherein the direct drive fan assembly includes a frame with components that remain in a fixed arrangement even when the motor-plate assembly is changed. selecting a motor from among a plurality of motors ; matching a motor plate from among a plurality of motor plates to the motor , the matched motor plate is based on the selected motor , creating, from the selected motor and the matching motor plate , a motor-plate assembly that has a resulting height (H2) that is measured from a base of the matching motor plate to a centerline of a motor shaft of the selected motor , wherein the resulting height (H2) of the motor-plate assembly corresponds to a particular height (H1) of the direct drive fan assembly ; aligning a centerline of the motor shaft of the motor-plate assembly to the direct drive fan assembly , wherein the particular height (H1) of the direct drive fan assembly is measured from a top of the motor supports to a center of the hub ; changing the motor to a different motor ; changing the motor plate to a different motor plate in response to the changed motor , the different motor plate comprising two flanges; matching the different motor to the different motor plate to create a different motor-plate assembly that has a second resulting height (H2) that is measured from a base of the different motor plate to a centerline of a motor shaft of the different motor ; receiving, by each notch of each motor support , a respective flange of the two flanges of the different motor plate ; and aligning the centerline of the motor shaft of the different motor-plate assembly to the direct drive fan assembly , wherein the second resulting height (H2) is equal to a different particular height (H3) of the direct drive fan assembly that is measured from the notches to the center of the hub , and wherein the direct drive fan assembly includes a frame with components that remain in a fixed arrangement even when the motor-plate assembly is changed. <EOS>