Month: May 2014

How Much Compressed Air Can EXAIR Nozzles Save You?

Published on by Lee EvansLeave a comment

What do you do when you realize the existing blow off in an application is wasteful and not OSHA compliant? You call EXAIR!

Vibratory Feed Bowl

Vibratory Feed Bowl Plumbing

In the process shown above, threaded fasteners are fed into a vibratory feed bowl, assisted by open copper pipe blow offs. Looking for opportunities to lower compressed air use, save operational costs, and lower noise levels, the end user contacted the Application Engineering department at EXAIR.
Initially our conversation focused on the required force of the blow off, current air consumption, and current noise levels. The required force was unknown, current compressed air consumption was unknown, and the noise level was given the often heard description – “LOUD! “

So, to determine the nozzle required, without knowing the force required, the end user cited the weight of each fastener. With a range of 0.017 -0.049 pounds per piece, I recommended the 1108SS Atto Super Air Nozzle. Sensing that a bit more force was desired to produce a comfortable margin of force, we moved to the 1109SS Pico Super Air Nozzle and the 1110SS Nano Super Air Nozzle nozzles for testing, with the most suitable nozzle becoming the choice solution.

After discussing force, it was time to discuss flow. Without an idea of the current compressed air use, it would be difficult to quantify the compressed air savings by installing EXAIR Air Nozzles. And, even though the compressed air use was unknown, we determined approximate flow based on orifice size and operating pressure. With an orifice of 0.109″ operating at 80 PSIG, the compressed air consumption per copper tube of approximately 18 SCFM (Based on chart value below.). The feed bowl has at least 5 open tube blow offs, resulting in a total compressed air use of 90+ SCFM. By converting to our 1110SS nozzles, the compressed air use can be reduced to 41.5 SCFM, a savings of over 50%! By installing EXAIR engineered nozzles, approximately 12HP of compressor load was removed from the system. Considering that the facility has upwards of (15) feed bowls, the savings in implementing the EXAIR solution become very large, very fast.

Flow Of Air Through An Orifice In SCFM

Lastly, we discussed noise. Open pipes can be the source of incredibly loud noise levels. The end user estimated 90 dBA or higher. The EXAIR 1110SS Nano Super Air Nozzles has a sound level rating of 75 dBA, reducing the sound level exponentially. The icing on the cake for the end user, above and beyond the compressed air savings and noise level reduction, was the safety added by the EXAIR nozzles. All EXAIR products operate below OSHA dead ended pressure requirements (OSHA Standard 29 CFR 1910-242(b)).

Applications like this are what EXAIR is all about. Meeting or exceeding existing performance levels while lowering compressed air use and noise levels, and adding safety to the work environment. If you have a similar application or need advice regarding EXAIR products, contact an EXAIR Application Engineer.

Lee Evans
Application Engineer
LeeEvans@EXAIR.com
@EXAIR_LE

 

21st Century Solutions to 21st Century Applications

Published on by Russ BowmanLeave a comment

The other day, I had the pleasure of helping a caller with a question about a particular EXAIR product…he referenced a certain page in our catalog, but when I turned to that page in the current catalog that I keep on my desk, I quickly realized that we weren’t looking at the same book.  I asked him which edition he had, and it was (gasp) our “Catalog 97.”  From 1997.  That’s right…the 20th Century.

Now, I’m old enough to remember when saying “20th Century” meant that something was new, modern, and technologically advanced.  That meant, among other things, color TV, cruise control, push-button phones, and dial-up modems.  Of course, let’s remember that, at the beginning of the 20th Century:

*The concept of powered flight was commonly ridiculed as a physical impossibility until two brothers from Dayton, Ohio lifted off from a North Carolina beach one day in 1903.

*An injury that broke the skin was potentially life-threatening: penicillin wasn’t developed until 1935.

*Pluto wasn’t a planet.  OK; it isn’t now either, but back then it was because it hadn’t been discovered yet.

Back to my story about the caller, though:  I grabbed our copy of “Old #97” so we’d be on the same page (literally), and was able to help him with his questions.  I also made sure that we mailed him a copy of our current Catalog 26, of course.  If you don’t have one, click here.

A collection of EXAIR Catalogs, with "Old # 97" right there in the middle (we don't really call it that)
A collection of EXAIR Catalogs, with “Old # 97” right there in the middle
(we don’t really call it that)

Inside, you’ll find details on all of our current products…some of which EXAIR has been making since 1983.  Others have been introduced during my 3-year (so far) stint here, such as our:

*USB Data Logger for the Digital Flowmeter

*A BUNCH of Super Air Nozzles: Atto, Pico, 1” Flat, and 3/8”NPT PEEK (we just put out the Press Release on that one today)

*External Mix and Siphon Fed Atomizing Spray Nozzles, AND a No-Drip option for this product line

*Chip Shields for Safety Air Guns

*3-foot and 6-foot Extensions for Super Blast Safety Air Guns

*Heavy Duty HEPA Vac

*High Temperature 316SS Dual Cabinet Cooler Systems

If you want to know what’s new at EXAIR, you have to look quick…and often.  We intend to keep providing current solutions to current applications – what’s yours?  I bet we can help.  Try us.

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

Total Cost of Ownership

Published on by Neal RakerLeave a comment

CFL

When you think about energy savings in general, there probably isn’t any product that has a higher degree of association with this mindset than the compact fluorescent light bulb. In terms of performance, the CFL lasts about 7 times longer than incandescent and uses about ¼ the energy input for an equivalent amount of light output as measured in lumens. CFL’s cost about 4 times more than an incandescent light bulb, but the overall cost of ownership is much lower due to the lower energy consumption. The major point here is that it is not the purchase price that determines the total cost of ownership. It is the energy use that determines it. Including cost of operation, an incandescent bulb costs more than 4 times to acquire and operate than a CFL bulb. BUT THE CFL IS MORE EXPENSIVE TO BUY!!!!

What does this discussion have to do with EXAIR and Super Air Knives, Super Air Nozzles or even Super Air Amplifiers?

These products represent EXAIR’s version of the compact fluorescent light bulb. We were the first in the industry to manufacture a Super Air Knife and still the only ones to have the Super Air Amplifier, both of which continue to provide significant energy savings to our customers for their precision blowing needs.

In recent past, there have been a few imitators on the market who try to “do one better” than EXAIR by publishing performance data that appears to be as good, or slightly better than EXAIR. Our testing has revealed that these imitators actually consume as much as 46% more compressed air than equivalent EXAIR products. Admittedly, there can be some slight variation in performance from one unit to another. But when the actual data is this far out from what is published, that is a serious performance problem which results in much higher total cost of ownership for the customer. And since the customer is generally not going to have the necessary equipment to verify these things, they are pretty much buying on faith that the seller is producing a product that is true to their word in terms of performance listed for it in their literature.

My message is simple. Don’t allow yourself to be lured into a situation where the purchase price is all that you consider when buying compressed air blowing equipment. The performance of the product is going to be a much larger portion of that total cost of ownership. Just make sure you are comfortable with that aspect of your purchase before making the commitment to buy.

At EXAIR we always strive to truly understand the needs of the customer and make proper recommendations based on those needs. We always have the total cost of ownership in mind and want to produce the best result for our customers. If the customer isn’t happy with the product for any reason, we will gladly take it back on our 30 Day Guarantee and they can move on to another solution of their choice.

Neal Raker, Application Engineer
nealraker@exair.com

CFL image courtesy of Mulad. Creative Commons License 

No Drip External Mix Atomizing Nozzle Wins Gold!

Published on by Dave WoernerLeave a comment

It is a very sad day for me at EXAIR… No, I’m not retiring or leaving the company, but today is my last day to write about Plant Engineering Product of the Year Awards …for this year. It has been quite an honor to write about four of our best innovations from the last year over the past weeks.  In case you missed the entries, you can click on the these links to read more about our other 2013 award winners: 316 Stainless Steel Dual Cabinet Coolers, 1 Inch Flat Super Air Nozzle or the Heavy Duty HEPA Vac. nodrip_EF Today’s post is about the No Drip External Mix Atomizing Nozzle, which the readers of the Plant Engineering magazine bestowed the gold award for fluid handling products.  EXAIR’s Liquid Atomizing Nozzles combine the liquid of your choice with compressed air to create a mist of atomized liquid.  The external mix nozzles have the highest liquid flow rate of any of EXAIR’s Liquid Atomizing Nozzles with flow rates up to 60 GPH.  They are a great solution for applications where independent air and liquid control is required.  Additionally, more viscous fluids can be used with the external mixing of the nozzle than either the internal mixing or siphon fed nozzles.  External Mixing Nozzles can be used to atomize liquids up to 800 centipoise. IMG_4031   In addition to the benefits of the external mix atomizing nozzle, this spray nozzle features a valve to positively stop liquid flow, when the compressed air drops below 30 psig. Any time you need to maintain a smooth finish or are spraying an expensive liquid, the no drip function can be invaluable to preventing rework, and ensuring a quality finish on each and every product.  The EXAIR no drip function is patent pending and does not require an additional air line to control the no drip mechanism, simplifying installation and functionality.

Dave Woerner
Application Engineer
Davewoerner@EXAIR.com
@EXAIR_DW