Month: April 2014

Line Vac Solution For Fiberglass Application

Published on by Lee EvansLeave a comment

150200

Recently, I worked through a project with an end user in the UAE in need of a more viable material transfer system. As a manufacturer of fiberglass liners, they developed a need to convey a mixture with properties similar to cement approximately 10’ vertically. At the end of this conveying distance is a hopper, situated atop a machine used to mix the compound needed for production.

Presently the material is transferred from a small storage silo to the hopper by hand, but such a setup has proven to be insufficient and time consuming. After working with the end user to determine the bulk density of the material and the required conveyance rate, it became apparent that a single Line Vac would not have sufficient transfer capabilities to keep up with the demand. However, if two Line Vacs could be run in parallel, our solution became much more feasible.

By installing two 150200 Line Vacs to move the material, the end user is expecting to meet the needs of production, and to transfer the material into the hopper at a more productive and efficient rate. In this application the need is for non-continuous material transfer at a high rate, so the parallel Heavy Duty Line Vacs provided a perfect solution.

EXAIR products and staff are in place to provide solutions. If you have an application problem, contact an EXAIR Application Engineer.

Lee Evans
Application Engineer
LeeEvans@EXAIR.com
@EXARI_LE

OSHA Compliance? We Got That.

Published on by Russ BowmanLeave a comment

OSHA Standard # 1910.242(b)

Compressed air used for cleaning. Compressed air shall not be used for cleaning purposes except where reduced to less than 30 p.s.i. and then only with effective chip guarding and personal protective equipment.

We get calls on a regular basis from folks, looking for products that will provide an effective flow of air for cleaning, blow off, drying, etc., but with the supply pressure turned down to less than 30psig, like OSHA requires. When you limit yourself to that low of a supply pressure, though, you’re simply not going to get the volume flow rate or air flow velocity to be successful.

You don’t have to limit yourself to that pressure at all, however…they’ve also published documentation that further explains that this limit applies to the “nozzle pressure,” or, the static pressure that would exist due to the dynamic flow, if dead-ending were to occur.  That means that if the nozzle’s outlet(s) were completely obstructed (dead-ended), the static pressure, if it were greater than 30psig, would be great enough to break the skin and cause a grave and potentially life-threatening condition, known as an air embolism. Of course, if the nozzle’s outlet(s) can’t be completely obstructed, then the static pressure realized at whatever portion IS obstructed will be much lower, and therefore, safe & compliant.

Untitled This is where EXAIR’s Super Air Nozzles “earn their stripes” – by design, they cannot be dead-ended. It’s not the ONLY design that can’t be dead-ended, but it IS the most efficient …we’ve tested a good many of the others in our Efficiency Lab, and have proved this time after time.

Speaking of OSHA compliance, most of our Super Air Nozzles also meets OSHA’s standard 1910.95(a) for Maximum Allowable Noise Exposure. Only our largest ones (3/4” NPT and up) exceed the 90 dBA limit for 8 hour continuous exposure, so hearing protection is necessary, but they’re still considerably quieter than the same sized open-end pipe blow off. OSHA Noise Level Back to that last part of 1910.242(b); the part about effective chip guarding: EXAIR’s Precision, Soft Grip, and Heavy Duty Safety Air Guns are all available with clear polycarbonate Chip Shields. They’re all in stock, available for same-day shipment; same as any other EXAIR catalog product. 1210-6cs If you’d like to know more about how EXAIR products can help you achieve OSHA compliance in regard to your use of compressed air, give us a call. We’re eager to help!

 

Russ Bowman
Application Engineer
www.exair.com
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If Only I Had A Line Vac When I Was A Kid

Published on by Brian FarnoLeave a comment

I read an article earlier this week talking about the types of toys you played with as a child and what your career lead to.  Then I got to thinking, what if I had some EXAIR products and an air compressor when I was a kid?  What kind of madness could ensue?

The first item that came to mind for me was using a Line Vac.  This would not only be used to propel Hot Wheels a record breaking speeds into the loop of death or see how many full size cars the scaled car can jump.   Also what happens to a full size car when you launch a small die cast car into it?   Needless to say that is not all the ideas I have had for taking the orange track to the next level.

In case cars weren’t your thing, a Line Vac would be great to launch a parachute assault using your favorite G.I. Joe with a parachute, not to mention go quite higher than I could ever through it.  It could also help launch zip lines or remove excavated dirt out of bunkers.

When I was a child, I didn’t know what compressed air or an air compressor was other than that my dad used one to inflate bike tires.   Now, I work around compressed air every single day and I make sure to introduce my girls to it whenever possible,  especially how to use compressed air safe.

The point is, a lot of the toys I played with as a child kept me thinking about mechanical ways to do things and thus I ended up with a degree in Mechanical Engineering Technology.  Hopefully by introducing kids today to our products and the many uses they will help perpetuate the design cycles of Intelligent Compressed Air Products.

Brian Farno
Application Engineer
BrianFarno@EXAIR.com
@EXAIR_BF

 

EXAIR’s Cabinet Cooler® Systems Withstand Every Environment

Published on by Dave WoernerLeave a comment

EXAIR’s second product to win Plant Engineering Magazine’s Gold Award for Product of the Year is EXAIR’s Dual 316 Stainless Steel Cabinet Cooler System.

EXAIR Cabinet Cooler Systems are used continuously in some of Industry’s harshest environment to protect crowded, overheated, and expensive electronic controls from heat failures and alarms.  Dual 316 Stainless Steel Cabinet Cooler Systems provide 5,600 BTU/HR of cooling through (2) electrical knockouts and a compressed air line.  The 316 Stainless Steel NEMA 4X Cabinet Cooler Systems are UL Listed for wash down environments for food service and pharmaceutical application.

Fans, air conditioners, and heat exchanges use ambient air and are susceptible to failure from dusty environments when the filters clog or mechanical components fail.  With no refrigerant, motors, or bearings, Cabinet Cooler Systems require no maintenance and can run for years or decades. Cabinet Cooler Systems prevent downtime on the most critical components in your facility.

These coolers are used to protect the most sensitive electrical components in the United States.  A customer disposes of chemical weapons and monitors the exhaust gases of their facility with electronic components mounted to the outside of the smoke stack. This enclosure is exposed to the elements and the heat of the desert sun. Any failure or alarm in the equipment forces the process to shutdown.  A Stainless Steel Cabinet Cooler System protects these electrical components from overheating.

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Stainless Steel Cabinet Cooler Systems have been used on ships, power plants, medical device manufacturing facilities, and bakeries to keep heat out of their enclosures.  They also feature an added benefit that fans, air conditioner and heat exchangers don’t.  The EXAIR Cabinet Cooler Systems apply a positive pressure to the enclosure to push out any dust that may otherwise gather inside your cabinet.  This positive pressure improves air flow and limits dust building up on electrical components.  When dust collects on components, it acts as an insulator trapping the heat against your critical controllers.  This trapped heat can lead to premature failure even with sufficient cooling inside the enclosure.

As this spring heats up and summer begins, keep the Cabinet Cooler System in mind as great solution to your over heating issues.

Dave Woerner
Application Engineer
Davewoerner@EXAIR.com
@EXAIR_DW