When looking to solve an industrial process problem, EXAIR is the go-to solutions provider. Such was the case in a recent application with a customer in South America. The company manufactures a variety of different caps used for glass bottles in the food & beverage industries. They have an issue with debris from the environment sticking to the insides of the caps.
Their current production speed worked at around 200 caps per minute. Their solution for mitigating static was an ionized blower system. With this solution, they had maxed out the speed at which they could produce the caps while still removing the particles that would adhere to the insides. At higher speeds, residual contamination was left on the caps.
The customer is looking to construct a new line that can operate at speeds of up to 300 caps per minute. To do so, they began seeking out a different solution for their static troubles. The issue with blower-based ionizers is that the turbulent nature of the airflow causes some of the ions to cancel one another out before reaching the target. EXAIR’s Gen4 Static Eliminators utilize a laminar flow of high-velocity air to transport both positive and negative ions to a surface that needs to be treated.
After reviewing some photos of their current setup, I recommended implementing some of EXAIR’s Gen4 Stay Set Ion Air Jets to be positioned over each run of caps. In addition, we recommended angling the flow from the jets in a manner counter to the direction that the caps were traveling. As we recommend for any static, blowoff, cooling, or drying process it’s important to take advantage of counter-flow to maximize the time in contact the part has with the airflow. The longer we can remain in contact with the part or material, the more successful we’ll be at neutralizing the static (or cooling, drying, or any blowoff process).
The Gen4 Ion Air Jet is a compact ionizer that is capable of delivering a concentrated, ionized airflow. This is particularly critical in sensitive applications where a large area of airflow could disturb the process or surrounding materials. The quiet, focused air stream can quickly eliminate the static charge on surfaces. At a pressure of 80 psig the Ion Air Jet is capable of dissipating a 5kV charge in just .18 seconds!
In addition to providing rapid static decay, the Ion Air Jet also helps to minimize compressed air use while maximizing the ionizing airflow. Utilizing a specially designed shim, the Ion Air Jet entrains ambient air at a rate of 5:1. The Ion Air Jet can be adjusted from a “blast” to a “breeze” simply by increasing or decreasing the inlet pressure to the ionizer.
When precise positioning is necessary, as was the case in this application, the addition of the Stay Set Hose and magnetic base allows for simple installation and directing of the ionized airflow. It’s also useful in applications where frequent repositioning may be required due to product or material changeovers.
If you’re looking to improve on a process in your manufacturing facility, give EXAIR a call and see what we can do to get the most out of your compressed air.
Tyler Daniel, CCASS
Application Engineer
E-mail: TylerDaniel@EXAIR.com
Twitter: @EXAIR_TD