Month: November 2014

Cooling Down A Test Rig With EXAIR Cold Guns

Published on by Lee EvansLeave a comment
Clean Cold Gun setup
Model 5215 Cold Guns with cold outlets plumbed to cool test rig

About a month ago I traveled to Italy to participate in the BI-MU exhibition with our distributor in Milan.  During the exhibition application questions were asked about a variety of products, and there were a variety of products on display.  End users and OEMS were interested in the ability of EXAIR products to increase efficiency in compressed air applications while simultaneously increasing performance when compared to existing setups or competitors.

One of the applications that was discussed centered around the need to provide cooling during a testing procedure.  And, one of the most suitable products to do so is the EXAIR Cold Gun.  We discussed the merits of a Cold Gun setup – the ease of installation, the ability to provide single or dual point cooling, the ability to improve production rates without liquid coolant, the maintenance free design with no moving parts, and many others – and ultimately determined that such a setup was suitable for the application.

As I settle back in to the U.S. (short-lived, I’ll be visiting our distributors in the Philippines and Taiwan very soon), and as we begin a promotion for the EXAIR Cold Gun (check out the promo here), I am again finding similar applications.

One such application can be seen in the photo at the top of the page.  The cold outlets of the Cold Guns are being routed through a custom setup to cool a chemical reaction during testing.  While the supply line is not what we would recommend because it is slightly undersized,  the setup is clean and still providing the needed results for the end user.

EXAIR has a long list of application solutions provided to our customers.  If you have an application or process in need of a compressed air based solution, contact an EXAIR Application Engineer.

Lee Evans
Application Engineer
LeeEvans@EXAIR.com
@EXAIR_LE

Longshore Racing Debuts at the Baja 1000

Published on by Dave WoernerLeave a comment

Ryan Longshore, a design engineer at EXAIR, famous for his hard work on our new High Lift Reversible Drum Vac, will now be famous for something else. He left Cincinnati, OH last Thursday November 6th, 2014 to run the Baja 1000. He is running the race with a few members of his family and friends as a part of Longshore Racing. His trip to the race is 2,168 miles. After driving to Ensenada for the start of the race, They will compete in 1,275 miles of racing, unlimited UTV class 19.

Longshore Racing
For any one unfamiliar with UTV class 19, here is a photo of the vehicle they will be using.

The Baja 1000 is one of the most grueling off road races in the world.  According to Scores International, the race this year will be 1,275 miles starting in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico finishing in La Paz, Baja California Sur. The course crisscrosses the Baja California Peninsula drive along the cost of the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of California at various times.

The temperature in La Paz now is 87 degrees and sunny, so I hope he gets a chance to enjoy himself.

If they complete the race (a huge accomplishment), the convoy will then depart from La Paz to drive back to Louisville, KY.  For those of you scoring at home that is roughly 6,500 miles or around 80 hours of windshield time.

As I’m writing the blog the number 1943 is 398 miles into the race after running for 18 hours.  They only have 40 hours to compete in the Baja, so they have an uphill climb to finish in the allotted time, but they seem to be putting on a good showing so far.

Best of luck to # 1943! EXAIR is Cheering for You!

Monday Morning Update: The Longshore Racing team made it to mile 625 where they suffered an insurmountable breakdown – two broken front right ball joints. The repair vehicle was a couple hours away and they were unable to make the repairs in time to finish the race. Ryan has stated it has been an amazing journey and they have begun talking about next year.

Dave Woerner
Application Engineer
@Dave_Woerner
DaveWoerner@EXAIR.com

 

Photo Courtesy of Longshore_Racing

How to Calculate Compressed Air Consumption at a Different Inlet Pressure OR Math Doesn’t Lie and Neither Will Your Results

Published on by Russ Bowman4 Comments

EXAIR Application Engineers field a wide variety of technical assistance questions. Many are quantifiable, and we just need to do a little math.  For instance:

Q. You publish the compressed air consumption of your products assuming a supply pressure of 80psig. What if my supply pressure is different?

A. Compressed air consumption is going to be directly proportional to ABSOLUTE pressure supply. That means you have to add atmospheric pressure of 14.7psia (a=absolute) to your gauge pressure, measured in psig (g=gauged, and zero on the gauge is atmospheric pressure,) and calculate the ratio. For example:

Our catalog publishes most products' performance and specification data for a compressed air supply pressure of 80psig.
Our catalog publishes most products’ performance and specification data for a compressed air supply pressure of 80psig.

Model 1100 Super Air Nozzle consumes 14 SCFM @80psig. How much will it consume @95psig?

1100 recalc

This is good news…if you need that extra amount of flow and force from a little higher pressure supply, you’re still FAR below the air consumption of an open-ended 1/4″ copper tube (33 SCFM @80psig or 38 SCFM @95psig)* or SCH40 pipe (140 SCFM @80psig or 162 SCFM @95psig.)*

*Using the same formula above.  Check my math if you like.  I’m right, but it’ll be good practice.  Those values come from this chart in our catalog, by the way:

open blow air consumption
You can get your own personal copy of our current catalog here.

Of course, if your application doesn’t need all that flow and force, this formula works the other way too…it, in fact, works in your favor, air consumption-wise.  Consider the savings associated with dialing back your supply pressure.  Let’s say, for instance, you replace a open ended 1/4″ SCH40 pipe with a Model 1100 Super Air Nozzle, regulate the supply down to 55psig, and find that it still does what you need it to:

1100 recalc-1

(Remember, the value you’re solving for is ALWAYS the numerator of the fraction, because…Algebra! )

Now, let’s do just a little more math.  Don’t worry; I’m almost finished.  Plus, this is the part you can show your boss and be the hero.  So, we find out that you’re saving 151.7 SCFM by replacing that open pipe blow off with a Super Air Nozzle, and regulating its supply pressure down from your full line pressure of 95psig to 55psig:

162 SCFM – 10.3 SCFM = 151.7 SCFM saved

You may know your facility’s cost of compressed air generation.  If not, $0.25 per 1,000 Standard Cubic Feet (SCF) is a reasonable estimate:

151.7 SCFM X 60 minutes/hour X 8 hours/day X 5 days/week X 52 weeks/year =

18,932,160 SCF/year X $0.25/1,000 SCF = $4,733.04 annual savings

Now, this is just an example…one in which a $34.00 (Model 1100 Super Air Nozzle’s current 2014 List Price) product pays for itself before the end of the second day (again, feel free to check my math and see how right I am.)  Keep in mind that your mileage, as they say, may vary, but the math…and our products’ performance…will hold true according to whatever your conditions are.

How much can you save by using engineered, Intelligent Compressed Air Products from EXAIR?  Call me, and we’ll start the process of finding out.

Russ Bowman
Application Engineer
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EXAIR Has 4 Finalists for Product of the Year 2014!

Published on by Kirk EdwardsLeave a comment

2014_exairPOYfinalistG_300px

Voting is now open and we would like your votes!

For 27 years, Plant Engineering magazine readers have chosen  outstanding new products that help them do their jobs smarter, safer, more efficiently and more productively. These products, which are newly released in manufacturing industries,  are recognized with Plant Engineering’s Product of the Year Award. Many products categories are recognized including, Automation and Controls, Compressed Air, Electric Motors and Drives, Environmental Health,  and Fluid Handling among others. Four of the products we released in 2014 have been chosen as finalists in the compressed air category. Voting opens today and goes on through December 31st.

Here are the products up for the 2014 award:

  1. PEEK Pico Super Air Nozzle: This tiny nozzle is our latest PEEK Thermoplastic Super Air Nozzle and manufactured to provide a small, precise blast of air. It is only 0.63″ (16mm) long x 0.20″ (5mm) in diameter with an M5 x 0.5 metric thread. It can also be purchased with a 1/8 MNPT thread. PEEK Thermoplastic material provides excellent chemical resistance and a high temperature rating of 320°F (160°C) with a low co-efficient of friction which results in a non-marring nozzle good for use with sensitive materials. VOTE HERE
  2. PEEK 3/8″ Super Air Nozzle: This High Power PEEK Thermoplastic nozzle can take on the heavy duty blow-off, cleaning or cooling applications in your plant. It has a standard 3/8 FNPT and produces 1.9 pounds of force. PEEK Thermoplastic material provides excellent chemical resistance and a high temperature rating of 320°F (160°C) with a low co-efficient of friction which results in a non-marring nozzle good for use with sensitive materials. VOTE HERE
  3. Long Ionizing Bars: We have added the long length Ion Bars to our product selection. These long Ionizing Bars eliminate static electricity on paper, film and plastics that are up to 108″ (2438mm) wide (our original launch was 96″, but now we make up to 108″).  Long Ion Bars can be added to our Long Super Air Knives for a powerful, far reaching static elimination solution. VOTE HERE
  4. Long Super Air Knives: EXAIR’s selection of the most efficient air knives on the market has expanded with the addition of our one-piece 60″ (1524mm), 72″ (1829mm), 84″ (2134mm), 96″ (2438mm) and 108″ (2743mm) Super Air Knives. These provide seamless laminar airflow and eliminate the need for additional assembly and hardware when coupling shorter length air knives together. The energy efficient design minimizes compressed air use by entraining 40 parts room air to one part compressed air. It is ideal for use on wide parts, webs and conveyors. VOTE HERE

We appreciate all who are willing to vote for our products and are proud to continue bringing you the best products we can offer. Thank you for the support.

Sincerely,
The EXAIR Team
@exair
1-800-903-9247