Here’s to enjoying the company of good friends and family. Everyone at EXAIR wishes all of you a happy Thanksgiving, and would like to express our gratitude for being our customers and vendors – we… More
Great Stuff About Jets
There are a number of fascinating facts about jets…both the aircraft engines and the EXAIR Intelligent Compressed Air Products:
- Because they don’t require dense air to engage spinning blades (like their propeller driven counterparts,) they can operate at much higher altitudes. (Jet aircraft engines only)
- They provide a high thrust, directed airstream, which makes them great for part ejection, chip removal, and part drying. (EXAIR Air Jets only)
- With few or no moving parts, they are extremely reliable, durable, and safe. (Both jet aircraft engines and EXAIR Air Jets)
- They use the Coanda effect (a principle of fluidics whereby a fluid flow tends to attach itself to a nearby surface, and follow that surface regardless of the flow’s initial direction) to do what they do.
- EXAIR Air Jets use this principle to generate a vacuum in their throat, pulling in a large amount of “free” air from the surround environment, making their use of compressed air very, very efficient.
- Jet (and propeller driven) aircraft wings employ the Coanda effect to create aerodynamic lift, enabling the plane to fly.
Now, since I’m not a pilot, nor do I particularly like to fly, but I AM a fluid dynamics nerd, the rest of this blog will be about the Air Jets that EXAIR makes.
All of our Air Jet products operate on the same principle…using the Coanda effect (as described above) to generate a high volume air flow while minimizing compressed air consumption:
(1) Compressed air enters and is distributed through an annular ring, and directed towards the discharge via the Coanda effect.
(2) This causes entrainment of surrounding air, both through the throat, and at the discharge.
(3) The total developed flow has tremendous force and velocity, for a minimal consumption of valuable compressed air.(1) Compressed air enters and is distributed through an annular ring, and directed towards the discharge via the Coanda effect.
(2) This causes entrainment of surrounding air, both through the throat, and at the discharge.
(3) The total developed flow has tremendous force and velocity, for a minimal consumption of valuable compressed air.
There are four distinct models of the EXAIR Air Jet:
- Model 6013 High Velocity Air Jet is made of brass for economy and durability. The annular ring gap (see 1, above) is fixed by a 0.015″ thick shim. Performance can be modified by changing to a 0.006″ or 0.009″ thick shim, which come in the Model 6313 Shim Set.
- Model 6013SS is a Type 303 Stainless Steel version, for higher temperatures – good to 400°F (204°C) – and superior corrosion resistance.
- Model 6019 Adjustable Air Jet is brass construction, and dimensionally identical to the Model 6103. Instead of a shim that sets the annular ring gap, though, it has a threaded plug, with a micrometer-style indicator, to “fine tune” the gap.
- Model 6019SS is the Type 303 Stainless Steel version…fine tuning adjustability, good for high heat and/or corrosive elements.
If you’d like to find out more about EXAIR’s quiet, efficient, and safe Air Jets, give me a call.
Video Blog: How To Calculate Air Consumption At A Pressure Other Than Published Values
The below video shows how to calculate the air consumption when operating at any pressure.
If you want to discuss efficient compressed air use or any of EXAIR’s engineered compressed air products, give us a call or email. We would enjoy hearing from you!
Steve Harrison
Application Engineer
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Vac-u-Gun: Low Cost Vacuum, Blowoff and Transfer
What is the Vac-u-Gun? It is a low cost solution to many types of cleaning operations within an industrial setting. The Vac-u-Gun is a vacuum gun, a blow gun, and a transfer tool, all-in-one! It is lightweight, easy to use, has durable die cast construction, and best of all, no moving parts to wear out. Simply hook up to a compressed air hose, and get to work.
The Vac-u-Gun contains a nozzle insert that dictates the direction of air flow and operation. By simply unscrewing the the cap, reversing the orientation of the nozzle insert, and re-installing the cap, the gun is changed from a vacuum device to a blowoff device, and vice-versa.
The Vac-u-Gun can be used in three modes- Vacuum, Transfer and Blowoff-
Vacuum Mode – Vacuum shavings, absorbents, sawdust, or spills into a reusable bag, or into a receptacle via the vacuum hose. Why blow it off and the have to sweep it up later?
Transfer Mode – Transfer small parts, pellets, or trim over long distances, using the smooth bore vacuum hose.
Blowoff Mode – Blow chips, water, coolant, or scrap away from the work area. The large 1-1/4″ diameter outlet directs the air over a larger area in less time. The Vac-u-Gun uses less compressed air than an ordinary blow gun.
There are many advantages to a Vac-u-Gun, and some are:
Low cost, no moving parts/maintenance free, durable die cast construction, easy to switch form vacuum to blow mode, safe – no electricity, meets OSHA pressure requirements, lightweight and portable, versatile, and quiet.
Versatile! In just seconds, the Vac-u-Gun can transform from a powerful, handheld vacuum tool into an efficient blow gun or transfer tool for lightweight materials. Each Vac-u-Gun System comes with the attachments needed to suit numerous industrial applications.
Three (3) Vac-u-Gun System options are available and shown below-
All of the Systems include the Vac-u-Gun, brush, crevice tool, skimmer tool and (2) extension wands.
The Model 6192 Collection System also includes the reusable bag with clamp for debris collection.
The Model 6292 Transfer System also includes the vacuum hose, for transferring the debris to a collection point.
The Model 6392 All Purpose System also includes both the reusable bag and clamp and the transfer hose, providing the most versatility of all.
To view a video that shows the Model 6392 All Purpose System, and demonstrates how it works, please view the video below-
If you have questions about the Vac-u-Gun or any of the 16 different EXAIR Intelligent Compressed Air® Product lines, feel free to contact EXAIR and myself or any of our Application Engineers can help you determine the best solution.
Brian Bergmann
Application Engineer
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Twitter: @EXAIR_BB
The Super Air Knife and the Amplification Ratio
The EXAIR Super Air Knife has a 40:1 amplification ratio. So, what does this mean? The definition of ratio is a relation between two amounts showing the number of times one value is contained within the other. For the Super Air Knife, it is a value that shows the amount of ambient air that is drawn into the compressed air. With an amplification ratio of 40:1, that means that there are 40 parts of ambient air for every 1 part of compressed air; which helps make the most efficient air knifes available in the market.
Most people think that compressed air is free, but it is most certainly not. Because of the amount of electricity required, compressed air is considered to be the fourth utility for manufacturing plants. To save on utility costs, it is important to use compressed air very efficiently. So, the higher the amplification ratio, the more efficient the compressed air product. Manufacturing plants that use open fittings, copper tubes, and drilled pipes for blowing are not efficiently using their compressed air system. These types of products generally have between a 5:1 to 10:1 amplification ratio. When EXAIR began, they knew that there was a better way in saving compressed air by increasing the amplification ratio.
EXAIR initially created a line of air knives called the Standard Air Knife and Full-Flow Air Knife. They utilize a Coanda effect to blow air at a 30:1 amplification ratio. These air knives were much more efficient for blowing air than the open fittings, tubes and drilled pipes. But, EXAIR knew that we could design a more efficient air knife, the Super Air Knife which has a 40:1 amplification ratio.
I like to explain things in every day terms. For this analogy, the amplification ratio can be represented by gas mileage. Like your car, you want to get the most distance from a gallon of gas. With your compressed air system, you want to get the most utilization for blowing. With an EXAIR Super Air Knife, it has a 40:1 amplification ratio.; or, in other words, you can get 40 mpg. If you use the EXAIR Standard or Full Flow Air Knife, you can get 30 mpg. But, if you use drilled pipes, copper tubes, etc. for blowing, then you are only getting 5 to 10 mpg. If you want to get the most “distance” from your compressed air system, you want to check the “gas mileage” of your blow-off components.
EXAIR can “tune up” your blow-off systems to make them efficient and safe by contacting an Application Engineer. We will be happy to help you.
John Ball
Application Engineer
Email: johnball@exair.com
Twitter: @EXAIR_jb
EXAIR’s Super Air Knife: The Benefits of Laminar Airflow
When a wide, even, laminar flow is necessary there isn’t a better option available on the market than EXAIR’s Super Air Knife. We’ve been manufacturing Air Knives for over 35 years, with the Super Air Knife making its first appearance back in 1997. Since then, the Super Air Knife has undergone a few enhancements over the years as we’re constantly trying to not only introduce new products but also improve on the ones we have. We’ve added new materials, longer single piece knives, as well as additional accessories. But, by and large, the basic design has remained the same. As the saying goes: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!”.
What really sets EXAIR’s Super Air Knife above the competition is the ability to maintain a consistent laminar flow across the full length of the knife compared to similar compressed air operated knives. This is even more evident when compared against blower operated knives or fans. A fan “slaps” the air, resulting in a turbulent airflow where the airflow particles are irregular and will interfere with each other. A laminar airflow, by contrast, will maintain smooth paths that will never interfere with one another.
The effectiveness of a laminar airflow vs turbulent airflow is particularly evident in the case of a cooling application. The chart below shows the time to cool computers to ambient temperatures for an automotive electronics manufacturer. They used a total of (32) 6” axial fans, (16) across the top and (16) across the bottom as the computers traveled along a conveyor. The computers needed to be cooled down before they could begin the testing process. By replacing the fans with just (3) Model 110012 Super Air Knives at a pressure of just 40 psig, the fans were cooled from 194°F down to 81° in just 90 seconds. The fans, even after 300 seconds still couldn’t remove enough heat to allow them to test.
Utilizing a laminar airflow is also critical when the airflow is being used to carry static eliminating ions further to the surface. Static charges can be both positive or negative. In order to eliminate them, we need to deliver an ion of the opposite charge to neutralize it. Since opposite charges attract, having a product that produces a laminar airflow to carry the ions makes the net effect much more effective. As you can see from the graphic above showing a turbulent airflow pattern vs a laminar one, a turbulent airflow is going to cause these ions to come into contact with one another. This neutralizes them before they’re even delivered to the surface needing to be treated. With a product such as the Super Ion Air Knife, we’re using a laminar airflow pattern to deliver the positive and negative ions. Since the flow is laminar, the total quantity of ions that we’re able to deliver to the surface of the material is greater. This allows the charge to be neutralized quickly, rather than having to sit and “dwell” under the ionized airflow.
With lengths from 3”-108” and (4) four different materials all available from stock, EXAIR has the right Super Air Knife for your application. In addition to shipping from stock, it’ll also come backed up by our unconditional 30-day guarantee. Test one out for yourself to see just how effective the Super Air Knife is on a wide variety of cooling, cleaning, or drying applications.
Tyler Daniel
Application Engineer
E-mail: TylerDaniel@exair.com
Twitter: @EXAIR_TD
The Case for the Cold Gun
Heat is an unavoidable by-product of any cutting or machining operation. Think about it: you’re creating friction on a piece of material with a fast-moving piece of harder material in order to forcibly separate pieces of the original material from its existing shape & size. No matter what, something’s going to get hot: the work piece, the tooling, or (almost always) both. If you don’t do something about it, your parts can become damaged, your tooling can become dull and brittle, and productivity will suffer.
There are ways to alleviate the problem…you can slow the speed of your tooling, but that’s hardly practical, and only marginally effective. You can use liquid cooling…in fact, you may have to if the particulars of the operation require the lubrication you can only get from a cutting oil or liquid coolant. But those can be messy, expensive, and the time you spend maintaining the coolant could certainly be spent better elsewhere…like, on machining your products!
The EXAIR Cold Gun Aircoolant System is a novel solution to these problems…heat related and otherwise:
- The Cold Gun uses compressed air to produce a stream of clean, cold air at 50°F (28°C) below supply air temperature.
- They use Vortex Tube technology…no moving parts to wear out.
- Cold flow and temperature are preset to optimize cooling capability, and are non-adjustable to prevent freeze-up during use.
- Eliminates the expense of both the purchase & disposal of cutting fluids.
- Removes the potential for health problems associated with breathing mist & vapors, and the safety issue of slipping on a wet floor.
Cold Gun Aircoolant System selection is easy & straightforward…we offer a standard, and a High Power version to meet your specific needs.
We also offer Single & Dual Point Hose Kits, to further meet the needs of your application. Right now, you don’t have to decide up front…order a Cold Gun Aircoolant System with a Single Point Hose Kit before December 31, 2018, and we’ll throw in the Dual Point Hose Kit for free.
If you’d like to find out more about how Cold Gun Aircoolant Systems can improve your machining or cutting operations, give me a call.
How to Calculate SCFM (Volume) When Operating at Any Pressure
If you need to operate at a different pressure because you require less or more force or simply operate at a different line pressure, this formula will allow you to determine the volume of air being consumed by any device.
Using the EXAIR 1100 Super Air Nozzle as our example:
Lets first consider the volume of the 1100 Super Air Nozzle at a higher than published pressure. As shown in the formula and calculations it is simply the ratio of gauge pressure + atmospheric divided by the published pressure + atmospheric and then multiply the dividend by the published volume. So as we do the math we solve for 17.69 SCFM @ 105 PSIG from a device that was shown consume 14 SCFM @ 80 PSIG.
Now lets consider the volume at a lower than published pressure. As shown it is simply the ratio of gauge pressure + atmospheric divided by the published pressure + atmospheric and then multiply the dividend by the published volume. So as we do the math we solve for 11.04 SCFM @ 60 PSIG from a device that was shown to consume 14 SCFM @ 80 PSIG.
When you are looking for expert advice on safe, quiet and efficient point of use compressed air products give us a call. Experience the EXAIR difference first hand and receive the great customer service, products and attention you deserve! We would enjoy hearing from you.
Steve Harrison
Application Engineer
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