There are so many uses for compressed air in industry that it would be difficult to list every one of them as the list would be exhaustive. Some of the uses are the tools used… More
Utility Rebates for Energy Savings
Since the establishment of EXAIR in 1983, customer satisfaction has always been the cornerstone of our business model. This may seem like a common practice, but here at EXAIR, we like to go the extra mile. We have over a 99.9% on-time delivery with thousands of products in stock. We offer free expert technical help from our Application Engineers, as well as within EXAIR Blog writings and application search library. We have an Efficiency Lab to report on comparison results with safety and compressed air saving. We also offer a 30-day unconditional guarantee on our cataloged products for you to try. So, what more can EXAIR do for you?
Compressors use large amounts of electricity to produce compressed air and are considered the fourth utility in most manufacturing plants. EXAIR manufactures engineered products that can save compressed air and increase energy savings. With that, EXAIR was able to partner with Energy Star. “Energy Star is a government-backed symbol for energy efficiency helping to save money and to protect the environment through energy-efficient products and practices.” This commitment by EXAIR for reducing energy, increase safety for workers, and protecting the environment for future generations are effective ways to sustain a business value.
When large amounts of energy can be saved, electricity producing companies take notice. Electrical suppliers started a rebate program for using engineered nozzles in their facility. Similar to other energy-saving rebates, like LED light bulbs and high-efficiency furnaces, EXAIR engineered nozzles now fall into that same category. If your electrical provider supports this program, the total cost to purchase and implement the EXAIR Super Air Nozzles are greatly reduced. Even if a rebate program has not yet been implemented in your area, the idea of saving energy makes it very practical and environmentally sound.
The NC Clean Energy Technology Center created a website to consolidate all the electrical companies that offer rebates for efficient products and programs. The website is www.dsireusa.org. “DSIRE is the most comprehensive source of information on incentives and policies that support renewable and energy efficiency in the United States.” EXAIR engineered products fall into this category, so if a rebate can be applied to our products, it will be located on that site.
Back to the question above, what more can EXAIR do for you? We all live busy lives at work and at home. It may be difficult to find the proper programs from your local power companies. Let EXAIR do most of the legwork for you. Per your request, we can help find the proper forms for rebates when switching to EXAIR engineered nozzles. With a rebate program, it makes it very cost effective to upgrade your pneumatic system to an energy efficient system.
Being backed by Energy Star, EPA, and rebate programs, together, we can save energy, improve the environment, and reduce compressed air usage. If you would like to discuss how EXAIR can work for you, you can contact an EXAIR Application Engineer to get the most out of that extra mile.
John Ball
Application Engineer
Email: johnball@exair.com
Twitter: @EXAIR_jb
Heavy Duty Line Vac: A Powerful and Durable Pneumatic Conveyor
EXAIR’s Line Vacs are an ideal solution for bulk conveying over long distances. With just a small amount of compressed air, the Line Vac generates vacuum on one end and high output flows on the other. The conveyance rate is easily adjustable by regulating the pressure supplied to the Line Vac. At higher input pressures the Line Vac will move more material, at lesser pressures the conveyance rate is also reduced.
The Heavy Duty Line Vac looks similar to the standard Line Vac, but packs a more powerful punch. Performance has been boosted with larger holes in the generator. This makes the Heavy Duty Line Vac ideal for heavier materials that must be conveyed over longer vertical and horizontal distances. Standard Line Vacs can also be drilled out to match the performance of a Heavy Duty. In addition to being a more powerful conveying system, the Heavy Duty Line Vac is also constructed of our proprietary hardened alloy steel blend. This material provides exceptionally strong abrasion resistance for applications requiring the transfer of materials such as crushed glass, steel shot, or dry sand.
Where a material such as aluminum or even stainless steel would quickly wear out, the Heavy Duty Line Vac will not. As with all of our stock products, the Heavy Duty Line Vac comes with EXAIR’s Built-To-Last 5 year warranty. We’ve tested these units here ourselves with a variety of different common abrasive materials. Check out the video below to see for yourself just how durable these Line Vacs are!
Just as the Standard Line Vacs, the Heavy Duty Line Vac can come with either smooth of NPT threaded connections to turn ordinary pipe into a powerful conveying system. With sizes from ¾ NPT up to 3” NPT, there’s a size from stock available suitable for your application. If you’re looking to move abrasive materials from one point to another in your shop, look no further than EXAIR’s Heavy Duty Line Vac. Reach out to an EXAIR Application Engineer for help in determining the most suitable sized Line Vac for your requirement.
Tyler Daniel
Application Engineer
E-mail: TylerDaniel@EXAIR.com
Twitter: @EXAIR_TD
Standards, Compliance, And You. And EXAIR.
I’m pretty impressed with the number of safety features my car has. Aside from the literal lifesaving functions like seat belts and air bags, it’s got anti-lock brakes…if you’ve ever had to counter-steer out of a skid on an icy road, you will appreciate the value of this for sure. Those are just some of the ones I’m keenly aware of – the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards comprise dozens of regulations in three categories: crash avoidance, crashworthiness, and post-crash survivability. None of these prevent me from operating my vehicle at an unsafe rate of speed…an expensive reality that an Ohio State Highway Patrolman dutifully reminded me of last Sunday afternoon.
Likewise, there are many regulations to ensure safety and prevent hazards of all kinds in industry, administered by a host of agencies that are either subordinates of, or accountable to, the federal government. When you manufacture products that are used with high energy sources (compressed air or high voltage electricity,) a strong commitment to safety is not negotiable. So, at EXAIR, we commit considerable resources towards the best engineering and manufacturing practices to make our products as safe as possible. That includes compliance with a number of standards and certifications:
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is an agency of the U.S. Department of Labor. Their mission is to “assure safe and healthful working conditions for working men and women by setting and enforcing standards and by providing training, outreach, education and assistance.” They are a regulatory body in the truest sense, in that they don’t offer certification or approval of products, processes, etc.; they publish guidelines and standards for manufacturers and users to comply with. OSHA Standard 1910.242(b), for instance, limits the downstream pressure of a compressed air operated device used for cleaning purposes to 30psi. Now, you can regulate the supply pressure to meet this, but that also limits the effectiveness of the air flow generated. EXAIR Intelligent Compressed Air Products are all designed and manufactured to be in compliance with this standard, at any supply pressure. Take, for example, our Super Air Nozzles:
OSHA also has Standard 1910.95(a), that sets limits for maximum allowable noise exposure. All EXAIR Intelligent Compressed Air Products, with the exception of some our largest and most power Super Air Nozzles (which aren’t normally used in areas that don’t already require hearing protection anyway) meet the 8-hour exposure limits of this standard.
CE marking indicates conformity with health, safety, and environmental protection standards for products sold withing the European Economic Area. Unlike OSHA standards, responsibility for CE marking falls solely with the seller of the product – a CE marked product has been tested and certified to have been made in such a way to meet safety & quality benchmarks specified for that type of product. All EXAIR products that are defined under applicable directives have been tested according to these standards, and carry the CE mark.
The Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive, or RoHS, is another standard borne from the European Union, and is geared towards public & workplace safety by restricting the use of hazardous materials in the manufacture of electronic & electrical equipment. Since its inception in 2006, similar standards have been vigorously adopted around the globe. Electrical portions of EXAIR’s Static Eliminators, EFC Electronic Flow Controls, ETC Electronic Temperature Controls, Digital Flowmeters, Solenoid Valves, and Thermostats all comply with the RoHS Directive.
Section 1502 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act doesn’t address a concern for product users, but rather a particularly troubling human rights issue – Conflict Minerals. For almost two decades, trade in tin, tantalum, tungsten and gold in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has been used by some very bad people to finance violent campaigns against their neighbors. EXAIR thoroughly and systematically documents our supply chain compliance with this act. We are proudly committed to our support for this effort to the world a better place for everyone…especially those in desperate circumstances beyond their control.
EXAIR Intelligent Compressed Air Products have been successfully implemented into a variety of uses where application- or industry-specific standards are in force. We’re happy to work with you to determine if our products meet those standards…or can be made to meet them. If you’ve got such an application, give me a call.
Heat Transfer – 3 Types
When you have two objects and they are of different temperatures, we know from experience that the hotter object will warm up the cooler one, or conversely, the colder object will cool down the hotter one. We see this everyday, such as ice cooling a drink, or a fan cooling a person on a hot day.
The Second Law of Thermodynamics says that heat (energy) transfers from an object of a higher temperature to an object of a lower temperature. The higher temperature object has atoms with higher energy levels and they will move toward the lower energy atoms in order to establish an equilibrium. This movement of heat and energy is called heat transfer. There are three common types of heat transfer.
Heat Transfer by Conduction
When two materials are in direct contact, heat transfers by means of conduction. The atoms of higher energy vibrate against the adjacent atoms of lower energy, which transfers energy to the lower energy atoms, cooling the hotter object and warming the cooler object. Fluids and gases are less heat conductive than solids (metals are the best heat conductors) because there are larger distances between atoms. Solids have atoms that are closer together.
Heat Transfer by Convection
Convection describes heat transfer between a surface and a liquid or gas in motion. The faster the fluid or gas travels, the more convective heat transfer that occurs. There are two types of convection: natural convection and forced convection. In natural convection, the motion of the fluid results from the hot atoms in the fluid moving upwards and the cooler atoms in the air flowing down to replace it, with the fluid moving under the influence of gravity. Example, a radiator puts out warm air from the top, drawing in cool air through the bottom. In forced convection, the fluid, air or a liquid, is forced to travel over the surface by a fan or pump or some other external source. Larger amounts of heat transfer are possible utilizing forced convection.
Heat Transfer by Radiation
Radiation refers to the transfer of heat through empty space. This form of heat transfer does not require a material or even air to be between the two objects; radiation heat transfer works inside of and through a vacuum, such as space. Example, the radiation energy from the sun travels through the great distance through the vacuum of space until the transfer of heat warms the Earth.
EXAIR‘s engineered compressed air products are used every day to force air over hot surfaces to cool, as well as dry and/or blow off hot materials. Let us help you to understand and solve your heat transfer situations.
To discuss your application and how an EXAIR Intelligent Compressed Air Product can improve your process, feel free to contact EXAIR, myself, or one of our other Application Engineers. We can help you determine the best solution!
Brian Bergmann
Application Engineer
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Twitter: @EXAIR_BB
The picture “Energy Transfer – Heat” by Siyavula Education is licensed under CC BY 2.0
Product Overview: EXAIR Line Vacs
Do you have operators climbing steps to dump bags of material into hoppers? Do you need a faster way to remove scrap from a process? Do you have budgetary constraints in trying to move material from punt A to point B? If you answered yes to any of these, EXAIR may have a simple solution. We manufacture an air-operated conveyor that does not have any moving parts, has a very compact design, and generates a high throughput capacity. They can attach easily to standard hoses, pipes, or sanitary flanges to convert your piping system into a powerful conveying system. EXAIR manufactures these air-operated conveyors and trademarks them as Line Vacs™.
EXAIR Line Vacs use a small amount of compressed air to generate a powerful vacuum by a Venturi effect. The unique design of the generator creates a high velocity of air to create a low pressure on one side and a powerful thrust on the other. The Line Vac can pick up and move solid material from light and fluffy batting to steel components. They can transfer product horizontally up to 100 feet (30 meters) away and vertically up to 20 feet (6 meters) high. You can watch a video on the operation of a Line Vac HERE. Compared to other vacuum or conveying systems, the EXAIR Line Vacs are very quiet, rugged, and powerful. EXAIR makes a variety of Line Vacs in different sizes, styles, and materials to best fit your application.
The standard Line Vac is the most versatile product in this family. EXAIR stocks a wide range of sizes, materials, and styles for targeting the best solution for moving material. We have two types of connections, slip-on ends for hose connections and threaded ends for pipe connection. EXAIR can swap the connections with a slip-on hose on one end with a threaded connection on the other. They range in diameters from 3/8” (10mm) up to 5” (127mm). We manufacture the Line Vacs in aluminum, 303SS, and 316SS; but don’t let that deter you if your need them manufactures in any other type of material. We have high temperature models that can withstand temperatures up to 900 deg. F (482 deg. C). These Line Vacs work great in applications for loading plastic pellets in hoppers, discarding scrap pieces, trim removal, and transferring material. If an operator has to carry a container of dry material and climb stairs, a Line Vac could be a much better alternative.
The Heavy Duty Line Vacs are made from a hardened alloy steel for abrasion resistance. The generators inside these Line Vacs are more powerful than the standard models; so, that they can convey heavier materials at higher conveyance rates. They can reach rates as high as 40 lbs./min. (18.2Kg/min) of material. With the hardened alloy construction, they are great for sand blasting applications, ceramic, glass and steel shot. They are manufactured with inlet and outlet connections for ship-on hoses or threaded pipes. EXAIR stocks the Heavy Duty Line Vacs in the range from ¾” (19mm) to 3” (76mm) for both hose and NPT connections. These Line Vacs are our most powerful design with great wear resistance.
On the other end of the Line-Vac spectrum, EXAIR also created the Light Duty Line Vac. They use much less compressed air than the other Line Vacs which work great for moving lightweight materials over short distances. They can also be used for removing smoke and fumes from a work area. The Light Duty Line Vac ranges from ¾” (19mm) up to 6” (152mm) diameter for slip-on hose connections. This two-piece design provides an effective way of moving material at a lower cost. It can be used in applications like hopper loading, fiber tensioning, filling operations, and smoke removal. For moving material within a short distance, the Light Duty Line Vac could be the proper product to use.
Our latest engineering design within the Line Vac family is the Sanitary Flange Line Vacs. They can fit within sanitary piping systems to convert pipes into a useful conveyor for bulk material and waste removal. They use an ISO2852 flange for easy disassembly and cleaning to reduce bacterial entrapment. They ae made from 316 stainless steel material for superior corrosion resistance. They come in four different sizes to fit the sanitary flanges from 1-½” up to a 3” flange. For sensitive applications where cleanliness is a major requirement, the Sanitary Flange Line Vac are manufactured for these conditions.
With all of the EXAIR Line Vacs above, they can be sold as kits. A kit will include a filter, regulator and a bracket. (A bracket is not sold with the Light Duty Line Vac kits.) The filter will help keep the Line Vac clean as well as the product that it is conveying. The regulator is a great tool to vary the conveyance rates for better control. The bracket helps to mount the Line Vac to a sturdy base for support. A useful accessory to conveniently hide the compact Line Vac for ease of use and operation.
If you need to convey solid materials in a quick and easy way, an EXAIR Line Vac could be a solution for you. We have them in a variety of formats to match your application. They are compact, quiet, and simple to use without any moving parts. As compared to a conveying system which is bulky and rigid, the Line Vacs are flexible and inexpensive. Ergonomically, they can save the back-wrenching labor of picking up bags, climbing stairs, and dumping material into hoppers. If you want to know if the EXAIR Line Vac could work for you, please fill out the Line Vac Data Sheet (click HERE). An Application Engineer at EXAIR will help to recommend the best unit for you.
John Ball
Application Engineer
Email: johnball@exair.com
Twitter: @EXAIR_jb
Intelligent Compressed Air: Sliding-Vane Compressors
If you’re an active reader of the EXAIR blog, you’ve seen several posts over the last year about the various different types of air compressors. From the positive-displacement style of compressors (Rotary Scroll, Rotary Screw, Single and Double Acting Reciprocating Compressors,) as well as a review of a dynamic style (Centrifugal Compressors). In this blog, I’ll be discussing another of the positive-displacement variety: The Sliding-Vane Compressor.
In positive-displacement type compressors, a given quantity of air or gas is trapped in a compression chamber. The volume of this air is then mechanically reduced, causing an increase in pressure. A sliding-vane compressor will consist of a circular stator that is housed in a cylindrical rotor. The rotor then has radially positioned slots where the vanes reside. While the rotor turns on its axis, the vanes will slide out and contact the bore of the stator wall. This creates compression in these “cells”. An inlet port is positioned to allow the air flow into each cell, allowing the cells to reach their maximum volume before reaching the discharge port. After passing by the inlet port, the size of the cell is reduced as rotation continues and each vane is then pushed back into its original slot in the rotor. Compression will continue until the cell reaches the discharge port. The most common form of sliding-vane compressor is the lubricant injected variety. In these compressors, a lubricant is injected into the compression chamber to act as a lubricant between the vanes and the stator wall, remove the heat of compression, as well as to provide a seal. Lubricant injected sliding-vane compressors are generally sold in the range of 10-200 HP, with capacities ranging from 40-800 acfm.
Advantages of a lubricant injected sliding-vane compressor include:
- Compact size
- Relatively low purchase cost
- Vibration-free operation does not require special foundations
- Routine maintenance includes lubricant and filter changes
Some of the disadvantages that come with this type of compressor:
- Less efficient than the rotary screw type
- Lubricant carryover into the delivered air will require proper maintenance of an oil-removal filtration system
- Will require periodic lubricant changes
With the host of different options in compressor types available on the market, EXAIR recommends talking to a reputable air compressor dealer in your area to help determine the most suitable setup based on your requirements. Once your system is up and running, be sure to contact an EXAIR Application Engineer to make sure you’re using that compressed air efficiently and intelligently!
Tyler Daniel
Application Engineer
E-mail: TylerDaniel@exair.com
Twitter: @EXAIR_TD
Diagram: used from Compressed Air Challenge Handbook
The Case For The Flat Super Air Nozzles
What do you think of when someone says “air nozzle?” Is it a crimp or a “crush” on the end of a piece of tubing? Is it a device that attaches to the end of a pipe or a hose? If so, does it have engineered features that focus the stream, amplify the flow (through entrainment, perhaps,) reduce the noise level, or provide an element of safety?
If so…you’re right. Any of the above descriptions, strictly speaking, qualify as an “air nozzle,” in fact, just a plain open-ended pipe or tube meets the criteria. As long as it serves to discharge a stream of air towards a target, it’s an air nozzle.
Even the devices with those efficient, quiet, and safe engineered features come in a variety of styles, types, and models. Consider EXAIR’s product line of Air Nozzles and Jets…we have seventy-two distinct models, in a range of sizes, materials of construction, and performance. That’s a LOT to choose from, and it doesn’t even take into account the products that can be fitted with different shims that, technically, make them a wholly different nozzle, performance-wise. Which brings us, dear reader, to the focus of today’s blog: the Flat Super Air Nozzle.
Flat nozzles are not unique to EXAIR…there are dozens of others on the market in a variety of sizes and materials. What IS unique about EXAIR’s Flat Super Air Nozzles is their performance…
Efficiency: When a competitor’s flat nozzle was replaced with a Model 1122 2″ Flat Super Air Nozzle, consumption was reduced from 31 SCFM to 21.8 SCFM. Since the nozzle was operated 24/7, this resulted in a savings in compressed air cost of $3.31 per day…meaning the nozzle paid for itself in under three weeks.
Durability: Both our 1″ and 2″ Flat Super Air Nozzles are available in rugged Zinc Aluminum alloy, or heat & corrosion resistant Type 316 Stainless Steel.
Versatility: A 0.015″ thick shim is installed in the Flat Super Air Nozzles. These provide optimal performance in a wide variety of typical industrial and commercial blow off applications. We also offer High Power versions, with a 0.025″ thick shim, for additional flow and force. You can also experiment with other shims, from 0.005″ to 0.030″ in thickness, for customized applications. These shims are all 316SS, and are available in sets, or individually. The patented design of these shims, in fact, is key to their high efficiency, as explained in this video:
Ingenuity: While this EXAIR characteristic is not specific to the Flat Super Air Nozzles, our most recent ingenious development features them: the Super Air Scraper. By combining a scraping blade with the 2″ Flat Super Air Nozzle, we’ve turned our very popular Soft Grip Safety Air Gun into the perfect tool for easy removal of sticky or stubborn debris from most any flat surface.
EXAIR Flat Super Air Nozzles are Intelligent Compressed Air Products with a 15 year history of successfully solving all kinds of air blowing applications. To find out more about how they can work for you, give me a call.
