Line Vac Air Operated Conveyors Transport Cans for Quality Checks

At EXAIR, we have a family like atmosphere where we do enjoy working with each other. Every now and again, my manager will tell a “dad” joke, which makes you smile because of how silly it is. Like, “A neutron walked into a bar and ordered a beer. The neutron asked ‘how much?’ The bar tender says, ‘for you, no charge’.” Ugh… Speaking of beer, a canning facility was needing a way to quickly move empty beer cans from the conveying line to their Quality Department. Instead of having an operator sitting next to the line and picking out cans at a certain rate, they wanted to automate this action.

In discussing their process, the cans would move through the wash and drying cycle before they are filled at the filling station and capped. They wanted to verify the “cleanliness” of the beer cans before filling with a quality check for bacteria and contamination. The cans measured 2.12” (54mm) in diameter and 4.45” (113mm) in length. The distance to the Quality Lab was 20 feet (6 meters) away. They wanted to move the cans overhead at a height of 10 feet (3 meters). The destination was a storage bin next to the lab. I recommended a model 6066, 3” Stainless Steel Line Vac with a throat diameter of 2.75” (70mm). The cans could pass through the transfer hose and Line Vac without getting stuck.

The contractor that was hired to do this job, was very interested to try the Line Vac. They are very compact, easy to use, and do not have any moving parts. Initially, they were looking at a robot arm and a conveyor belt to move the empty beer cans that distance. With the EXAIR Line Vac, they were able to cut the cost of the project as well as reduced the amount of time to implement. I mentioned that EXAIR does offer a 30-day unconditional guarantee for our stocked products to try them out. And they took that opportunity to see how well the Line Vac could move the cans. Here is a video of their test.

If you need to convey materials in a quick and easy way, an EXAIR Line Vac could be a good solution for you. We have them in different styles to match your application. As compared to a conveying system which is bulky, expensive and rigid; the Line Vacs are flexible and inexpensive. Ergonomically, the Line Vacs are designed to save back-wrenching labor in picking up bags, climbing stairs, and dumping material into hoppers. For the canning facility above, it saved the company the extra labor for an operator. For our U.S. and Canadian customers, we are running a promotional ad. You will receive a 2” Flat Super Air Nozzle, a $75.00 value, for free from now until the end of October 2021 with a qualified purchase online. If you would like to discuss your conveying application further, please contact an Application Engineer at EXAIR. We may have the perfect solution for you.