Reducing Lubricant in a Blanking Operation

June 28, 2017 — bsbergmann

We recently chatted with a customer that was looking to improve the lubrication system for multiple blanking lines.  Blanking involves the cutting of sheet metal in a single step, to separate the piece form the surrounding stock. The part that is cut out is the desired product and  is called the ‘blank.’  This operation can be moderate to fast in speed, and the process creates heat, so a lubricant is used to cool and decrease the wear on the tooling.  Our customer was looking for a better way to apply the lubricant.

We proposed the model AN2010SS, a No Drip, internal mix, narrow angle, round fan Atomizing Nozzle.  The nozzle uses compressed air to create a mist of the liquid with very fine droplet size. When using for the  lubricant, a fine layer can be applied over the entire surface without areas of over coverage and waste.  This leads to lower costs for lubricant, and less mess on the blanks.

No Drip Atomizing Nozzle

No Drip Atomizing Nozzle

To simplify the process, the No Drip model was chosen. The No Drip style has the added benefit of positively stopping liquid flow when the compressed air is turned off.  There is no need to independently control the liquid flow via a control system and valve.

Finally, to control the compressed air side, we recommend the Electronic Flow Control (EFC.)  Utilizing a photoelectric sensor, the open position of the press can be detected and using 1 of many program options, the compressed air can be turned on and off to accurately control the application of the lubricant.  Due to the excessive amount of lubricant being used, the customer was applying every other cycle.  The first blank would be overly lubricated so that there would be some remaining for the next.  With the Atomizing Nozzle and EFC, the right amount of lubricant can be applied for each cycle.  The result is reduced lubricant usage, and a better operation.

EFCp4

If you have questions regarding Atomizing Nozzles or any EXAIR Intelligent Compressed Air® Product, feel free to contact EXAIR and myself or one of our Application Engineers can help you determine the best solution.

Brian Bergmann
Application Engineer

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The Power of Optimization

June 27, 2017 — johnball2014

When you take your car into the service shop for an oil change, you notice that they will check all the fluids, air filter, the belt, tire pressure, etc.  The reason that they do this is twofold.  They want to make sure that your car will not run into any potential safety problems and to get the maximum performance from your vehicle.

EXAIR has been in the forefront of selling efficient, safe, and effective products since 1983.  In that time, we wanted to become more than a manufacturer.  We wanted to also provide a way to improve your compressed air system.  We developed this into our Optimization product line.   By design, these products are also twofold.  First, it shows the importance of saving compressed air, improving safety and refining processes.  Second, it helps to improve the performance of your compressed air system to get the most out of it.   I am going to discuss a few points of each product below:

Electronic Flow Control

Electronic Flow Control:  The EFC is designed to save compressed air.  If there are any time gaps in a blowing or cooling application, then we should turn off the compressed air.  The EFC is a miniature timing PLC that uses a photoelectric sensor to turn off the compressed air.  By using less compressed air, you will be able to save a bunch of money.  This is why the light bulb in your refrigerator goes off when the door is closed (or does it?).

Digital Sound Level Meter

Digital Sound Level Meter:  This device is used for measuring sound level.  For safety reasons, OSHA sets a decibel ratings for work environments.  The Digital Sound Level Meter is calibrated to a NIST standard to accurately measure noise level.  If you have poor nozzles on your air guns or open pipes for blow-offs, you could be violating the OSHA standard 29CFR 1910.95(a), which will result in fines.  EXAIR products are designed to meet this standard.

Ultrasonic Leak Detector

Ultrasonic Leak Detector (ULD):   Many compressed air systems have leaks.  If they go unnoticed, this will affect the overall capacity of the compressed air system as well as costing a lot of money.  Leaks can account for one-third of your compressed air output.  The ULD can find these leaks to optimize your system and to improve the “health” of your compressor.

Digital Flowmeter

Digital Flowmeter (DFM):  If you can measure flow, then you can find many ways to optimize.  The DFM is able to show and record the amount of flow that you are using in your compressed air system.  You can also use the Digital Flowmeters to find leaks, diagnose pneumatic problems, and use the recorded information for preventative maintenance.  In comparing to an open pipes or competitive products, you can easily see the air savings with EXAIR products and easily determine the payback period (which is generally in weeks).  EXAIR does offer options that are wireless, serial, or USB type of recording, so, you can continuously monitor your compressed air system 24/7.

With the Optimization products, it can “service” your compressed air system; so that, you can get the most from it.  It can save you money, make your system safe, and keep things pneumatically maintained.  If you would like discuss one or more of these products, you can contact an EXAIR Application Engineer for more details.

John Ball
Application Engineer
Email: johnball@exair.com
Twitter: @EXAIR_jb

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Moving Small Particles with a Heavy Duty Line Vac

June 26, 2017 — Lee Evans

The material in this hose is conveyed vertically over 7m using an EXAIR Heavy Duty Line Vac

The image above shows a test at a customer’s facility to move a small particulate to a height of 7m (23’) with an EXAIR Line Vac.  This particulate is used in the production of hand warmers and the end user needed a method to convey the material out of 55 gallon drums.

This same customer purchased a 2” Heavy Duty Line Vac from EXAIR in 2014 which is still in use and functioning well.  So, when it came time to find a pneumatic conveyance solution for this material, they knew where to go.

This is the material which needed to be pneumatically conveyed.

And, we knew just the questions to ask to determine the best Line Vac solution.  In order to do so, we had to determine the following:

  • Bulk density of the material
  • Size of the material
  • Conveyance height
  • Conveyance distance
  • Required conveyance rate
  • Available compressed air supply

Bulk density was rather low at 320kg/m³ (~20 pounds/ft³), with a particle size between 3-5mm (~1/8”-3/16”).  The conveyance height in this application was 5-7m (16.5-23ft.), with a distance of 1-2m (3.3-6.6ft) and a desired conveyance rate of over 4kg (8.8 pounds) per minute.

Testing with a 2″ Heavy Duty Line Vac

The customer ran a test with the 2” Line Vac they have on site and the results were excellent.  Their only question was whether they could achieve the needed conveyance with a smaller unit, thereby reducing compressed air consumption and operating cost of the application.

In this case the answer was clear that a smaller Line Vac could be used due to the low bulk density of the material.  By reducing the size of the Line Vac to 1”, or perhaps 1.5” we could reduce the compressed air consumption and still meet the required performance need.

EXAIR Line Vacs have, once again, brought a viable solution to this industrial facility.  If you have a similar application or would like to discuss pneumatic conveyance needs, contact an EXAIR Application Engineer.  We’ll be happy to help.

Lee Evans
Application Engineer

LeeEvans@EXAIR.com
@EXAIR_LE

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PEEK Super Air Nozzles Resist Corrosion; Won’t Scratch Sensitive Surfaces

June 23, 2017 — Russ Bowman

Because they might be needed in some pretty aggressive environments, EXAIR offers many of our Intelligent Compressed Air Products in a variety of materials. One particular material of construction, however, has two distinct benefits. PEEK (Polyether Ether Ketone, for those of us who ruined the grading curve in CHEM102) plastic offers not only superior chemical corrosion resistance; it’s also non-marring. Since EXAIR introduced the first PEEK Super Air Nozzle in 2005, they’ve been specified all over the world; sometimes for their corrosion resistance; other times so they won’t mar or scratch sensitive surfaces…and every once in a while, for both.

I recently had the pleasure of discussing blow off applications with the production manager of a large anodizing & plating company. The chemicals used in these processes are extremely corrosive, and the equipment used in those areas has to be made of something that’ll handle it. PEEK plastic is just such a material. Also, once they’ve treated their customers’ parts, they need to handle them with care…they’re getting paid a premium to provide nice, shiny parts with a perfect finish. When they’re blowing them off, they need to use something that won’t scratch up the surface if the operator makes incidental contact with the blow off tip. Again, PEEK plastic is just such a material.  Since their existing blow offs were fitted to 1/8 NPT connections, they chose the Model 1102-PEEK Mini Super Air Nozzle.

EXAIR’s PEEK Super Air Nozzles can be mounted in place or on a Safety Air Gun, depending on your needs.

Corrosion resistant and non-marring…EXAIR offers our PEEK Super Air Nozzles in six sizes, from the Atto (M4x0.5 threads; 2.5 SCFM; 2 oz force applied) to our High Force Model 1104-PEEK (3/8 NPT threads; 35 SCFM; 1.9 lbs force applied) for an incredibly diverse range of applications.

If you’d like to discuss what material(s) of construction your application(s) require, give me a call.

Russ Bowman
Application Engineer
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Engineered Air Nozzles Reduce Noise Levels and Outlet Pressure, Meeting OSHA Requirements

June 22, 2017 — jsnicholl

“My operators are complaining that our air guns are too loud, how can you help me?” – is a very common inquiry we receive here at EXAIR on almost a daily basis. Many open end blowoffs or air guns fitted with nozzles that have cross drilled relief holes create high pitch wind shear, resulting in excessive noise levels, sometimes exceeding 100+ dBA. This not only is a safety concern but also an OSHA violation.

Variety of Air Nozzles that produce dangerously loud noise levels

Loud noises and the length of exposure time can lead to significant health concerns such as long term hearing loss, increased stress levels and potential injury due to lack of concentration. The Occupation Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) introduced Standard 29 CFR 1910.95(a) as a way to protect workers from job related injuries associated to potentially dangerous sound levels. Per the Standard, at 90 dBA an operator is limited to a maximum of 8 hours of constant exposure. As noise levels increase, the allowable exposure time decreases, in some cases slowing production, costing a company on their bottom line.

 

EXAIR’s Air Nozzles are engineered so they entrain surrounding air across the profile of the nozzle, which produces a smoother airflow, ultimately reducing wind shear, resulting in much lower sound levels, meeting the OSHA Standard.

Illustration showing the air travel of our Super Air Nozzles

 

In addition, our Air Nozzles also meet the OSHA Standard 1910.242(b) for 30 PSI dead end pressure. All of our engineered Air Nozzles provide a relief or a safe path for the air to exit if the nozzle were to be blocked or pressed against an operator’s body so the exiting air pressure will never reach 30 PSIG.

All of EXAIR’s Air Nozzles are available with standard NPT threads to easily adapt to existing air guns. We also off our full line of Safety Air Guns which are fitted with our engineered nozzles, providing an “off-the-shelf” OSHA compliant solution. For help selecting the best product to replace your existing device or if you have a new application you would like to discuss, give us a call at 800-903-9247.

Justin Nicholl
Application Engineer
justinicholl@exair.com
@EXAIR_JN

 

Posted in Safety, Super Air Nozzle. Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a Comment »

Super Air Knives Remove Water from Knee Replacement Parts

June 22, 2017 — Tyler Daniel

EXAIR’s Super Air Knives are the go to when you need to dry your parts as they’re traveling along a conveyor. The high velocity, laminar airflow from the Super Air Knife does a fantastic job of stripping away moisture, leaving your part dry for the next stage of the process. With models available in both 303 & 316 Stainless Steel, Aluminum, and polyvinylidene fluoride and at lengths ranging from 3″-108″, there’s a knife for every application.

I was recently working with a customer that manufactures knee replacement devices. He was designing a new blowoff station to eliminate having to have operators manually dry the parts after a washing operation. He created a test rig to test out his theory of using Super Air Knives. While conducting his tests, he was having issues completely removing the water from the parts. Due to some of the grooves and pockets, the underside was not drying in one pass. This led to him having to manually blow the parts off after they exited the basket. This would not be acceptable as the purpose was to remove the operator from this part of the process. After taking a look at some photos of the setup, I noticed that he had the knives angled so that the airflow was blowing perpendicular to the parts. In doing this, the amount of time that the part is exposed to the airflow is greatly reduced. In any blowoff application, maximizing the time & contact that the part has with the airflow is critical in maximizing effectiveness. By angling the knives so that the parts were exposed to the airstream just as they exited washing, he was effectively able to dry the parts in one pass.

Optimized-IMG_20170313_133531

Improper Positioning of Super Air Knives

We’re frequently contacted by customers who may have the right product for the application, but are not seeing the results they expected. EXAIR has a highly trained team of Application Engineers that are ready and waiting to help you optimize your installation. In addition, EXAIR offers an unconditional 30 Day Guarantee on all stock products. We want you to have an opportunity to test the product out in your application before committing to the purchase. In doing this, we have the unique opportunity to work with you as you troubleshoot the application. If you have an EXAIR product installed and still aren’t seeing the results you expect, give us a call. We’d be happy to look into your setup and determine if there’s anything that can be done to enhance the performance.

Tyler Daniel
Application Engineer

E-mail: tylerdaniel@exair.com
Twitter: @EXAIR_TD

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Video Blog: Medium Vortex Tube Cooling Kit

June 21, 2017 — bsbergmann

EXAIR offers (3) Vortex Tube Cooling Kits, and the video below will provide an overview of the medium size offering, for refrigeration up to 2800 BTU/hr (706 Kcal/hr.)

If you have questions regarding Vortex Tube Cooling Kits or any EXAIR Intelligent Compressed Air® Product, feel free to contact EXAIR and myself or one of our Application Engineers can help you determine the best solution.

Brian Bergmann
Application Engineer

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Posted in Compressed Air, Vortex Tubes. Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a Comment »
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