In today’s market, the cost of consumable products are on the rise; especially with paints, oils, and yes, even the cost of water. You can help alleviate some of that cost by being more effective in spraying with less liquid. The EXAIR Atomizing Nozzles can accomplish both of these objectives. By using compressed air, the liquid can be sheared into smaller micron-sized droplets. As a reference, if the diameter of a particle is reduced by one-half, this will multiply the number of droplets by eight. With a smaller diameter, it will increase the surface area and coverage of the droplets; thus, requiring less liquid in your application. In combination with a variety of spray patterns, you can accurately target the liquid onto the product instead of around the product. EXAIR manufactures three families of Atomizing Nozzles; Internal Mix, External Mix, and the Siphon Fed. In this blog, I will be focusing on the External Mix Atomizing Nozzles.
The External Mix Atomizing Nozzles are designed, like the name suggests, to atomize the liquid outside the nozzle. This means that the liquid and air streams will not come into contact until it reaches the outward atomizing area (reference photo above). Both the air and liquid supply will have to be pressurized, and they can be controlled independently. This type of Atomizing Nozzle will allow for higher viscous fluids, above 300 CPS, to be used in spraying applications. With the external mixing, it will help to reduce the drying effect of the solution and interrupting the system. EXAIR manufactures these nozzles with stainless-steel construction making them compatible with many different kinds of liquids and can be used in many applications like washing, coating, cooling, quenching, and dust control.
EXAIR carries three different body sizes in 1/8” NPT, ¼” NPT, and ½” NPT ports; so, you can create a light mist or a monsoon. The maximum liquid flow rates through each body size is controlled by the air caps and liquid caps. These caps are easily interchangeable for each body size to modify the spray patterns, control the amount of fluid, and reduce any downtime if cleaning is required. The amount of liquid to be applied is easily adjusted by the inlet air pressure, liquid pressure, and the liquid adjusting stem. So, you can dial in the exact amount of fluid required for your process to eliminate any waste or excess. They have a compact design to mount inside tight areas, and we also carry mounting brackets for easy attachment and positioning. Versatility is very important in saving, applying, and spraying costly fluids, and the External Mix Atomizing Nozzles have it.
To help reduce excess fluid even more, EXAIR has a No Drip option. This patented design is used to keep the expensive liquid from dripping out of the Atomizing Nozzles during off cycles. When the compressed air is turned off, a valve inside the body will create a seal on the liquid side. For delicate applications, the unwanted drips will not occur with the No Drip option to ruin the finish of your product. This option also enhances the function of the External Mix Atomizing Nozzle for intermittent processes. It will keep the liquid inside the body of the nozzle; so, when air pressure is applied, the Atomizing Nozzle will give an instant spray. The minimum air pressure required to open the No Drip valve is 30 PSIG (2.1 bar) for the ¼” NPT and the ½” NPT port sizes, and 20 PSIG (1.4 bar) for the 1/8” port size; still allowing for flexibility in compressed air adjustments. Unlike some manufacturers, there is no need to run a separate compressed air line to operate the no drip function. The External Mix Atomizing Nozzles with the No Drip options can give you the best performance in efficiency, effectiveness, and flexibility without any drips.
If you need to maximize the liquid dispersion and minimize liquid consumption, the EXAIR Atomizing Nozzles are the products to use. Even if you have a viscous fluid, the External Mix Atomizing Nozzles can still shear the drops into a fine mist, saving the amount of expensive consumable oils and liquids. If you have an application involving liquid spraying, an Application Engineer at EXAIR can help determine the correct model for you.
John Ball
Application Engineer
Email: johnball@exair.com
Twitter: @EXAIR_jb