Noise, we all hate it to some extent. From the hustle and bustle of crowed streets to the whine of a jet engine noise has plagued the world for eons leaving people to search for… More
Customer Saves Nearly $7000 by Installing Super Air Knives on Converting Machine
EXAIR proves often that we’re able to work with you to create a customized solution that best serves your application. Recently I had the pleasure of working with a customer who wanted a better solution on their tissue paper converting machine. What they currently had was too loud, too inefficient, and they knew there was a better way.
The machine was an old rewinder used to convert webs of tissue paper ranging from 99-115” in width. Installed on the old machine was a 115” drilled pipe with 1/16” drilled holes spaced out every ½” along the length of the pipe. This was using a substantial amount of compressed air and was significantly louder than they would’ve liked. They purchased a new machine that had an EXAIR Super Air Knife already installed and working great, so they reached out to us for some help.
The customer conducted some time studies to determine exactly how much air this application required. The air blast ran for 500 seconds per hour, equating to 8.3min/hr of air usage. The operation runs 24/7, but with time spent doing changeovers the actual run time is closer to 20hrs.
20hrs x 8.2min = 166 min/day of air usage
166min x 365 = 60,590 min per year
A 1/16” unpolished, drilled hole will consume 2.58 SCFM at a pressure of 60 PSIG. With a total of 228 holes across the full pipe, this is quite a bit of compressed air.
2.58 SCFM x 228 = 588 SCFM of compressed air
588 x 60,590 min = 35,626,920 SCF
Considering the lightweight nature of the material, we recommended that the customer use our .001” shim to cut the flow from our stock Super Air Knives to their minimum. We recommended our Model 110054-.001 and Model 110060-.001. At 60 PSIG, a Super Air Knife with .001 shim installed will consume 1.15 SCFM/inch of knife length.
114 x 1.15 SCFM = 131 SCFM of compressed air
131 x 60,590 min = 7,937,290 SCF
Installing the Super Air Knives with .001” shim reduced their air consumption by 77% for a total air savings of 27,689,630 SCF each year. But, what does this mean in terms of money? To determine the cost of compressed air, we use the approximate value of $0.25/1000 SCF.
27,689,630 SCF x $0.25/1000 = $6,922.41
In just one year, on this one single machine, this customer was able to save almost $7k per year. These knives quickly pay for themselves, then begin to contribute to your bottom line. All of this in addition to lowering the sound level and providing a safer working environment for their operators.
If you have areas in your facility that are using air inefficiently, contact an EXAIR Application Engineer today.
Tyler Daniel
Application Engineer
E-mail: TylerDaniel@EXAIR.com
Twitter: @EXAIR_TD
Heavy Duty Line Vac Solves Alumina Spillage Problem
The image above shows spillage of small alumina particles at an aluminum manufacturing plant in South America. This customer needed a method to vacuum the spilled material and return it to the main hopper. The ideal solution needed to be compact, simple, and provide repeatable results. All of these are key aspects of EXAIR Line Vacs, so we began discussing application variables to make a solution recommendation.
Whenever we consider Line Vac applications we always explore the following variables:
- Bulk density of the material
- Size of the material
- Conveyance height
- Conveyance distance
- Required conveyance rate
- Available compressed air supply
The spilled alumina in this application has a bulk density of 1.1 g/cm³ (~68.7 pounds/ft³) which needs to be conveyed to a height of 3.3m (~11ft.). The conveyance rate is not mandated, but the alumina particles are rather small in diameter and the customer wanted to move as much material as possible in as little time as possible. Compressed air is readily available at proper pressures and flows, so we were left to determine whether a Line Vac could be a viable solution. Fortunately we’ve found success in transferring alumina with our Line Vacs in multiple applications before, so we were confident we could find a solution here as well.
After exploring the specifics of this application we determined the best solution to be the 2” Heavy Duty Line Vac model 150200. The 150200 Heavy Duty Line Vac can easily move the alumina to a height of 3.3m at an estimated conveyance rate of 11kg/minute (25 pounds/minute). There are no moving parts to wear out, which means little to no maintenance and reliable performance each time the Line Vac is used.
Our local distributor assisted with product procurement and in-country technical support. So even though this customer was in a different continent, we were able to quickly get them the assistance and products they needed to solve their problems.
If you have an application and would like to work with an EXAIR Application Engineer, give us a call and we’ll be happy to help. 1-800-903-9247.
EXAIR Corporation Application Engineers
Techelp@EXAIR.com
EXAIR E-Vac Vacuum Generator Accessories: Overview
Vacuum systems are becoming more and more prevalent within manufacturing day by day. Vacuum powered lifts can make it easy to lift and move small objects like tiny coins to heavy steel plates. Vacuum chucks hold work pieces that could be marred by jaws or vises. And sealed vessels can be pressure tested or tested for leaks by pulling a vacuum on them. It’s pretty simple to pick out which vacuum generator that you need, but what about the accessories? There are so many different accessories to choose from such as mufflers, suction cups, hose, valves, and connections. The following is a quick overview of the different accessories that you can get from EXAIR along with your E-Vac vacuum generator.
Suction cups are a very common accessory that you need when using a vacuum system. Vacuum cups allow one to create a seal on the surface of the object that you wish to pick up and is what allows the system to lift objects. We offer four different kinds of vacuum cups to choose from stock; available are small and large Round, Oval, and Bellow styles. Round cups are more suited to being used on smooth, flat surfaces. Oval cups provide the most vacuum due to the larger surface area making them ideal for lifting heavy loads. The Bellows style is best suited for textured or uneven surfaces; the folds provide a collapsible area that allows the cup to compress and seal on an uneven surface.
Next up is the mufflers; they muffle the sound generated by the E-Vac and quiet a working vacuum generator. There are two different types of mufflers from EXAIR that are available; these are the Standard and the straight through mufflers. The Standard muffler is designed to be attached to the discharge end of an in-line E-Vac and has a closed end. These are best suited for applications that are free from dust and debris. The straight through muffler is open all the way through and are more suited to applications were dirt, dust and debris is present. The straight through style also offers the best sound level reduction, up to 26 dBA.
Lastly the E-Vacs have an NPT threaded connection that will allow for a suitable connector to be properly installed. From here different connectors can be used to attach the various amounts of vacuum cups. The connectors provided are Push-In Connector Type Fittings of assorted styles available with our polyurethane tubing to make the installation and plumbing a cinch.
If you have any questions or want more information on EXAIR’s E-Vacs and their Accessories. Give us a call, we have a team of application engineers ready to answer your questions and recommend a solution for your applications.
Cody Biehle
Application Engineer
EXAIR Corporation
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Empty and Fill Machine Sumps with the Reversible Drum Vac Systems
EXAIR has a variety of Industrial Housekeeping products for your specific applications. Let’s explore the capabilities of our Reversible Drum Vac (RDV). The RDV is a safe, maintenance free system that is purpose built to recover liquids, oils sludge and chips from machine sumps. Since it is reversible, it will also fill your sumps from a fresh drum of machining fluids. This system does not require electricity and runs on compressed air. The RDV is maintenance free as it has no moving parts.
The RDV comes in 2 models which includes a “High Lift” version of the RDV and creates a maximum lift up to 15 feet of water column. The RDV comes in 4 capacities of 5, 30, 55 and 110 gallon drums while the High Lift comes in 30, 55 and 110 gallon drums. Let’s now focus on the RDV and the options for purchase.
The first thing to consider when purchasing your RDV is the capacity which I just mentioned of 5, 30, 55 and 110. Once you decided the capacity we have 3 models to choose. The Model 6196 is your basic model and comes with the vacuum unit, stand pipe, vacuum hose and aluminum wand. It is the basics of what you need to empty and fill your machine sumps.
The model 6296 is the same as the 6196 but also includes drum dolly, ABS spill recovery kit, tool holder and all tools.
The model 6396 is includes everything as describe with the Model 6296 but also includes the drum, drum dolly, upgrade to heavy duty aluminum tools, ABS spill recovery kit, tool holder and air hose.
Please visit our website www.ERXAIR.com to experience all of our products, videos, blogs and catalog information. I am happy to take your call or e-mail regarding any questions you have regarding our products, pricing and lead times.
Eric Kuhnash
Application Engineer
E-mail: EricKuhnash@exair.com
Twitter: Twitter: @EXAIR_EK
