Month: March 2015

Jack Frost, and Static, Just Will Not Let Go

Published on by Dave WoernerLeave a comment

As the weeks of March pass, we expect the weather to get better, but the last weeks of February has been brutal. Hopefully, Jack Frost will loss his grip as we move past the mid point of March. By the time this blog posts, it may be 60F degrees in Cincinnati, and I hope this blog is out of season. (Real time update – it will be 50F today)  In Ohio we had a fairly mild winter through December and January, but February was bitterly cold.  The bitter cold led to a few questions about static.

During cold weather the humidity in the air drops. This drop in humidity means that air can not dissipate static electricity as quickly as it does during warmer weather. Because static does not dissipate as quickly, industrial processes will create a much larger potential difference on rollers, winders, and web related products just to name a few. This potential will manifest itself in the static charges or shocks that we associate with rubbing your socks across a carpet floor. Getting into and out of your car can also be shocking experience. Shocks are one aspect of the static buildup, but the attraction and repulsion of static charges can wreck havoc on web applications.

If you have a process such as labeling, sheet feeding, or printing, that is jamming, curling, or tearing, you may have a static issue. But how can you be sure that static is causing your issue? A Static Meter! EXAIR 7905 Static Meter is a portable, non-contacting static meter that will allow you to accurately measure the static charge on large surfaces.  The meter will indicate surface voltage and polarity and is certified to NIST for accuracy and calibration traceability.

Static Meter
EXAIR Static Meter

 

Once a static problem is identified, EXAIR has a number of Static Eliminators that can be implemented to neutralize the static and restore your manufacturing process to proper operation.

Dave Woerner
Application Engineer
@EXAIR_DW
DaveWoerner@EXAIR.com

Gold Lambo, Gold iPhone, Gold Nozzle??

Published on by Lee EvansLeave a comment
Gold Lambo
Gold Lamborghini
Gold iPhone
Gold iPhone
Gold Nozzle
Gold EXAIR nozzle

Wait – gold nozzle?  That was my thought when I received the photo above showing what appears to be our 1100SST nozzle, but of a slightly different variety.

While I recognized the model number immediately, it was a bit strange to see one in such a color.  Then, I opened up the next photo attached to the email to see the “gold” air gun as well.

Gold nozzle and gun

It was plain to see that some sort of camera setting or lighting had brought about the abnormality, but it was interesting to consider (just for a second) that a gold version of our nozzles was out there floating around. (This is a somewhat similar situation to the, now infamous, dress).

And, even though EXAIR nozzles aren’t made of gold, they’ve still won gold awards as a Plant Engineering Product of the Year.  So, EXAIR customers are still getting gold even when the nozzles are made of stainless steel (or aluminum… or PEEK plastic… or brass…).

If you have an application that may benefit from an award winning nozzle design, contact an EXAIR Application Engineer.

Lee Evans
Application Engineer
LeeEvans@EXAIR.com
@EXAIR_LE

Golden Lambo image courtesy of durdaneta.  Creative Commons License
24ct Gold & Swarovski iPhone 5 image courtesy of Ashe Gold Elements.  Creative Commons License

Cold Air, Year Round

Published on by Russ BowmanLeave a comment

We’ve been experiencing some downright brutal winter conditions here in Cincinnati, Ohio, for the past couple of weeks. This is merely a statement of observation; not a complaint…I moved here, on purpose, in 1991, and I surrendered my “complain about the cold” card at the A1A/Fernandina Beach exit on I95 as I left Florida. I say this only to introduce a curious tale of two friends, who literally couldn’t live much farther away from each other and still be in the United States.  They, however, have both been rubbing it in my nose on Facebook about how much warmer it is where they are than it is in Cincinnati, where we all grew up.

I’ll start with Gregg: he lives in central Florida, and never tires of reminding his old hometown friends that it’s in the 70’s, and he’s risking a sunburn by going out on the boat this weekend. I’m sure many of us have friends like this, and they’re the reason that posts like this are so popular:

weather
Needless to say, it’s harder to like Gregg as he enjoys today’s warm Florida weather.

 

Then there’s Eddie. He’s not looking for sunblock for a day on the boat, mainly because the sun’s only been coming up where he’s at for few weeks now…see, Eddie’s in northern Alaska, where it was warmer EVERY DAY LAST WEEK than it was in Cincinnati. This is, of course, extremely out of the ordinary, and I have nothing but respect for the conditions that he endures through those winters. I still found myself being just as disgusted with Eddie as I was with Gregg for gloating about the weather last week. Hard to believe.

What I don’t find hard to believe, but still get a chuckle out of, is the days when we get multiple calls for our Vortex Tube cooling products. We joke about people needing cold air when there’s so darn much of it outside (here anyway,) but we’re well aware that there are plenty of industrial applications where heat is an issue, year round. And we’re eager to help.

Case in point: I had the pleasure of helping a customer recently who needed to keep a blade cool. This particular blade cuts plastic wrapping that is shrink fitted onto plastic soda bottles. Over time, the blade heated up, and they were getting a “ripple” effect on the edges of the label, which not only looked bad, but led to the wrapper peeling off when it got caught on pretty much anything downstream on the bottling line.

It’s a small blade, so they installed a Model 5215 Cold Gun Aircoolant System to blow a pointed stream of cold air at the cutting edge. This not only keeps the blade cool (which should result in a longer life) but it keeps any heat from transferring to the edge of the wrapping, resulting in a perfectly applied wrapper every time.

Four systems to choose from; we've got the one for your application.
Four systems to choose from; we’ve got the one you need.

Do you have an application that might be improved with a flow of cold air? If so, give me a call and let’s talk. If it’s warmer where you are than it is here, I’ll even good-naturedly listen to your gloating. This does not apply to you, Gregg and Eddie. You guys are not cool at all. Not this week, anyway.

Russ Bowman
Application Engineer
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Static Eliminator Cleaning And Maintenance

Published on by exaircorpLeave a comment

Occasionally a customer will call looking for a way to check if their EXAIR Static Eliminator is still functioning properly. The best way to determine proper operation is to use our Model # 7905 Static Meter, capable of reading up to +/- 20kV measured at 1” away.

Static Meter
Model # 7905 Digital Static Meter complete with NIST Certification, case and 9-volt battery.

With the power supply and compressed air turned off, simply take a reading of the surface of the object. You then ionize the surface and take another reading. If the digital display shows a great reduction in static charge the unit is working properly. If the charge remains at its original value or close to the original value, you may need to clean the ionizer or go through some additional steps to determine if it is functioning properly –  contact an Application Engineer for assistance.

To maintain a properly functioning Static Eliminator, the unit may require occasional cleaning depending on the environment. To do this, you first need to identify the emitter(s):

The best method to determine how well the Ionizing Bar is working is with the Model 7905 Static Meter. The static meter is easy to use and will accurately display the charge on a surface without touching it. To do this, simply measure the charge on the surface before ionizing (power supply off). Then, ionize the surface (power supply on). Measure the surface again. A “zero” volt reading indicates that the Ionizing Bar is working properly. If a charge is still present, this may indicate the need for cleaning.

Keeping the ionizing bar free of moisture and dirt is very important to its effectiveness and life-span. A simple cleaning operation added to your planned maintenance schedule can eliminate potential performance problems. The frequency of cleaning required will depend upon the environment in which the ionizer is installed. Dirty industrial applications may require daily cleaning while clean-room applications may require only monthly cleaning. It is important to evaluate the cleaning needs of each individual ionizer installation.

A soft bristle brush (a toothbrush works well) should be used to clean the emitter points and channel to remove any particulate. Do not use anything that will bend or dull the emitter points. Do not use any soaps or liquid cleaners that will leave a conductive residue. They can destroy the effectiveness of the ionizing bar. Periodic cleaning will keep the ionizer operating at peak performance for the life of the product.

If you have any questions about your existing EXAIR product(s) or to discuss a new application, give us a call.

Justin Nicholl
Application Engineer
justinnicholl@exair.com
@EXAIR_JN