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 when spraying these liquids.
The EXAIR Atomizing Nozzles can accomplish this by using compressed air to shear the liquid into small micron-sized droplets. By reducing the diameter of a particle by half, this will multiply the number of droplets by eight. This will increase the surface area and coverage of the droplets; thus, requiring less material in your application. EXAIR manufactures three families of Atomizing Nozzles; Internal Mix, External Mix, and the Siphon Fed. In this blog, I will cover the Siphon Fed Atomizing Nozzles that EXAIR manufactures.
When no liquid pressure is available, the Siphon Fed Atomizing Nozzles will create a vacuum to draw the liquid into the nozzle. This action is done by the unique design of the air cap. As the velocity of the air passes through the air cap, a low pressure is created by a venturi. The Siphon Fed Atomizing Nozzles can draw liquid from a suction height of 36” (91 cm), or it can be gravity fed from 18” (46 cm) away. They are manufactured from stainless steel for durability and corrosion resistance. The Siphon Fed models can spray viscous fluids up to 200 centipoise, and are 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 rate through each body size is controlled by the air cap and liquid cap. A unique feature of the EXAIR Atomizing Nozzle is that the 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. Here is a video that shows how this can be done:
The amount of liquid to be applied is easily adjusted by the siphon height, the inlet pressure, and the liquid adjusting stem. So, you can dial in the exact amount of fluid required for your process to eliminate any excess waste. They are very compact and easy to install. We carry mounting brackets for each size to allow for easy mounting and positioning. Versatility is very important in saving, applying, and spraying costly fluids; and, the Siphon Fed Atomizing Nozzle has it.
To help reduce waste 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. When the compressed air is turned off, a valve inside the body will create a seal on the liquid side. For delicate applications, the No Drip options will eliminate unwanted drips that can ruin the finish of your product. This option also enhances the function of the Siphon Fed 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. Unlike some manufacturers, there is no need to run a separate compressed air line to operate the no drip function. The Siphon Fed Atomizing Nozzle with the No Drip option is compact, efficient, and precise without any drips.
If you need to maximize the liquid dispersion and minimize liquid consumption, the EXAIR Atomizing Nozzles are the products to use. Instead of researching the requirements for liquid pumps or pressure pots, the Siphon Fed Atomizing Nozzle can draw the liquid through the feed line and start spraying. It can help reduce the cost of your project as well as save you money on your consumable products. 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