Month: July 2015

Escape to the Hills

Published on by Dave WoernerLeave a comment

I’m leaving for a short three day vacation this week in Hocking Hills. This is my biannual family reunion of my Great Grandfather’s family the Trouts. This will be our 7th or 8th trip down there, and I still have yet to go hiking at Old Man’s Cave, the local tourist attraction. I have always stuck closer to the pool and the golf course and away from the trail. Russ Bowman puts me to shame. He heads up there every year with his boys to go hiking and camping, and we tend to stay at a cabin which is more like a hotel with some wood paneling. To each their own.

For my parent’s generation the reunion is a chance to catch up with cousins that they spent summers with growing up. For my generation, it is a chance to meet and reconnect with our second cousins that we normally would only see at weddings and funerals. The three day reunion allows a longer more free flowing opportunity to see who people are. It is a different perceptive to get to know people that have a lot of history in common, but you only see once in a while. Most of the weekend is amazingly unscheduled, so you can come and go as you please.

This will be different for me. I’m taking my son who was born last August to meet his third cousins. It is different for a couple reasons. First, now I don’t just have to worry how I behave at the family reunion. I have to make sure my son doesn’t head-butt the other babies like he has been known to do at day care. Second, my family gets to see him grow up and learn stories about me when I was his age through the eyes of the people that were there and knew me best. I hope they stay away from a few stories until he is older, but probably not.

Getting together with the family reminds me of working here at EXAIR. As we witnessed with the Professor’s departure, and Dear Joe’s departure we see that some people might chose to not come into work everyday anymore, but they are always a member of our community. As time passes we are constantly reminded of their impact. With the Professor’s message we constantly drive to safe customers compressed air energy, and Joe always reminded us that we are here for the customer first, and if you can, help them in any way you should.

But, of course, the messages from those two individuals are the result of EXAIR’s company culture, our product’s ability to solve customer problems, and EXAIR’s commitment to customer service.

Contact an Application Engineer today to join our family of customers.

Dave Woerner
Application Engineer
@EXAIR_DW
DaveWoerner@EXAIR.com

Cleaning A Super Air Knife? Know Your Materials.

Published on by Lee EvansLeave a comment
IMG_5227
An Aluminum Super Air Knife, disassembled and showing how a clean unit should look

While having dinner with some friends a few days ago, another engineer in the room asked what I did for a living and where I work.  When I told them I work for EXAIR, they immediately knew the name and commented on our Super Air Knives.  This gentleman was an automation engineer and has used our Super Air Knives for automated blow off.

The ability to automate and control an instantaneous blow off makes the Super Air Knife a versatile tool in an automation application.  But, how do they stand up to cleaning over time?

The answer, is that when properly configured for the application a Super Air Knife can last indefinitely.  If the temperatures are below 82C (180F) and there is no caustic chemical used for wash-down, an aluminum knife can usually fit the bill.  But, when a caustic chemical is to be used for wash-down, a stainless steel knife, or specially configured aluminum knife must be used.

This advice was not heeded by one of our overseas customers, and the results of what happens over time are shown below.

SAK with deteriorated shim 3
Polyester shim of an aluminum Super Air Knife after the unit was cleaned with Sea Foam
SAK with deteriorated shim 4
Cap of an aluminum Super Air Knife after the unit was cleaned with Sea Foam
SAK with deteriorated shim 2
Body and cap of an aluminum Super Air Knife showing the results of improper cleaning

This customer coated the exterior of an aluminum Super Air Knife with a product by the name of Sea Foam.  The surfaces and air slot of the knife were completely covered with Sea Foam, and then the exterior was wiped down.  Over time, the Sea Foam entered into the plenum chamber of the knife and caused the polyester shim to deteriorate.

Sea Foam is a wonderful product that has found a home in many shops and maintenance departments, and for many applications it presents an excellent cleaning agent.  But, for an Aluminum Super Air Knife, it poses a problem.  But why?

Sea Foam is a combination of Isopropyl Alcohol (10%-20%), Naphtha (25%-35%), and Pale Oil (40%-60%).  Isopropyl alcohol is a solvent, naphtha is petroleum distillate that is highly flammable, and Pale Oil is a heavy distillate naphthenic oil refined from wax-free crude oil.  These characteristics make the product a “go-to” cleaner for carbon/dirt buildup, especially on metal surfaces.  But, these same characteristics are “bad news” for polyester (Aluminum Super Air Knifes use polyester shims), and over time will cause the polyester to break down (as shown in the photos above).

So, what is the solution?  First and foremost, the solution is to follow the cleaning instructions found in our Installation and Maintenance (I&M) guide.  We provide an I&M guide with every product we sell, and have free downloads available on our site here.  But, to remedy the current condition in this application we recommended one of two actions.  The first is to use a Stainless Steel Super Air Knife which will be able to handle Sea Foam.  And, the second is to make a stainless steel shim for this aluminum knife made of 0.002″ stainless steel shim stock.  Either of these solutions will not only correct the present condition, but will prevent such a problem from occurring in the future.

For our end user in this case, a short, thorough discussion with an EXAIR Application Engineer could have saved them downtime and headache.  If you have an application involving EXAIR products, never hesitate to give us a call.

Lee Evans
Application Engineer
LeeEvans@EXAIR.com
@EXAIR_LE

Heavy Duty Safety Air Gun with Extensions up to 72″

Published on by John BallLeave a comment

Have you ever walked through a facility and looked up?  Most facilities have compressed air lines, electrical conduits, HVAC duct work, lighting ballast, beams, sprinkler systems, etc. located near the ceiling.  Can you imagine the amount of dirt and debris that has been collecting up there?  I received a phone call from a food processing plant.  They knew the necessity in keeping the entire area clean, even above their equipment.  They contacted me for help in trying to remove the dirt and debris from above all the structures near the ceiling.

72" Extension on Heavy Duty Safety Air Gun
72″ Extension on Heavy Duty Safety Air Gun

I suggested the model 1330-72 Heavy Duty Safety Air Gun with a 72” (1829mm) extension.  I also suggested a model 9053 swivel fitting to help angle the 2” (51mm) Flat Super Air Nozzle, installed at the end of the extension.  The customer would use a scissor lift to reach close to the ceiling and with the 72” (1829mm) extension, they could reach all the hard-to-get areas.  The 2” (51mm) Flat Super Air Nozzle would cover a larger area above HVAC duct work and racks of pipe and conduit.  When you add the model 9053 swivel fitting, it will help in directing the force of the compressed air at the top surfaces of your target.  Adding the Heavy Duty Safety Air Gun to this assembly, it makes a very reliable, durable system that can handle the banging and bumping in this application.

Dirt and dust can get everywhere, and EXAIR can help to remove it.  We carry a variety of Safety Air Guns, Super Air Nozzles, and lengths of extension pipes.  If you cannot reach it, give us a call and ask one of our Application Engineers for help.

John Ball
Application Engineer
Email: johnball@exair.com
Twitter: @EXAIR_jb

Making Safety A Priority

Published on by Russ BowmanLeave a comment

Everyone has heard the term “idiot-proof,” and most of us know what a misnomer it is. No matter how hard we try to ensure that nothing can go wrong with a plan, there’s always going to be that possibility. And when it does, it’s frequently going to be traceable back to human error. Of course, material failures happen, and they can be darn near impossible to predict…anyone who’s ever owned an automobile for any length of time surely knows this.

Sometimes, not keeping up with regular maintenance is to blame...
Sometimes, not keeping up with regular maintenance is to blame…
...but, it can happen to anyone, it seems.
…but, it can happen to anyone, it seems.

In the Navy, we had another term, which, curiously, none of us ever regarded as derogatory: “sailor-proof.” It, of course, meant the same thing, and its use always provoked the same warning about how difficult it was to achieve. Of course, our training, attention to detail, and self-preservation instincts ensured a pretty good track record, as far as safety goes.

I was thinking about all this when I saw, in recent news, that a British submarine shipyard had trapped two workers inside a ballast tank by accident. When banging on the hull with a tool didn’t attract anyone’s attention, one of them was able to find a spot, near the top of the tank, where his cell phone got reception and was able to call for help.

At EXAIR, we’re dedicated to safety. Not only in providing Intelligent Compressed Air Products that comply with OSHA standards in regard to use for cleaning (1910.242(b)) – and noise levels (1910.95(a)), but also in the way we do business here. We have regular “all hands” training on subjects such as hazard communication & forklift safety. We’ve got ready access to Safety Data Sheets on any product used in the shop. Clear and visible signs indicate where personal protective gear (i.e. safety glasses, ear plugs, etc.) are required. Fork lift paths are clearly defined, and nobody operates one without current and specific certification. I’ve said it before and I’m proud to say it again: Getting hurt on the job is the last thing someone has to worry about here, because safety is the first thing everybody is thinking about.

Is your company paying that kind of attention to safety? If you use compressed air products for cleaning, blow off, cooling, etc., we’ll be happy to discuss that aspect with you, just to make sure. Give us a call.

Russ Bowman
Application Engineer
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Aston Martin Vantage S broken down image courtesy Paul Townsend. Creative Commons License.

busted image courtesy Jenny oh. Creative Commons License.