EXAIR has been making a comprehensive line of Static Eliminators for decades. Like any air blowing application, the first consideration in selection is the size & shape of the airflow that’s needed to get the job done. If you’re looking for a tight, focused airflow, we have four products to choose from: a Gen4 Ion Air Gun or Ion Air Jet, or an Intellistat Ion Air Gun or Ion Air Nozzle. So, the next step in selection is whether you want something operated by hand, or mounted in place:
From there, it’s all about where you’re going to use it, and for what. First, let’s talk about the environment:
- First off, neither of these can be used around flammable materials or gases. If you need a static eliminator for those kinds of areas, call us and we’ll provide some leads based on your specific requirements.
- If you’re going to use it in a laboratory or cleanroom environment, the Intellistat Ion Air Nozzle is the clear choice, hands down. It has an ISO 14644-1 Class 5 Cleanroom classification. The stainless steel mounting bracket makes installation & positioning quick & easy.
- For more industrial environments, consider the compact and rugged construction of the Gen4 Ion Air Jet. They have 1/8 NPT threads for the compressed air connection, and a 5ft cable to attach to the Power Supply. We can also provide them with Stay Set Hoses & Magnetic Bases for ease of mounting & positioning.
Then, details about the nature of the application will be considered:
- To prevent nuisance shocks to personnel that have to handle the material, you can likely use either. The Gen4 Ion Air Jet DOES have a faster static dissipation rate: 0.18 seconds to dissipate 5,000V, but the Intellistat Ion Air Nozzle can dissipate the charge from 5,000 to 500V in 0.6 seconds. Either way, you need at least 2,000-3,000V for a noticeable ‘zap’ so if the charge is EXTREMELY high, AND you don’t have any more than a second or two, then we can make a case for the Gen4 Ion Air Jet. Otherwise, the environment is the deciding factor.
- If you need to get the static charge to as low of a level as possible, the balanced ionized air stream from the Intellistat’s +/- 30V offset means it can reliably reduce the static charge to 100V or less, regardless of the material and where it falls on the triboelectric series. This is going to be especially important when you’re trying to prevent damage or faulty operation of sensitive electronics, for instance.
- Some applications require not only ionized air, but a fairly strong flow of it. We did an Efficiency Lab test for a snack food maker recently where they need to blow open a plastic bag with a gusset on the bottom and set it upright on a conveyor. They also need it to remain open so they can fill it, so they need ionized air to remove static charge. The Intellistat Ion Air Nozzle blew the bag open and dissipated the static charge just fine, but it didn’t have the flow & force necessary to expand the gusset so the bag would sit upright. The Gen4 Ion Air Jet did it every time, though.
No matter what you need to remove static from, EXAIR can help. If you’d like to discuss your application and product selection, give me a call.
Russ Bowman, CCASS
Application Engineer
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