Month: June 2017

The Power of Optimization

Published on by John BallLeave a comment

When you take your car into the service shop for an oil change, you notice that they will check all the fluids, air filter, the belt, tire pressure, etc.  The reason that they do this is twofold.  They want to make sure that your car will not run into any potential safety problems and to get the maximum performance from your vehicle.

EXAIR has been in the forefront of selling efficient, safe, and effective products since 1983.  In that time, we wanted to become more than a manufacturer.  We wanted to also provide a way to improve your compressed air system.  We developed this into our Optimization product line.   By design, these products are also twofold.  First, it shows the importance of saving compressed air, improving safety and refining processes.  Second, it helps to improve the performance of your compressed air system to get the most out of it.   I am going to discuss a few points of each product below:

Electronic Flow Control

Electronic Flow Control:  The EFC is designed to save compressed air.  If there are any time gaps in a blowing or cooling application, then we should turn off the compressed air.  The EFC is a miniature timing PLC that uses a photoelectric sensor to turn off the compressed air.  By using less compressed air, you will be able to save a bunch of money.  This is why the light bulb in your refrigerator goes off when the door is closed (or does it?).

Digital Sound Level Meter

Digital Sound Level Meter:  This device is used for measuring sound level.  For safety reasons, OSHA sets a decibel ratings for work environments.  The Digital Sound Level Meter is calibrated to a NIST standard to accurately measure noise level.  If you have poor nozzles on your air guns or open pipes for blow-offs, you could be violating the OSHA standard 29CFR 1910.95(a), which will result in fines.  EXAIR products are designed to meet this standard.

Ultrasonic Leak Detector

Ultrasonic Leak Detector (ULD):   Many compressed air systems have leaks.  If they go unnoticed, this will affect the overall capacity of the compressed air system as well as costing a lot of money.  Leaks can account for one-third of your compressed air output.  The ULD can find these leaks to optimize your system and to improve the “health” of your compressor.

Digital Flowmeter

Digital Flowmeter (DFM):  If you can measure flow, then you can find many ways to optimize.  The DFM is able to show and record the amount of flow that you are using in your compressed air system.  You can also use the Digital Flowmeters to find leaks, diagnose pneumatic problems, and use the recorded information for preventative maintenance.  In comparing to an open pipes or competitive products, you can easily see the air savings with EXAIR products and easily determine the payback period (which is generally in weeks).  EXAIR does offer options that are wireless, serial, or USB type of recording, so, you can continuously monitor your compressed air system 24/7.

With the Optimization products, it can “service” your compressed air system; so that, you can get the most from it.  It can save you money, make your system safe, and keep things pneumatically maintained.  If you would like discuss one or more of these products, you can contact an EXAIR Application Engineer for more details.

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

Moving Small Particles with a Heavy Duty Line Vac

Published on by Lee EvansLeave a comment
The material in this hose is conveyed vertically over 7m using an EXAIR Heavy Duty Line Vac

The image above shows a test at a customer’s facility to move a small particulate to a height of 7m (23’) with an EXAIR Line Vac.  This particulate is used in the production of hand warmers and the end user needed a method to convey the material out of 55 gallon drums.

This same customer purchased a 2” Heavy Duty Line Vac from EXAIR in 2014 which is still in use and functioning well.  So, when it came time to find a pneumatic conveyance solution for this material, they knew where to go.

This is the material which needed to be pneumatically conveyed.

And, we knew just the questions to ask to determine the best Line Vac solution.  In order to do so, we had to determine the following:

  • Bulk density of the material
  • Size of the material
  • Conveyance height
  • Conveyance distance
  • Required conveyance rate
  • Available compressed air supply

Bulk density was rather low at 320kg/m³ (~20 pounds/ft³), with a particle size between 3-5mm (~1/8”-3/16”).  The conveyance height in this application was 5-7m (16.5-23ft.), with a distance of 1-2m (3.3-6.6ft) and a desired conveyance rate of over 4kg (8.8 pounds) per minute.

Testing with a 2″ Heavy Duty Line Vac

The customer ran a test with the 2” Line Vac they have on site and the results were excellent.  Their only question was whether they could achieve the needed conveyance with a smaller unit, thereby reducing compressed air consumption and operating cost of the application.

In this case the answer was clear that a smaller Line Vac could be used due to the low bulk density of the material.  By reducing the size of the Line Vac to 1”, or perhaps 1.5” we could reduce the compressed air consumption and still meet the required performance need.

EXAIR Line Vacs have, once again, brought a viable solution to this industrial facility.  If you have a similar application or would like to discuss pneumatic conveyance needs, contact an EXAIR Application Engineer.  We’ll be happy to help.

Lee Evans
Application Engineer

LeeEvans@EXAIR.com
@EXAIR_LE

PEEK Super Air Nozzles Resist Corrosion; Won’t Scratch Sensitive Surfaces

Published on by Russ BowmanLeave a comment

Because they might be needed in some pretty aggressive environments, EXAIR offers many of our Intelligent Compressed Air Products in a variety of materials. One particular material of construction, however, has two distinct benefits. PEEK (Polyether Ether Ketone, for those of us who ruined the grading curve in CHEM102) plastic offers not only superior chemical corrosion resistance; it’s also non-marring. Since EXAIR introduced the first PEEK Super Air Nozzle in 2005, they’ve been specified all over the world; sometimes for their corrosion resistance; other times so they won’t mar or scratch sensitive surfaces…and every once in a while, for both.

I recently had the pleasure of discussing blow off applications with the production manager of a large anodizing & plating company. The chemicals used in these processes are extremely corrosive, and the equipment used in those areas has to be made of something that’ll handle it. PEEK plastic is just such a material. Also, once they’ve treated their customers’ parts, they need to handle them with care…they’re getting paid a premium to provide nice, shiny parts with a perfect finish. When they’re blowing them off, they need to use something that won’t scratch up the surface if the operator makes incidental contact with the blow off tip. Again, PEEK plastic is just such a material.  Since their existing blow offs were fitted to 1/8 NPT connections, they chose the Model 1102-PEEK Mini Super Air Nozzle.

EXAIR’s PEEK Super Air Nozzles can be mounted in place or on a Safety Air Gun, depending on your needs.

Corrosion resistant and non-marring…EXAIR offers our PEEK Super Air Nozzles in six sizes, from the Atto (M4x0.5 threads; 2.5 SCFM; 2 oz force applied) to our High Force Model 1104-PEEK (3/8 NPT threads; 35 SCFM; 1.9 lbs force applied) for an incredibly diverse range of applications.

If you’d like to discuss what material(s) of construction your application(s) require, give me a call.

Russ Bowman
Application Engineer
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Engineered Air Nozzles Reduce Noise Levels and Outlet Pressure, Meeting OSHA Requirements

Published on by exaircorpLeave a comment

“My operators are complaining that our air guns are too loud, how can you help me?” – is a very common inquiry we receive here at EXAIR on almost a daily basis. Many open end blowoffs or air guns fitted with nozzles that have cross drilled relief holes create high pitch wind shear, resulting in excessive noise levels, sometimes exceeding 100+ dBA. This not only is a safety concern but also an OSHA violation.

Variety of Air Nozzles that produce dangerously loud noise levels

Loud noises and the length of exposure time can lead to significant health concerns such as long term hearing loss, increased stress levels and potential injury due to lack of concentration. The Occupation Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) introduced Standard 29 CFR 1910.95(a) as a way to protect workers from job related injuries associated to potentially dangerous sound levels. Per the Standard, at 90 dBA an operator is limited to a maximum of 8 hours of constant exposure. As noise levels increase, the allowable exposure time decreases, in some cases slowing production, costing a company on their bottom line.

 

EXAIR’s Air Nozzles are engineered so they entrain surrounding air across the profile of the nozzle, which produces a smoother airflow, ultimately reducing wind shear, resulting in much lower sound levels, meeting the OSHA Standard.

Illustration showing the air travel of our Super Air Nozzles

 

In addition, our Air Nozzles also meet the OSHA Standard 1910.242(b) for 30 PSI dead end pressure. All of our engineered Air Nozzles provide a relief or a safe path for the air to exit if the nozzle were to be blocked or pressed against an operator’s body so the exiting air pressure will never reach 30 PSIG.

All of EXAIR’s Air Nozzles are available with standard NPT threads to easily adapt to existing air guns. We also off our full line of Safety Air Guns which are fitted with our engineered nozzles, providing an “off-the-shelf” OSHA compliant solution. For help selecting the best product to replace your existing device or if you have a new application you would like to discuss, give us a call at 800-903-9247.

Justin Nicholl
Application Engineer
justinicholl@exair.com
@EXAIR_JN