• Here in Ohio, high school football has begun.  My son is a senior this year, so we are all hoping for a winning and memorable year (that is injury-free).  Friday (and sometimes Saturday) nights are spent under the lights with a few thousand close friends.
• College football kicks off tonight for many teams.  Ohio State vs. Marshall will get particular interest here at EXAIR.  Remember the old days when colleges played on Saturdays?  Thanks to conference agreements with the various television networks, college football is now spread over 4 or 5 days per week.

• Pro football kicks off next weekend, but until then, we have Hard Knocks (where’s Revis?), fantasy team drafts (here’s a great take from Jim Rome), and office pools to arrange (wait, scratch that, it’s illegal).  Again, thanks to TV, there are games on Sunday, Monday and the occasional Thursday.

• Baseball pennant races are coming down the stretch (has anyone seen the Cardinals lately?).  Everyone plays at least six days a week for the next month.

There are so many choices, so many options, and so many things to watch and/or attend that it really can be overwhelming.  I know our family calendar is littered with commitments over the next couple of months.

With life, just like in business, you have to set priorities and stay organized if you are going to achieve your goals.  As busy as the leisure/social/personal calendar seems to be these days, we’ve been even busier at EXAIR.

In the past month, here are a few things that have been going on at EXAIR:

• We visited our distributors in China and Singapore
• Our distributor from China visited EXAIR
• We officially launched our partnership with a new distributor in Norway
• We press released our new, larger, 110-gallon Chip Trapper
• We press released our one-of-a-kind line of PVDF Super Air Knives
• We launched our new video demo for EXAIR Line Vac Air Operated Conveyors

And the days and weeks ahead won’t be any less hectic:

• EXAIR will announce three new products next week
• EXAIR will have two more press releases in September for new products
• EXAIR will also have more major announcements regarding compliance in September
• EXAIR will host our distributor from the Netherlands next week
• EXAIR will once again compete for Plant Engineering “Product of the Year” honors

On top of all of that, several members of the EXAIR team will be attending the IMTS 2010 trade show in Chicago in a couple of weeks.  If you are going to be there and would like to discuss an application, e-mail us so that we can pre-arrange the meeting.

As you can see, both sides of the ledger are quite full these days, and that is not a bad thing at all.

Bryan Peters
President
bryanpeters@exair.com

In their Best Practices for Compressed Air Systems manual, the Compressed Air Challenge specifically states: “Make sure the application uses only the required amount of compressed air. Higher than needed pressures and extended cycle times will result in excessive air usage. Open-blowing applications waste compressed air. For existing open-blowing applications, inexpensive energy-saving nozzles should be applied unless another practical method can be found.”

Here is an example of the money ONE Super Air Nozzle can save. The results shown on the below image are customizable by entering your application details at our Air Savings Calculator Page. If you would like any help in using this tool please contact us.

A payback time of 3 days!? You must be joking!

This is no joke, just a simple illustration of how easy it is to save compressed air. How inexpensive it is to greatly improve your compressed air efficiency. And how effective you will be toward reducing your compressed air consumption. And as added benefits you will be providing a reduction in sound levels and an increase in safety.

We can help if you have 1/4″ or 3/8″ open-blowing applications too. In fact we have helped customers who were using 1/2″, 3/4″ and 1″ open pipes for their applications. You can have engineered air nozzles in-house tomorrow (we ship same day on PO’s before 3:00 pm eastern) and retrofit your open-blowing applications. You can quickly get closer to achieving your goals to reduce compressed air consumption.

And don’t forget to check this U. S. rebate database, your local utility or government to discover if more incentives exist to use compressed air saving products.

Kirk Edwards
Application Engineer
KirkEdwards@EXAIR.com
http://twitter.com/exair_ke

Another reminder of the passing of time for me this year was EXAIR hiring the first batch of new employees with their birth dates in the decade of the 1990s.
Our growing business required increasing the workforce. We brought on a group of new people over the summer, several of them whose ages are less than the length of service of some EXAIR employees. EXAIR is approaching its 27th anniversary later this year. Our employees represent a diverse group of people and generations. Every decade from the 1930’s to the 1990’s is represented by our employee’s birthdates.

This mixture makes for an amusing exchange of ideas and comments. Some of our “young” employees are now realizing that they are twice the age of their co-workers. Conversely, I just overheard a 20 year-old guy telling his co-worker –“I am just like a young puppy, running around, yapping at the legs of an old dog like you”. The old dog he was referring to is 28 years old.
We work to get our internal communications across to our employees as much as we have had to adapt our marketing messages to our broad range of customers.

We are all passing through this life at the same rate – minute by minute, hour by hour, and day by day. Some people seem in a hurry to end the journey – such as drunk drivers, texting while driving, hunting with John Cheney – while others seem determined to make it last as long as they can by being late for everything.

Everyone needs to try to enjoy the journey as much as they can, through their friends, hobbies and social activities, and work experiences. There is no rewind button on the life cycle.

Personally, I’m opting for the slow lane – I am having too much fun.

BTW –Next time you call in to talk to an Application Engineer – ask them how old they are in “Co-op years”. (“Co-op years” – one co-op year is equal to a 20 year-old engineering student from the University of Cincinnati)

Bob West
Chief Financial Officer
bobwest@exair.com

Humor is good for the soul and a great release from the pressures of the past work week. So what good is all this to our customers…OUTSANDING CUSTOMER SERVICE. Playing together as a company fosters teamwork and that is what enables us to provide a quality product, on time, and at a competitive price.

This has been a particularly warm summer and the demand for our Cabinet Cooler systems has been intense. Customers are in a bind and need a solution quickly. As a team, from the manufacturing folks who have to work in the sweltering heat, to the order entry folks that need to expedite the paper work, we have maintained 99.8% on time deliveries.

Joe Panfalone
Application Engineer
joepanfalone@exair.com
http://twitter.com/exair_jp

The first gentleman was a construction worker that uses a core drill to drill holes through concrete walls.   He was working on a site using their core drill when all of a sudden the electric vacuum pump that holds the drill to the wall failed because the motor burnt up.   He was looking for something to replace the expensive electric motor and it had a few week lead time as it was not a normally stocked part for anyone he could find in the country.  When he started searching for Vacuum Generators he came across our website and decided to call in. 

The electric vacuum pump that burned up had very similar specifications to our largest E-Vac.  I recommended he take a look at the models 800017 and 810031 which are the largest In-Line E-Vacs that we offer. 

He then began to tell me that they already had an air compressor on site for a jack hammer.  After discussing with him the air consumption of the E-Vac he admitted that he would rather run something off of compressed air that has no internal moving parts and not another electric motor that could fail again and cost them a very expensive repair on the drill not to mention if it was to harm someone.  

The second gentleman called within an hour of the first and explained to me that they are a manufacturing company and have containers that they currently use a blower operated vacuum system to lift from a conveyor belt to a pallet on the floor.  The only problem with the system is that the containers are changing and the new shape of the lid will not allow their current system to work.  

After receiving a dimensioned drawing of his new container and lid I began to calculate and draw the vacuum cup system that would work for his application.   The containers could weigh anywhere from 60 – 100 pounds each.   Also with the shape of the new lid he was not able to lift from the center which would cause an unstable load if you only used one cup.  To further the complexity of the new system he also mentioned they would be running the old containers every now and then too so he needed to be able to lift either style of container.  

The system I designed for him included one 6” round cup that would lift the old containers and fit within the space for the large area on the new container.  Then I added two 2” cups to form a triangle that would allow the customer to lift the new rectangular containers level and safely but if he needed to lift the old container then he wouldn’t even have to switch out cups or lifting equipment at all.  This was achieved by using two Modular E-Vacs, one to power the main 6” cup and the other to power the 2” cups. 

As you can see our E-Vac Vacuum Generators are used across many fields and industries and sometimes they are even used for evacuation or sample retrieval.   If you have an application that you think might fit within these parameters, feel free to contact us.

Brian Farno
Application Engineer
BrianFarno@EXAIR.com

But my kids are showing no signs of changing their behavior. They spent all day running around with the neighbors with no sense of responsibility for what was upon them. And more power to ‘em…carpe diem!

Here are the creatures which greeted me when I got home, in no less-than eight containers from aquariums to bug habitats to jars with holes in the lids: Three big wood bees, two butterflies, one moth, one giant grasshopper, two little green grasshoppers, mating bugs, crickets, a red and black beetle, assorted dead bugs, one cicada and two cicada shells.

All in a days work - click for larger image

Along with the creatures were five kids. Four of whom struck me as quite loud compared to hearing co-worker volume levels all day. The fifth was merely quiet due to the kid tribe pecking order of speaking and his inability to shout anything bug related before I put the hush down on the unruly group of entomologists. I found myself thinking if they could only shout out the genus and species of these crawly creatures, they may be on their way to a worthwhile skill. Though I did hear a kid say “we know it’s a moth because it has those feathery antennae and he’s fat”.

I was also pleased that no one inquired further about the mating bugs, regardless of a clear “the birds and the bees” environment (though telling a kid to go ask her mother about it isn’t quite as hard as I make it out to be).

It also struck me that it is a good call to begin school on a Thursday, these kids clearly need a couple of days to adjust their behavior and wrap their heads around a whole week of school. You just don’t say goodbye to summer the same way you greet it - kids spend weeks daydreaming of summer so they greet it like an old friend with whom no time has lapsed and get right into action. They say goodbye with kicking and dragging feet, composing themselves only after it is no longer visible.

As “grown-ups” we can be happy we don’t have to make that slap in the face adjustment, but not so much that we wouldn’t enjoy a couple months off work. It is a slighter adjustment to move out of Cabinet Cooler system season and closer to Static Eliminator season during colder, drier weather ahead. But our kids will find that out soon enough. I am sure none of them is willing to give up that slap in the face adjustment at the end of summer in return for a job. Besides, at some near point in time I will arrive home to frustrated home-working kids and my seize the day opportunity to learn about feathery, fat moths will have been recorded as well.

Here’s to an easy transition back to school kids. Enjoy yourselves.

Kirk Edwards
Application Engineer
KirkEdwards@EXAIR.com
http://twitter.com/exair_ke

My customer approached me with an interest in the EXAIR Digital Flow Meter to monitor various sections of their facility for compressed air usage. At times their system pressure would drop precariously low for some machines. It was their thinking that by monitoring compressed air demand by sector they could decide the size of compressor they needed to add and where to direct that air.

They installed model 9092 1″ Digital Flow Meter to each spur feeding the various sections of the plant. The monitored results were quite unexpected! It was thought the machining sectors were the ones drawing the most load. As it turned out it was the packaging area. Upon investigation they found blow guns with their triggers taped open for a constant blow off as the operator packed parts. Ten work stations alone were using over 200 SCFM of compressed air!

The blow guns were replaced with air saving Super Nozzles activated by a foot pedal. 

 Model 9040    

 Model 1101

The air savings enabled them to shut down a 50HP air compressor. So instead of a capital expenditure for a new compressor, they realize an operational savings.

If you would like to see how much you can save with EXAIR’s engineered nozzles feel free to call 1-800-903-9247 and ask to speak with one of our application engineers.

Joe Panfalone
Application Engineer
joepanfalone@exair.com

During numerous application phone calls and discussion I have been asked, “Well how can I justify implementing all these nozzles?”  Well I have an answer that you can use even if you aren’t looking to start anything new and just want to know how much air you are currently using.   The answer to this is to “Test the waters” by installing a Digital Flow Meter anywhere you wish to know your air consumption.

The Digital Flow Meter will allow you to measure in real-time the air consumption of your system.  These can be installed on your main compressed air line to check the volume of compressed air the compressor is putting out, or even select a single machine and install it to see which device is using the most compressed air in your system.  If you have multiples of the same machine then install it one of the machines to get a good baseline reading for how your machines currently run, then implement new compressed air processes to allow you to see the benefits of the new process compared to the old. 

This also is an ideal installation and use of the Summing Remote Display which will allow you to monitor the air consumption up to 50 ft. away from the Digital Flow Meter.  The Summing Remote Display allows you to view the current usage from the DFM, sum the total usage for a 24 hour period of time, or a straight cumulative usage that will track up to 9,999 SCFM.  This would even permit a breakdown of per shift usage.  To see if one operator is using more compressed air than others to perform the same task. 

All in all if you are debating on whether or not to look into an engineered compressed air blow off operation then why not sample one entire machine and have sufficient data to determine the return on investment of the new system. 

If you would like to discuss the Digital Flow Meter, Summing Remote Display, or any compressed air application feel free to contact us. 

Brian Farno
Application Engineer
BrianFarno@EXAIR.com

Think about all the electrical and electronic control cabinets used around your shop. Are any of them located near to an oven, furnace, or other source of heat? Imagine how hot it gets inside those cabinets with the added load of electronics giving off heat inside. With high temperature applications like these, it is a wonder how many electronics are able to survive the double-threat of summer and of hot processes.

EXAIR actually has a solution for these kinds of applications to keep cabinets in these kinds of applications cool. It is called High Temperature Cabinet Cooler. The High Temperature Cabinet Cooler System is set up to deliver the rated cooling power even under the most demanding of hot applications up to 200° F (93°C). In fact, many of our customers come to us from the Middle East countries such as Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and Oman because our High Temperature Cabinet Cooler has earned its reputation as a robust performing Cabinet Cooling System even in demanding, desert-type conditions. And since there are no moving parts to burn up or wear out, our High Temperature Cabinet Cooler will last for years with little or no maintenance.

If you are in search of your oasis in the desert with keeping your cabinets cool,

Give some serious thought to using High Temperature Cabinet Cooler. You will not be disappointed. Fill out your Cabinet Cooler sizing guide and submit to us today.

Neal Raker, Application Engineer

nealraker@exair.com

2. Lower Your Air Consumption – While lowering pressure will also lower consumption you probably have bigger issues than simply lowering main pressure a few PSIG. Retrofitting open blow offs and homemade blow offs with engineered products like air nozzles and air knives  is a simple, low-cost and fast way to recover wasted energy.

3. Regulate your Compressor - A regulation control on the compressor itself will allow for adjustments for different production schedules. You can run at peak performance during top production hours and program the compressor to reduce pressure during off hours and weekends. Large systems can use multiple compressors while smaller systems can benefit from newer compressors with this adjustment built right in.

4. Maintain Good Air Quality - Keeping your air quality high can lower maintenance needs, keep the system reliable and consistent, reduce wear on your air powered equipment. If designing a new system it is good to include an oiless compressor and an air dryer to keep good quality air. Good air quality at every opportunity will reduce wear on the entire system and keep down maintenance costs. It will also keep pressure up by eliminating any pressure loss through other filters.

5. Proper Maintenance – Planning your system well from the beginning will clearly reduce maintenance. Monitoring your system regularly is always a good plan as well. Many compressor manufacturers have maintenance services and can keep your compressor up to snuff. Letting a certified technician look over your compressor and system is not a bad idea of you are not staffed for this task. A well maintained compressor will last a long time can allow you to anticipate the service life of the machine and its components.

Kirk Edwards
Application Engineer
KirkEdwards@exair.com