Month: January 2011

Good Old Fashioned Static Eliminating Application

Published on by Neal RakerLeave a comment

The following video shows a stamping machine process where expanded Polystyrene trays are stamped from a matrix, stacked and cleaned for packaging into bulk bags.

 The customer was having a lot of difficulty with a lot of fine-type materials, “fines” as we call them, which ended up in the final packaged bag of material with the trays. These small “fines” were created as a result of the stamping process itself. As the die came down and made the cut, there were little slivers of material that were created. The customer thought perhaps the die was in bad condition or perhaps alignment was out. They checked these items and found both to be in good condition.

They were still having the problem with the contamination in the bags along with the good product. The next step was to assign a second task to the operator who was collecting the trays, stacking and packaging them. It was now his job to blow the trays off with a regular compressed air gun before packaging to remove the debris (as you can see in the video). The problem was he was still not able to get 100% of the debris removed due to a problem with static electricity that was forming between the trays.

As you can see, the trays are cut and fall down onto the machine base to form a stack. Once stacked, the trays were in intimate contact with one another. As the operator handled the trays, separating them for blowing, etc, he was actually generating static charges that no regular blow-gun will be able to remove.

I recommended to the customer to make the simple step to switch out the operator’s regular blow-gun for an EXAIR Ion Air Gun (with static eliminating ions). The Ion Air Gun produces an ionized airflow which is exactly what the operator needed to get 100% of the debris and other “fines” out of the stack of trays before he put them into a bag.

This end customer ended up using our complete Ion Air Gun Kit Model 7493 to solve their localized debris problem with great success. They are currently evaluating applying this method to their other die cutting stations.

Neal Raker
International Sales
nealraker@exair.com

Pay It Forward

Published on by Brian Farno3 Comments

I grew up in a smaller city that was based around a Steel Mill.  The mill combined with several other industrial businesses made up for the majority of jobs within the city limits.   My parents still live in the same house that I grew up in.  When I grew up there the neighborhood was mostly middle class if not upper middle class.  We never had much crime in our neighborhood or anything to truly worry about but somehow we would randomly have people land on our porch at odd hours of the night that would need a ride or their car would be broken down, we even had an Alzheimer’s patient one time.  No matter the case they were always someone who we had never met and were always in need of help.  (I think it’s because we would always leave our porch light on.  I guess it was some sort of beacon.)  No matter what time it was, my dad would always answer the door and if they needed something he wouldn’t hesitate to help.  This would range anywhere from giving them a ride to the gas station, fixing their car, or even a pair of socks, cup of coffee, and entertain them till their family was able to get there.

This kind of responsibility to look out for people around you didn’t just stop at home,  we could be driving down the road and he’d stop for someone who needed help too.   Never any hitch hikers though.  This attitude towards helping others and making sure that you have shown there is nothing due in return was something he instilled in all three of his children.   Once I got old enough to drive I would see someone broken down and so I would stop; and if I could help, I would.   By this point in time the neighborhood we were in was slowly decreasing and we started noticing more crime in the area.  This somehow didn’t change my old man’s mind set.  Still if there’s a knock at the door he’ll see who it is and go out and help if he can.  The funny thing is it just happened this year when we were having a family dinner.  So what did my dad do?  He got his coat and took the stranger to get a part they needed. 

Fast forward to now, almost 13 years later, I was in my driveway plowing snow just last year and noticed a car broken down in the street with a local police officer behind him.   I watched for a second and realized the car was broken down and could clearly tell the man driving had no idea where he was or what to do.  The driver of the car said he thinks he just needs a jump but the officer could not help due to policy and so he was waiting for a tow truck.  I told him I’ll grab my jumper pack from the garage and be right back.   After looking under the hood and unhooking a few unneeded accessories from his battery I hooked up my jumper pack and got the car started.   I told him that I thought it was a combination or a bad alternator and some stereo equipment that had been hooked up wrong.  I simply told him the jump should get him to the closest shop and how to get there.  When I closed the hood he asked how much he owed me.   I simply told him nothing at all just make sure he takes it straight to a shop so they can fix the problem.   The man couldn’t believe I would stop what I was doing in the middle of nasty winter day, help someone who was a complete stranger, and ask for nothing in return.  I simply shook his hand and said good luck.  I hope that further down the road he remembers that and does something kind for someone he doesn’t know when they are in need.

My wife can’t believe it when I want to stop and help someone or get out and drag something out of the road so someone else doesn’t get hurt.  She always says something like they could mug you or they will be fine someone probably already called.  While more and more I find myself too busy to stop because I am in a rush to get to work I still try to find a way to help someone in need.  Even if it’s just holding a door open for someone who is in a hurry.

All I can say is I hope this inspires you to “Pay It Forward”.  I know there are still good people in this world and plenty of them.   So the next time you see someone you don’t know in need of help.  Even if it may inconvenience you a bit, think of their day and how much better a small act of kindness can turn it around.

Brian Farno
Application Engineer
BrianFarno@EXAIR.com
Twitter: @EXAIR_BF

I Don’t Care What You Ordered

Published on by Bryan Peters4 Comments

Last year I wrote a blog about vendors who overpromise and under-deliver. [Don’t Make Promises That You Can’t Keep].

Last week, a vendor took customer service to a whole new level.  It went something like this.

Here’s a summary of the exchange:

EXAIR: I’m calling because there is a problem with our order.  It was just delivered and it isn’t what we ordered.

Vendor Sales Weasel: OK, I’ll check into that and get back to you.

OK so far, right?

[Fast forward to the next day]

EXAIR: Do you have an answer yet on our order?

Vendor Sales Weasel: I’ve worked up a list of alternate products that we could provide to you.

EXAIR: We don’t want an alternate product – we want the one that we ordered.

Vendor Sales Weasel: Well it wasn’t my decision to change your order.  I’ll get someone else to call you.

This is about to go off the rails, isn’t it?

[Several hours pass]

Vendor Manager: Your order…we decided that we didn’t want to make it that way so we changed it.

EXAIR: What?

Vendor Manager: We didn’t want to do it that way anymore, so we changed the spec.

EXAIR: But you’ve been providing what we ordered for years.

Vendor Manager: Not any more.

EXAIR: You knew the specs when you accepted the order.  If you couldn’t deliver, why did you accept the order?

Vendor Manager: We thought you’d be OK with the changes.

EXAIR: We can’t accept the changes.  Will you deliver what we ordered?

Vendor Manager: No, we won’t do it that way anymore.

EXAIR: Why not?

Vendor Manager: We don’t want to.

EXAIR: Are you serious?

Vendor Manager: Sorry, won’t do it.

[Exasperation sets in]

EXAIR: So let me make sure that I have this right…you knew the specs, right?

Vendor Manager: Yep

EXAIR: And you accepted the order months ago?

Vendor Manager: Yep

EXAIR: And somewhere along the way, you decided that the specs didn’t matter?

Vendor Manager: Yep

EXAIR: And you didn’t think that was worth a phone call?

Vendor Manager: Um.  We probably could have handled that better.

EXAIR: And now you are saying you can’t deliver what we ordered?

Vendor Manager: No, we can’t.

EXAIR: Do you realize how much money is at stake here?

Vendor Manager: Yes but we thought you’d be OK with the changes.

EXAIR: We already told you that we aren’t OK with the changes.

Vendor Manager: There’s not much we can do now.

EXAIR: We’ll send over the cancellation notice.

This clueless vendor lost a six-figure contract because they accepted an order, ignored the specs, and then didn’t think it was worth their time to talk to us about the changes.

Needless to say, this company is now an ex-vendor.

EXAIR doesn’t do business this way, and we don’t do business with companies that do.

Bryan Peters
President
bryanpeters@exair.com

The Right Tools Lead to Victory or Don’t Bring a Butter Knife to A Sword Fight

Published on by Kirk EdwardsLeave a comment

“Fear my mighty battle-axe!” roared across the basement. I involuntarily reacted with my forty-year-old catlike reflexes (which in all likelihood resemble the reflexes of my 12 year old dog) by becoming lighter on my feet and scanning the room for enemies. Much to my chagrin, no-one was in sight. Then, in a slightly more childlike voice, thunders the phrase “Watch out dad, we’re gonna get ya!” Two things quickly crossed my mind – ONE: I’m out numbered. TWO: That second thundering phrase is not one I expected to come from any nemesis.

In any case this was not the time to ponder, it was time for battle. Except I was ill prepared. I clearly lacked the tools necessary to fend off these decided rivals. There were no visible weapons in sight as I took the first blow to the ribs from this:

With a second helping of airborne-rotating-spikes-of-death heading straight for my heart which looked like this:

I proceeded to fight as valiantly as possible after suffering these certain mortal wounds, but alas, it was not looking good. These fearless warriors on the attack must have noticed my waning strength because the smaller of the two found it in his heart to offer me this:

…except without the shield. That’s right a 9″ dagger versus a two-sided battle-axe and a three-bladed weapon named Warlock. Two things quickly crossed my mind – ONE: Thanks for the butter knife son, if I were fighting toast this would be handy. TWO: I always did like that small one better. Sadly it was too late, I had been defeated. An ambush and the simple lack of proper tools for victory were my downfall.

It can happen to any of us. We can all be surprised be a sneak attack and be left without the best tools for the job. EXAIR does not want you to be found in this position. You shouldn’t use an open compressed air pipe on an application, only to be ambushed by your machines crashing due to a lack of air pressure. Ambushes like that may be avoided by outfitting those pipes with the proper tool; engineered Super Air Nozzles which will use much less compressed air.

You shouldn’t be left using an electric vacuum that will soon be defeated by continuous use or a nasty environment. You deserve the victory of our continuous duty industrial vacuums. These products are powered by compressed air and since they do not have any moving parts they keep fighting in nasty environments, elevated temperatures or continuous heavy-duty use.

Beware of an ambush from your friendly OSHA representative ready and willing to hand out fines for improper use of compressed air because you are exceeding the 30 PSIG dead-end pressure limit found in OSHA’s standard 1910.242(b). EXAIR’s efforts always concentrate on meeting or exceeding this standard, making our products are the right tool for increasing the safety of your people. And don’t forget about the sneak attack from your boss who is checking on the progress of your energy savings program. Our squad of Optimization products and the Six Steps To Optimization process can help you begin your savings program and relish the victory of providing your boss the feedback he is requesting.

Lastly, as I write this blog entry two things quickly come to mind – ONE: You need the right tools for safe, efficient and successful compressed air applications. TWO: EXAIR can help you identify them.

Kirk Edwards
Application Engineer
kirkedwards@exair.com