Month: December 2012

Is My Static Eliminator Working?

Published on by Russ BowmanLeave a comment

Winter is settling in on us, slowly but surely, here in Cincinnati. As I write, it’s 39F and overcast outside…not nearly as harsh as it’s going to get, come mid-January. With the dropping temperatures comes a decrease in humidity levels, especially inside, where our heaters inconveniently rob our air of its moisture content. This leads to chapped lips and dry skin for us, and a higher propensity for static charge to build up on non-conductive surfaces. It’s then that we find ourselves at the onset of “Static Season,” when the volume of calls regarding our Static Eliminator product line (and, hopefully, sales of said products) increases.

A good number of those calls come from existing users, too, which is great, because we’re genuinely interested in problem-solving, and making sure that folks get the most out of our products. A popular question is, “How do I know if my Static Eliminator is working properly?” There are a few ways to determine this:

The easiest, quickest, and most sure-fire way is to measure the actual level of static charge, “before and after,” with EXAIR’s Digital Static Meter. It’s a convenient, hand-held, battery-operated instrument that indicates the surface voltage and polarity when held 1” away from the object.

Another easy and quick method to check for proper operation of a Static Eliminator is to sniff for the presence of ozone near the device’s emitter point(s). With the compressed air source turned off (for safety, of course, but for no small measure of comfort as well), you’ll be able to smell the distinct odor of ozone – it’s been described as pungent, sweet, or metallic. It’s the same smell around your copy machine after a load of copies.

If you’re handy with a multi-meter, you can also check for proper voltage at the emitter point(s). We have a step-by-step guide to show how it’s done; contact an Application Engineer to get a copy.

If any of the above trials point to a problem with your Static Eliminator, the step-by-step guide also walks you through the procedure for a thorough cleaning of your device. Additionally, we’ve made some handy videos that we hope will help too:

Ionizing Bar Cleaning & Maintenance

Ion Air Gun Cleaning & Maintenance

Even with a properly functioning Static Eliminator, there may be installation or operational issues that are limiting its effectiveness. If this is the case, give us a call…like I said before, we’ve got a genuine interest in problem-solving, and we’re eager to help.

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

Adjustable Spot Cooler as an Enclosure Cooler……Really???

Published on by Neal RakerLeave a comment

Yes, is true. Many times when customers contact us about keeping a “cabinet” or “enclosure” cool, the enclosed space is not always your typical electrical or control panel cooling situation. Sometimes, customers have simple boxes or enclosed spaces that are reasonably small and need to be cooled for a variety of reasons.

ASC

This next example is one where a customer has a special light used in a paper making application. The light is exposed to high humidity and high heat which are normal constituents in paper making. The customer has had the light fail and the reasons were specifically attributed to the heat and humidity. In looking for a solution to his problem, the customer came across EXAIR and our Vortex Tube product. He researched and became familiar with the virtues of using a Vortex Tube for small cooling applications like this one.

When he contacted me his mind was pointed in the direction of a plain and simple Vortex Tube which is a good start. What I suggested to him though, was to consider using an Adjustable Spot Cooler instead. An Adjustable Spot Cooler is a Vortex Tube; however it is engineered to include heat shielding and sound muffling which make the whole use of a Vortex Tube a much more user friendly experience. Basically, I did not want the customer to try and have to figure out these issues on his own when we had a stock product ready to use right out of the box. All he has to do is to connect the unit to his box to be cooled, connect the compressed air and adjust the output temperature to what he wanted it to be.

You may ask, “Why didn’t he recommend a Cabinet Cooler?” That is a good question. I didn’t recommend a Cabinet Cooler for one good reason. Cabinet Coolers are designed with a target temperature of 95F (35C) in mind. In this case, the customer wanted to maintain close to 65F (18C). This fact fit well with the easy adjustment of the Adjustable Spot Cooler to accommodate the target temperature. Flexibility was a key feature in terms of being able to set the target temperature and have it field adjustable as well.

Neal Raker
Application Engineer
nealraker@exair.com

Video Blog: How to Rebuild an EXAIR Safety Air Gun

Published on by Leave a comment

While EXAIR’s safety air guns are of robust design, they do see some harsh environments and eventually some of the moving parts can wear out. EXAIR offers rebuild kits.

  • For the Soft Grip Safety Air Gun use part #1901A or #1901
  • For the Heavy Duty Safety Air Gun use part #1902

Here is a video on how to install the new components.


If you need help give our application engineers a call 1-800-903-9247

Joe Panfalone
Application Engineer
Phone (513) 671-3322
Fax   (513) 671-3363
Web: www.exair.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/exair_jp
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/exair

I Feel Sorry For My Daughters

Published on by Brian FarnoLeave a comment

Recently I have started to tinker with an Arduino.  The Arduino is an open sourced micro controller that you can either make yourself or pick up at an electronics store.  This controller can then be programmed and wired to do anything from blink an LED to control a 3D printer like the Maker Bot   The main thing is that if you find a project that someone has made with an Arduino, chances are they are more than willing to share how it is done for free.

What turned me on to the whole micro controller and open source structure is my background with electronics and mechanical design, and the fact that everyone wants to share and find ways to build bigger and better projects.  There is nothing cooler to me than watching a YouTube video that someone uploaded of this robot they built from scrap electronics, or a dorm room that has been automated by a college student or even a dad that helped his daughter make an automated diorama for her book report.

While I am a firm believer that the children need to do their own projects, much like the creator of this video, if they need help with cutting or implementing a certain part I have no problem helping.  I won’t be doing my daughter’s projects for her, but if she asks me for help I’ll be happier than a slinky on an escalator.  I’m sure this will also lead to plenty of embarrassment when she reaches those teenage years but for now I can at least hope she’ll ask for help or want to work on my projects with me.

This brings me back to my career here with EXAIR.  As an Application Engineer, I get to help people expand, implement, troubleshoot, and better their compressed air projects every day, it’s what we do and we all enjoy doing it.

So if you have a question or need some help figuring out how to increase the efficiency in your system give us a call.

Brian Farno
Application Engineer
BrianFarno@EXAIR.com
@EXAIR_BF