Month: January 2010

Air Circulation – an Easy Task for a Super Air Knife

Published on by Kirk EdwardsLeave a comment

One of our customers manufactures glass containers and drinking glasses. They run a high-speed, high production line and sell these products all over the world. This application concentrates on their drinking glass production line.

The molten glass goes into a mold and the drinking glass in pressed into shape. The cooling process begins immediately after the glasses exit the mold. Cooling the glasses quickly minimizes the chances for warped product. To begin cooling the glasses they simply use air circulation by using assorted nozzles to move the warm surrounding air.

The problem was dead spots produced by the nozzles and low air flow areas created by the way they were mounted. The tight spaces and interference from other machine parts left dead spots in the cooling air flow which resulted in hot spots on the glasses. These hot spots did result in warped product.

After discussing the application and gaining an understanding of the process, EXAIR recommended our 12″ stainless steel Super Air Knife. The low profile of the knife allowed it to mount  in a tight space where the air can blow on to the glasses. The uninterrupted air flow of the knife is a better solution than a bunch of nozzles because it will produce even and consistent results without peaks and vallies in the air flow. And the stainless steel material is well suited for an elevated ambient temperature environment found in the glass plant.

Many times in circulation applications like this it is not necessary to run the product at full pressure, a simple pressure regulator will allow customers to turn the pressure down as low as possible which keeps the efficiency maximized. The number of products EXAIR has which can offer air circulation is huge! This maximizes our ability to solve your application, and minimizes your time in locating a solution.  

Kirk Edwards
Application Engineer
kirkedwards@exair.com

Frequently Asked Questions…….

Published on by Neal RakerLeave a comment

This blog entry is a bit of a follow-up to my entry from last week concerning web site features. With the advent of live chat and embedded videos one might thing that the Frequently Asked Questions page may have gone the way of the rotary dial phone or the fax machine (almost).

The Frequently Asked Questions page can show a lot about a company and about their products that perhaps you were afraid to ask on one of these newer communication forums. Have you ever thought, “I’d like to ask a question, but it is probably a dumb one!”.  You can click on the FAQ page and look through the various topics to see if someone else has already asked your question. If you don’t see it, you can click on an e-mail and send your question. We are happy to answer your questions and contrary to popular thought, there are no dumb ones.

As Application Engineers it is our job to answer questions of all sorts about products and applications from, “What material is it made of?” to “How much cooling power can I generate with model 3240 with 80 PSIG and 60% cold fraction?”  Your question can be anywhere in between and we will do our best to give you a complete and honest answer.

So, I invite you to look round in our FAQ page and ask away.

Neal Raker
Application Engineer
nealraker@exair.com

When the best is not good enough

Published on by 2 Comments

I recently had arthroscopic  knee surgery. I was referred to a leading surgeon who does our NFL football team, colleges, and high schools. I was excited to have the best of the best and confident the surgery would go without a hitch. My expectations were not realized. First of all I never got to see the doctor, only his staff, and it was a different person each time. I was not given the doctor patient rapport that I had become accustomed to with other physicians. I felt more like being processed that being cared for.

I developed some unusual swelling which raised suspicions of a blood clot. Again, not seeing the doctor but only one of his staff, I was directed to have a ultrasound and return to the waiting room. I did as told, had the tests done and returned to the doctor’s office. Eventually a woman came out and said the tests were negative. I queried about what could be done about the swelling and the excruciating pain. She conceded that she was only a secretary. I requested to talk to someone who could answer that question. Another woman came out and simply said to keep it elevated.

Being laid-up for a week and time on my hands, I thought about the new year and how I could be better applications engineer…the best of the best. I was jolted out of my thoughts with a sharp pain from my leg. As if by inspiration, I realized that being the best of the best was not the answer as exemplified by my experience with my doctor. When customers approach me for answers to their applications they are not only seeking an answer but a degree of confidence in my being there for them. Although I have a solution that I know will work, and EXAIR backs it up with a 30 day evaluation, they need to feel confident. So my new years resolution is not to increase my technical skills but my “bedside manner”. Along with listening to the customers description of his application, I am going to concentrate on the tenor of their voice to discern any apprehensions they may have and do what I can to make the customer feel good about himself and confident in the decision he is about to make implementing EXAIR products.

Joe Panfalone
Application Engineer
joepanfalone@exair.com

Web sites…….

Published on by Neal Raker1 Comment

Have you ever been on some company’s web site, racking your brain, trying your best to reach the data that is important to you? Perhaps you were not familiar with the company to know where the real “meat and potatoes” are on their web page.  Or more likely, the company requires you to call or e-mail them with a request to get the material you really need. A real headache indeed!

EXAIR’s web site is probably one of the most comprehensive web sites out there and certainly one of the most informational in the compressed air industry. We offer lots of support and product information, some of which the average user may not even be aware of.

Do you need a CAD file to drop a part you are considering into an overall layout?  Perhaps you would like to see a video of how our equipment works. Or maybe you have one of our products and need to get an Installation & Maintenance Sheet for it. All of these kinds of things and more are available within our Knowledge Base of the EXAIR web site. Getting in requires a simple, one-time registration. But once you are in, you have unlimited access to all the material located there. There’s no waiting on an e-mail reply or limited response to deal with. You can jump around to wherever you’d like to go within the Knowledge Base  at your own pace.

Neal Raker
Application Engineer
nealraker@exair.com