Month: January 2024

Product Overview: EXAIR’s Intellistat Ion Air Nozzle for Static Elimination in Clean rooms and Laboratories

Published on by Tyler DanielLeave a comment

The newest addition to EXAIR’s line of Intellistat Static Eliminators is the Intellistat Ion Air Nozzle. The Intellistat Ion Air Nozzle takes the same design and capabilities of our Intellistat Ion Air Gun, but includes a pre-installed mounting stand for hands-free static elimination at assembly stations and bench top applications.

The +/- 30V offset allows you to achieve a very low residual charge at impressive static decay rates, reducing 1000V down to 100V in just 0.6 seconds. We’ve taken the same engineered nozzle technology used in our line of Super Air Nozzles to ensure the nozzle operates well below the OSHA standards for both noise exposure (29 CFR 1910.95(a)) and dead-end pressure (OSHA 1910.242(b)). The nozzle is also very efficient, minimizing compressed air usage compared to open tubes or pipes commonly used in blowoff applications. At a pressure of 80 PSIG, the Intellistat Ion Air Nozzle consumes just 5.8 SCFM of compressed air.

The nozzle assembly is constructed from durable dissipative polycarbonate to assure its usefulness in applications that require non-conductivity such as circuit boards or electronics manufacturing. It provides ionized airflow useful for removing dust, static, or particulate contaminants in sterile environments such as clean rooms, laboratories, or scientific testing.

In processes that require operators to have both hands free for packaging, testing, or assembly of small parts and products, the Intellistat Ion Air Nozzle is the ideal solution. It includes a 6mm push-in air connection and incorporates red and green LED lights to indicate proper functionality and performance.

EXAIR’s line of Intellistat products is UL listed and CE compliant, following suit with EXAIR’s complete line of Gen4 Static Eliminators. Take a look at our wide range of available solutions offered to ship same-day from stock on our website! If you need help identifying the best solution for your specific application, Application Engineers are standing by to help you via phone, chat, or e-mail. Reach out today!

Tyler Daniel, CCASS

Application Engineer

E-mail: TylerDaniel@EXAIR.com

Twitter: @EXAIR_TD

Video Blog: EXAIR’s brand new Static Eliminator will blow your socks off!

Published on by Jordan T ShouseLeave a comment

I just wrote a blog about the release of our new 8600 Bench top Ionizer. You can read it here! I wanted to follow that blog up with a video showing the product in action and what comes in the box!

The EXAIR Varistat Bench top Ionizer is a blower-style static eliminator that is specifically designed to eliminate static charges on surfaces in demanding industrial settings where static can be a problem. By utilizing ionizing technology, the Varistat produces a continuous flow of ion-balancing airflow to keep products free from static and particles. It operates hands-free and does not require compressed air. The Varistat can be manually adjusted to provide complete static elimination coverage for workbenches, part assembly, web cleaning, and more. It can be easily mounted on equipment or placed on workbenches to ensure consistent static neutralization. With its impressive efficiency, the Varistat Ionizer can reduce 1000 volts to 100 volts in just 0.8 seconds, effectively removing surface static from a distance. It is designed to fit various industrial applications and unique processes, offering customizable options such as an adjustable stand for mounting, selectable voltage, variable fan speed, and adjustable polarity.

If you have an application you think the 8600 Bench top Ionizer can help, give us a call! We have a team of Application Engineers on the ready to help select a product for your application! EXAIR is still shipping orders out on the same day. If you need a solution, and you need it fast, give us a call.

Jordan Shouse
Application Engineer

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Twitter: @EXAIR_JS

Entrainment: How It Works, and Why EXAIR Products Use It.

Published on by John BallLeave a comment
EXAIR Super Air Nozzle entrainment

Because of the large amount of energy required to run an air compressor, the pneumatic system is considered the fourth utility in a manufacturing plant.  And saving this commodity and using it as efficiently as you can, should be a priority.  EXAIR has many products that can save this energy safely and effectively.  And the story behind the efficiency of EXAIR products is Bernoulli’s equation. 

Bernoulli’s principle explains how a high velocity fluid can generate a low pressure.  (You can read more about Bernoulli’s principle HERE.)  Let’s start by looking at Equation 1.

Equation 1:

P + p * V2/2 = C 

P – pressure

p – density of the fluid

V – velocity

C – a constant

As you can see from Equation 1, when the velocity goes up, the pressure must go down.  When we have a lower pressure, then the surrounding fluid will have to fill that void.  Since air is a fluid, this is how we can entrain the free ambient air while only using a small amount of compressed air.  Bernoulli’s Principle can be applied in two ways; as a Coanda and as a Venturi.  EXAIR uses both methods in our products for creating low-pressure effects. 

Compressed air flows through the inlet (1) to the Full Flow (left) or Standard (right) Air Knife, into the internal plenum. It then discharges through a thin gap (2), adhering to the Coanda profile (3) which directs it down the face of the Air Knife. The precision engineered & finished surfaces optimize entrainment of air (4) from the surrounding environment.

The first way is from a Coanda profile.  Coanda, named after Henri Coanda, noticed that a fluid would “hug” a curved surface.  (You can read more about Henri Coanda HERE.)  The high velocity air going around the curved surface will generate a low pressure above it.  We use this with our Full Flow and Standard Air Knives, our Air Wipes, and our Air Amplifiers.  With a Coanda profile, the low pressure will entrain the surrounding air to add mass to the air stream.  We can get an amplification ratio up to 30:1, which means that for every 1 part of compressed, 30 parts of ambient air are entrained.  We are able to create an efficient air moving (blow-off) device by using the Coanda profile. 

Generating even lower pressures can be accomplished with a Venturi.  This phenomenon is named after Giovanni Venturi, who discovered that by increasing the velocity through an orifice, the surrounding fluid will move with it, generating a lower pressure.  (You can read more about Giovanni Venturi HERE.)  Remember the higher the velocity, the lower the pressure.  We use the Venturi effect on our Super Air Knives, E-Vacs, Line Vacs, and Super Air Nozzles.  When compared to our Full Flow and Standard Air Knives, the Super Air Knives can generate an amplification ratio of 40:1.  We were able to engineer the product to increase the air entrainment efficiency even further. 

EXAIR has been manufacturing Intelligent Compressed Air® products since 1983.  We provide solutions that are efficient, effective, and safe for air moving and blow-off systems.  Consider the following analogy; homemade air movers and blow-off devices are the equivalent to incandescent light bulbs. EXAIR products are the equivalent to LED light bulbs.  More efficient design leads to lower operating cost, higher efficiency and a higher level of effectiveness. Entrainment of free ambient air can save you a lot of money and increase your mass flow with your compressed air use to generate higher forces on your targets.  If you would like to discuss solutions to use less compressed air, an Application Engineer is available to help.    

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

Gen4 Stay Set Ion Air Jet Solves Printing Problem for PVC Manufacturer

Published on by Tyler DanielLeave a comment

We have mentioned here on the EXAIR Blog numerous times just how bad static can get in cooler, dryer regions with low humidity. The amount of moisture in the air is expressed as relative humidity. This value is given as a percentage of water vapor in the air, compared to how much it could hold at that temperature. In conditions of lower relative humidity, static charges build up much easier. When the relative humidity is high, there’s a higher concentration of water molecules present in the air. These water molecules “coat” the surface of the material, allowing electrons to move more freely and form a layer over the material. This layer of water molecules acts like a lubricant, reducing the forces that cause static to generate. There are many applications that static may only pose an issue once the climate changes. 

This could lead one to deduce that tropical climates don’t experience static, given the high humidity present in these areas. While it may be LESS common to experience static troubles in humid conditions, it’s far from impossible.

Such was the case during my recent visit with our partners in Costa Rica. A client of theirs that handles a variety of extruded PVC pipes and shapes was having some problems with a printing process. In their line, after the pipes are extruded, they must mark a batch code and company name on the outside of the pipe. On some days the residual static charge is so high that the ink won’t properly adhere to the outside of the pipes.

A process that should be automatic was requiring them to station an operator nearby to keep an eye on the printer. When issues arise, they must stop production, clean the marking off, and run it back through again. They don’t have the man-power to allocate a person to stand there and monitor things continuously, so this has led to some batches going out marked wrong and leading to rejection and subsequent return.

Fortunately, EXAIR has a wide variety of products designed specifically for use in treating industrial static problems. After checking out the application, it was clear that one of our Ion Air Jets was going to provide a great solution for the customer. Since the specific location of the marking varies depending on the diameter of pipe, they needed something that could also be adjusted. I recommended our Stay Set Ion Air Jet to be installed just prior to the printing head and directed onto the pipe where we’re to apply the marking.

After installation, they continued to monitor closely for a few shifts and managed to make it through a complete day without any rejected material. They no longer have a need to monitor this step in the process and can free up personnel for more important tasks in the facility.

As winter draws to a close, don’t assume static will just automatically go away when the warmer temperatures of spring and summer arrive. In some cases, as was in this application, static can be present despite humid conditions.

Tyler Daniel, CCASS

Application Engineer

E-mail: TylerDaniel@EXAIR.com

Twitter: @EXAIR_TD