Month: January 2014

Sit, Stand Or Lie Down?

Published on by Brian FarnoLeave a comment

So far this year at EXAIR  has been great.  We continue to have a lot going on and I should remind you to keep your eyes on our news feeds  (Blog, Twitter, FB or G+, RSS) because there will be plenty of announcements throughout the year.   One announcement we currently have is that in 2013 we achieved a 99.9% success rate for on time shipments.   This makes our run go to 18 years of maintaining 99.9%!  That, to me, is a huge statement on the type of business EXAIR is and the hard-working folks which make up our organization.  We want to make sure that if you order something from us, you get the right part and you get it on time.

 Kangaroo Elite Adjustable Height Desk - Ergo Desktop

Another announcement that is on a personal level. I finally did it – as I type this blog I am in front of a standing desk.  So far I am on full day number two of standing and I am liking it.  It does feel pretty strange to be the only one standing up in an office where everyone else is sitting.   The best part is the reactions that I have gotten from everyone else.   Some of the people don’t see why you would ever want to do it or how you could, while others have been rather intrigued by it.  Another residual benefit is my recollection of this skit from Whose Line Is It Anyway: Sit, Stand, Bend Over.

I can’t speak too much for results, as I am only on my second day.  I can say this much though, I don’t think it will be easy, but I believe the pay off will.  (Payoff being feeling better, easier escape when I did something wrong, and more motivation to better myself.)

I guess the point of this (other than getting a clip from one of my favorite shows on TV) is I am hopefully going to be standing at this desk while EXAIR continues to grow and satisfy our customers.  There are several things I am positive will happen again in 2014: 1. EXAIR will continue to release new product 2. We will offer you a multitude of ways to get our input and help if needed and 3. We will stand behind our products once you have them.

Brian Farno
Application Engineer
BrianFarno@EXAIR.com
@EXAIR_BF

Is The Polar Vortex Responsible for Creating an EXAIR Application?

Published on by Lee EvansLeave a comment

IAJ

It’s a new year, and with it comes new opportunities and new applications.  With the recent cold spell that’s taken hold of the U.S., and the Midwest especially, the applications susceptible to static have spiked.  Yesterday I spoke with an end-user in Texas experiencing the coldest temperatures on record, and with those low temps came low humidity and the perfect environment for static accumulation.

The process in the application was to feed a pill filling machine (machine fills gelcaps with small beads of XYZ) from a hopper a short distance away.  Typically, the feed from one to the other is accomplished with gravity.  The hopper sits about 5 feet higher than the pill filler and when more material is needed, a valve is opened and viola!

But the transfer of the material had slowed to a creep and then to a fully unacceptable rate.  The end-user decided to install an EXAIR Ion Air Jet, and to their surprise, there was no change.  So, they called in and sought guidance on how to move forward.

The first step in such a situation is to make sure the unit is properly installed.  Most often, when an EXAIR device doesn’t function as intended out of the box it is due to improper installation.  When asked what the pressure at the device was, the end-user said “Probably pretty low.  There’s about 30 feet of ¼” line and at least two quick disconnects feeding the unit.”  When asked what the airflow through the Ion Air Jet felt like, they again replied that it was low and we traced this to the poor plumbing.

But what about neutralizing the static?  Poor plumbing can account for a portion of that but we should still see some achievable results even with low airflow.  (In fact, low airflow is common in a static application because once the static is removed, any process disturbance or dust adhered to the product blows away with relative ease.)  We went through the steps to connect the Ion Air Jet to the power supply, and found that the ground was not connected to the power supply!  The end-user connected the ground, and reset the Ion Air Jet to meet the desired results.

EXAIR static eliminators are designed for ease of use and if they ever become problematic, Application Engineers are on staff to get the product, and the application back on track.

Lee Evans
Application Engineer
LeeEvans@EXAIR.com
@EXAIR_LE

Side note:  With the A4 running (and DESTROYING the snow) I’ve been cruising the local ads to see what’s out there.  (I blame @EXAIR_BF for asking me to help him find a car.  Ok, he didn’t ask, but he wants something German and I don’t need much of an impetus.)  I ran across an E36 3 series BMW that blew the head gasket and the owner tried to repair.  Halfway through the job they realized they were in over there head, put the top half of the engine in the trunk, and threw it up for sale cheap (just how I like ’em :) ).  Can I take boxes of engine parts tossed into a trunk and make a car run again?  Let’s find out!  I’ll update the 3 series progress and post a few pics when the weather breaks.

Manufactured with This in Mind – Used For This, That & the Other

Published on by Russ BowmanLeave a comment

One thing that makes being an Application Engineer so interesting is the variety of uses for certain products in our catalog. They all seem to have a few “textbook” applications, but some can be used across a wide range of industries to perform drastically different tasks.

Take, for instance, the E-Vac Vacuum Generators. The “textbook” application is pick-and-place…a Vacuum Cup is hooked up to an E-Vac, and used to securely pick up an object and move it from one place to another. Depending on the geometry, surface texture, and weight of the object, we have different E-Vacs, Vacuum Cups, fittings and tubing/hose to build the appropriate lifting system.

Then, there are the not-so-typical applications. I wrote a while back about a customer who uses one to deflate sports balls. They’re also handy for placing labels, evacuating molds, vacuum forming, liquid sampling…all kinds of applications where they can easily, quickly, and efficiently do the job of very expensive and complex pump-based vacuum systems. And with no moving parts, they’re virtually maintenance-free…another big advantage over vacuum pump systems.

If your application requires generating a vacuum, an EXAIR E-Vac is certainly worth consideration. With 32 models to choose from, odds are, we’ve got what you’re looking for.

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

One and Done – Not EXAIR

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Cincinnati professional sports teams are getting a reputation of one and done. If you are a die-hard Bengals fan you are probably enrolled in some sort of grief support group by now. With all the hype about how this was finally going to be the year they would win a playoff game but they failed to come through – again. If you are a Reds fan, you are still recovering from a disappointing season finale.

Not all is doom and gloom in Cincinnati though, as we have one clear and consistent winner…the EXAIR Corporation. For the past 30 years we have consistently met customer expectations with 99% on time deliveries, consistent product development, and customer support second to none.

awards

EXAIR’s has been recognized for its innovation by the readers of major publications who have voted us product of the year awards. The walls of our hallways are lined with award plaques, 29 in all and 2013 is pending.

Our customers recognize our accurate and on time deliveries. Grainger has awarded us their prestigious Partners in Performance award.

graingerSo for me, its great to live in Cincinnati because I work for the best company in the city. A true winner.

I would welcome your challenge to assist you with your compressed air application and in doing so, demonstrate why we are receiving so many performance awards.

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

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