Month: July 2015

Post-Harvest Vegetable Washing Application

Published on by Lee EvansLeave a comment

I remember a conversation I had with Neal Raker a few years ago about post-harvest fruit processing.  We were discussing the merits of a Super Air Knife in such an application, and how far away from the fruit we could realistically mount the Air Knife while still achieving sufficient results.

Ultimately, the answer was dependent on the line speed of the fruit, the shape, and the quantity/depth of the fruit on the conveyor.  Recently, I had an end user with a similar need.  However, instead of drying fruit, this customer needed to dry vegetables.

Vegetable drying
Vegetable rinsing conveyor in need of Super Air Knife

The vegetables are placed at the far end of the conveyor shown above.  They quickly pass through a rinse to remove any dirt or contaminants on the vegetables, and proceed to the close end of the conveyor.  After the vegetables leave the rinsing area, and before they reach the end of the conveyor, they need to be blown off.

This need is what prompted the end user to contact EXAIR.  We discussed the application details and opted for a 42″ 316 Stainless Steel Super Air Knife, installed with a 45 degree angle of attack.  This setup will provide the best possible blow off and water removal for this application, will take up minimal space in the surrounding area, and will provide an OSHA compliant solution

If you have an application in need of an EXAIR product, or would like to discuss your application with an EXAIR Application Engineer, give us a call.

Lee Evans
Application Engineer
LeeEvans@EXAIR.com
@EXAIR_LE

Non-Hazardous Purge Cabinet Cooler

Published on by John BallLeave a comment

A company that manufacturers metal sheeting opted to do a program in preventative maintenance.  They looked at the potential problems that could occur within their process.  One potential problem was the over-temp fault with their VFDs, Variable Frequency Drives.   VFDs control the speed of the motors that run the production line.  With the summer months approaching, the ambient temperatures would rise increasing the temperatures inside their cabinets.  In this industry, production is very extensive, and they wanted to prevent the fault from occurring on the VFDs.

They contacted me because they were interested in EXAIR Cabinet Cooler Systems. I asked the general questions to correctly size the Cabinet Cooler; the dimensions, maximum ambient temperature, current ambient temperature, and current internal temperature within the cabinet.  When they went to check the temperature inside the cabinet, they noticed that the electrical components were dirty and dusty.  This raised a flag in determining the correct type of Cabinet Cooler.  Being the plant had a dirty environment, the dust particles were able to get into every little crevice and spot.  Another issue was created with the efficiency and effectiveness of the filthy electrical components.

Dusty Electronics
Dusty Electronics

An option for the EXAIR Cabinet Coolers is the Non-Hazardous Purge (NHP).  This product is designed to continuously bleed about 1 SCFM (28 SLPM) of compressed air into the cabinet.  This will cause a slight positive pressure to keep any dust particles from migrating into the electrical cabinet.  From the heat load calculation, the NHP4340 was the correct EXAIR Cabinet Cooler selected.  This would accomplish two things:  keep the electrical components cool during heavy operations and keep the electrical components dust free.   With this complete system which included the thermostat control and the NHP solenoid valve, the company was able to save compressed air during the cooler months and keep the dust off the electrical components.  Now that I shared the preventative maintenance program from this company, you can use it to your advantage to keep your electrical components cool and clean.  If you have any questions, you can always contact the Application Engineers.

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

 

Creative common license type by Dennis van Zuijlekom.

Independence Day

Published on by Russ BowmanLeave a comment

I think the Fourth of July might be my favorite summer holiday. Warm weather, picnics, family, friends, fireworks…and a day off to enjoy it all to its fullest! It’s also the second summer holiday in fairly rapid succession; coming just a few weeks after Memorial Day. I’ve written before (twice, actually) about the differences in what we’re observing on these two holidays, but I’m still keenly aware of their importance to our American heritage: Memorial Day, as a time to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country and our freedoms. And Independence Day, as, what John Adams called, “the great anniversary festival:”

“I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival…to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more.”
-John Adams, in a letter to his wife, upon signing the Declaration of Independence.

Since Independence Day falls on a Saturday this year, the management at EXAIR have graciously given us the day off on July 3rd in observance of the holiday. My neighborhood is decorated, as usual, with American flags up and down every street. I’m doubly blessed that where I get to spend my weekdays, and where I get to spend my weeknights & weekends, are both in tune with celebrating what I like to call the American Dream.

My fellow veterans at EXAIR on the left; my neighborhood on the right. Great places to spend time.
My fellow veterans at EXAIR on the left; my neighborhood on the right. Great places to spend time.

For all of you in the United States, happy birthday to US, and all my best wishes for a wonderful weekend to everyone.

Russ Bowman
Application Engineer
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Stay Cool

Published on by exaircorpLeave a comment

When you walk outside, do you feel like life itself is being pulled right from you due to the heat and humidity? Normal chores become increasingly difficult to perform as you feel the need to take frequent breaks to try and recover? Sometimes it just becomes too much to handle and you finally give in and succumb to the conditions. Needing some type of relief, you run back into the air conditioning or sit in front of a fan to cool off.

IMG_0009
“It’s so hot you could literally fry an egg”

While the higher temps can cause nuisances at home, they can be extremely problematic when dealing with the sensitive electrical components in your control panel. Already under a high demand to keep your facility operational, when you add in the extra heat and humidity, you have a recipe for failure. Luckily, EXAIR has you covered with our Cabinet Cooler Systems.

Our Cabinet Cooler incorporates a Vortex Tube that creates 2 air streams form the compressed air supply – 1 cold airstream and 1 hot airstream. The unit is designed to mount on the top of a sealed enclosure with the created hot airstream is exhausting external to the cabinet while the cold air is exhausted into the cabinet at a slight positive pressure. As a result, the hot, dirty air rises and is purged from the cabinet so only the cold, clean air is left circulating inside.  Humidity is kept to a minimum as the external air is unable to re-enter the enclosure.

CC how it works
Low cost, simple way to keep electrical components cool.

We offer systems for NEMA 12, NEMA 4 or NEMA 4X ratings, ranging from 275 Btu/hr. up to our largest dual system providing 5,600 Btu/hr. of cooling capacity. Additionally we offer special High Temperature Systems suitable up to 200°F, our Non-Hazardous Purge option supplying a constant 1 SCFM of air and our Special 316ss units.

Selecting the right model is simplified by using our Cabinet Cooler Sizing Guide. This provides us all of the pertinent details to accurately calculate your current heat load and make our recommendation. Of course, you can always call one of our application engineers for assistance too.

Justin Nicholl
Application Engineer
justinnicholl@exair.com
@EXAIR_JN

 

IT IS SO HOT image courtesy of Kate Ter Haar via Creative Commons License