Month: November 2011

Is there a nozzle for that? You bet there is!

Published on by Brian FarnoLeave a comment

As an Application Engineer here at EXAIR we receive inquiries via e mail, live chat, phone, even Twitter.  No matter the method the result is always the same, an honest recommendation for a solution to your compressed air application. This means we have to know the abilities of all EXAIR products.  This is a list that spans 16 product lines and the one I would like to focus on today is the Air Nozzle and Jet category.

In the Air Nozzle and Jet section of our catalog we stock 59 different Air Nozzles and Jets.  This includes four different materials and threads ranging from 4mm x 0.75 to 1-1/4″ NPT.  The force range is anywhere from 2 ozs. of force at 80 PSIG all the way up to 23 pounds of force at 80 PSIG.  This means we have a nozzle that will blow anything from a grain of rice to a  pipe wrench across the floor.

The best thing about our Engineered Super Air Nozzles is they are so versatile, they can be used on an open pipe to reduce air consumption, noise while increasing safety; clamped on with a compression fitting to a copper pipe, used with our stay set hoses, our swivel fittings, or even attached to an existing or brand new safety air gun.

When an 1102 Mini Super Air Nozzle was used to replace a 1/8th” NPT open pipe a savings of $1,872.00 USD was achieved in one year.  This is from just a single nozzle that is about the size of a small thimble.  That is less than a one week return on investment for this nozzle.

So if you have an open pipe blow off or use commercial air guns in your facility, give us a call and let us see how much compressed air and money you can save.   (Plus it will give the Professor something to get all giddy about!)

Brian Farno
Application Engineer
BrianFarno@EXAIR.com
@EXAIR_BF

Expect Victory

Published on by Lee EvansLeave a comment

A few months ago I wrote a blog about a friendly competition with a coworker.  We are both trying to become healthier, and have set a goal to reach a certain weight by the end of the year.  As the end of the year approaches the weigh-ins are becoming more frequent and at the moment I’m pleased to have a slight lead.  Over the past few months I’ve made changes to my diet and workout regimen, but I’ve reached plateau for the last few weeks.

In all honesty, the leveling out of my progress is without a doubt due to my dwindling enthusiasm, but with the competition end close in sight I’ve been revived!  I’ve jumped back into the project with full enthusiasm, but still, my gains have been slow.  As I began to feel this pending stagnation creeping up on me, I thought of ways in which I could increase my performance.  Some of the ideas have been productive, some haven’t.  Ultimately, I reached a point where a more expert opinion was needed, so I reached out to a nutritionist and personal trainer I know.

As we discussed my situation, the insight and knowledge that was shared with me was incredible.  The education of both parties and the experiences they shared with me have given me new confidence and a new approach to my aspirations.

As I continue on my personal fitness path I relate my experience to the applications we deal with at EXAIR.  When a manufacturing facility is trying to strengthen their production line efficiency or needs to slim down the number of rejected parts, we offer the educated and experienced advice and guidance.  The application engineering department at EXAIR – personal trainers for manufacturers.

Lee Evans
Application Engineer
leeevans@exair.com
@EXAIR_LE

The Return (or Lack Thereof) of The Better Mousetrap

Published on by Russ BowmanLeave a comment

You may know that EXAIR offers a 30-Day Unconditional Guarantee on all of our catalog products. It’s pretty simple: we let you test-drive one of our Intelligent Compressed Air Products for a month…if it works for you, keep it. In fact, buy more; tell your friends; and most importantly (and seriously) call us if we can help further. If it doesn’t work like you wanted, call us, and we’ll take it back. It really is just that easy.

I was researching some information on our Chip Trapper yesterday, and found more than I was looking for. If you’re not familiar with it, the EXAIR Chip Trapper filters chips (and swarf, shavings, etc.) from a machine’s coolant or oil sump. This video shows how it works:

The Chip Trapper won Plant Engineering’s Product of the Year Award when it was introduced in 2009. In 2010, it was a finalist in the Golden Mousetrap “Best New Products” Awards.  And the hits keep on coming: the recently introduced 110-Gallon version got Environmental Protection Magazine’s “2011 New Product of the Year” Award, just last month.  Perhaps the best-kept secret is that it’s available in a 30-Gallon size as well.  That one hasn’t been singled out for an award…yet.  The results are in; the Chip Trapper has proven itself to be a popular addition to our Industrial Housekeeping Products line.

What got my attention during my research, though, was how seldom Chip Trappers get returned. Based on that evidence and feedback from our customers, the Chip Trapper is doing what we say it will do and clearly creating happy customers. To me, that was just as impressive as the accolades it’s received from The Authorities. Maybe even more so.

If you’re one of the multitude that’s using a Chip Trapper successfully, we’d like to hear from you. What (if anything) were you using before? How has the Chip Trapper improved your operation? Are you saving money on coolant? Are you spending less time on maintenance, and more on machine operation? Or are you just shirking your responsibilities and waiting for someone else to ship it back? I hope that’s not the case…as great as the Chip Trapper is for coolant filtration, it’s a lousy paperweight.  Whatever the case, though, if you have a Chip Trapper success story, we’re all ears.  Thanks in advance!

Russ Bowman
Application Engineer
EXAIR Corporation
(513)671-3322 local
(800)923-9247 toll free
(513)671-3363 fax
Web: www.exair.com
Blog: http://blog.exair.com/
Twitter: twitter.com/exair_rb
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/exair

Pride in Your Work

Published on by Kirk EdwardsLeave a comment

Two of my kids are participating in a puppet program. They learn puppet technique and behavior (which, oddly enough resembles their own behavior) as well as having the opportunity to create props and have input on the show itself. They are certainly having fun with it and if I’m lucky, these budding young performance artists will have a future like this…

Awesome Performance Art Video

I had the chance to see their first performance over the weekend. One Edwards child was the soldier who held the flag steady. Another of my kids was in control of one of the three soldiers who saluted the flag. Let me just say – that flag was as steady as can be and my other kids’ soldier clearly had the best salute of any of the others. Noticeably, I was concentrating upon my kids, they are after all part of my work  – I was taking pride in my work to a certain extent.

Sure, I looked at some of the other puppets, but I wanted to make sure I noticed something specific about the puppets my kids were controlling, so I could compliment them on it. So I happened to notice that the salute my daughter was giving to the flag had a perfect pause on the brow with a sharp snap forward upon saluting. I also noticed the unwavering flag being held for the soldiers to salute. That flag was held with the firmest of foundations by my son, and that is what I complimented them on.

Similar things happen within companies. We concentrate on our own stuff, we recognize the details within the smaller picture and take pride in what we produce. It’s the natural way for things to go. In taking pride in our work and concentrating on the details we begin to differentiate ourselves as experts.

EXAIR, for one, prefers experts – companies whose people can provide us their accumulated  knowledge and expertise in areas outside of pneumatics. We, in  turn, take pride in providing our expertise about pneumatics to customers busy concentrating on their own trades. So we urge you to take pride in your work, we’re counting on you.

Kirk Edwards
Application Engineer
kirkedwards@exair.com