In high-dust industrial environments, ordinary electric shop vacs often fall short. They clog quickly, motors burn out from constant use, and they can even return fine particles back into your breathing air. The EXAIR Heavy Duty… More
The ROI of Engineered Air: Why Your Compressed Air Setup Is Costing You More Than It Should
The electrical costs associated with generating compressed air make it the most expensive utility in any industrial facility. In order to help offset these costs, it’s imperative that the system is operating as efficiently as possible. Taking a holistic look at your system, from the distribution piping down to the individual nozzle, reveals several opportunities to reduce your energy footprint without sacrificing performance.
The first and most impactful step is to identify and fix leaks within the distribution piping. According to the Compressed Air Challenge, up to 30% of all compressed air generated is lost through leaks, which can account for nearly 10% of your overall energy costs. These leaks do more than just waste money; they cause a drop in system pressure that forces equipment to cycle on and off more frequently. This leads to rejected products, increased maintenance, and unscheduled downtime. You can perform a professional audit using an EXAIR Model 9207 Ultrasonic Leak Detector to pinpoint these losses or hire an energy audit service to lead the process.
While fixing leaks addresses the distribution side, you must also look at how that air is managed at the point of use. Regulating the supply pressure for individual devices is a massive opportunity for savings. Most shop air runs at a default 80-90 PSIG or higher, but many general blowoff applications can be accomplished with the same level of efficiency at 50 or 60 PSIG. By installing pressure regulators at each device, you reduce consumption immediately. For every 2 PSIG you reduce at the compressor, you save approximately 1% in energy costs.
The hardware you choose for these applications is equally critical. Inefficient, homemade solutions like crimped copper tubes are often thought to be cheap, but the cost to supply them with air far outweighs the price of an engineered solution. An engineered nozzle, such as EXAIR’s line of Super Air Nozzles, utilizes the Coanda effect to entrain free ambient air into the stream. This maximizes force while keeping compressed air usage to an absolute minimum.
Finally, the overall health and operation of the system rely on consistent maintenance and simple human intervention. Inadequate compressor maintenance leads to lower efficiency and higher heat, so a regular preventative schedule for heat exchangers, lubricants, and filters is non-negotiable. Beyond mechanical upkeep, the simplest method to save is to shut off the air when it isn’t in use. Whether operators are on lunch or a shift has ended, simply turning a valve to stop the supply of air is a no-brainer that prevents leaks from wasting power during downtime. Each of these steps, while minute on their own, works together to significantly reduce your overall air consumption and energy costs.
Tyler Daniel, CCASS
Assistant Application Engineering Manager
E-mail: TylerDaniel@EXAIR.com
Measuring and Adding Sounds
My colleague, Russ Bowman, wrote a blog about “Sound Power vs Sound Pressure vs Sound Pressure Level”. He discussed the logarithmic equations around sound. I will be discussing what happens when you have more than one sound source, as often heard within manufacturing plants. Sounds can be added together to determine the overall sound level that you hear. This is very important when it comes to minimizing hearing loss.
In looking at a single source of sound, sound pressure is created by the loudness of a noise. The units are measured in Pascals. The lowest pressure perceived by human hearing is 0.00002 Pa, and we can use this value as a reference point. From sound pressures, we can arrive at a sound pressure level which is measured in decibel, dB. This correlation between sound pressures and sound pressure levels are calculated by Equation 1:
L = 20 * Log10 (P / Pref)
L – Sound Pressure Level, dB
P – Sound pressure, Pa
Pref – reference sound pressure, 0.00002 Pa
As an example, the sound pressure from a passenger car as heard from the roadside is 0.1 Pa. With Equation 1, we can get the following decibel level:
L = 20 * Log10 (0.1Pa/0.00002Pa) = 74 dB
Because human ears are sensitive to different frequencies, the sound pressure levels can be modified, or weighted, to indicate an effective loudness level for humans. This adjustment is done in two different ways; A-weighting and C-weighting. The C-weighting is for very loud noises with high peaks or sharp impacts like gunfire. The A-weighting is the most used value as the sound pressure levels are adjusted by the frequency level. For higher and lower frequencies, the change in the sound value is much greater than the mid-level frequencies that are within our hearing range. Sound measurements for safety are measured on an A-weighted scale. OSHA created a chart in the standard 29CFR-1910.95(a). It shows the noise levels over exposure times for an operator. To use the OSHA chart accurately, the total noise level in dBA should be calculated.
To determine the total sound level, we can add all the sound pressure levels together by Equation 2:
Equation 2:
Where L1, L2… represents the sound pressure level in dBA for each sound source.
As an example, a manufacturing plant had an operator using a machine that had four copper tubes to blow off a cutting operation (reference photo below).
The decibel level for a copper tube was measured at 98 dBA. The total amount of sound that the operator was exposed to was determined by Equation 2 with four values.
L = 10 * log10 (109.8 + 109.8 + 109.8 + 109.8)
L = 104 dBA
In looking at the OSHA chart above, the operator would only be allowed to operate the machine only a little over one hour without hearing protection. In this same example, we replaced the copper tubes with an EXAIR Super Air Nozzle, model 1100SS. The noise level for each nozzle is 74 dBA at 80 PSIG (5.5 bar). By replacing all four copper tubes with Super Air Nozzles, Equation 2 becomes:
L = 10 * log10 (107.4 + 107.4+ 107.4 + 107.4)
L = 80 dBA
The total sound level is now in accordance with OSHA regulations for the operator to work all 8 hours at the machine without hearing protection.
A commonly used acronym for hearing safety is NIHL, or Noise Induced Hearing Loss. To keep your operators safe and reduce NIHL, it is important to measure the total sound level in that area. As a protocol in safety, it is a requirement to use engineering standards before purchasing personal protective equipment or PPE. For the customer above, they followed that protocol with our Super Air Nozzles. If you need to reduce noise levels in your facility, EXAIR offers a large line of blow-off products that can meet the safety requirements. You can contact an Application Engineer for more information.
John Ball
Application Engineer
Email: johnball@exair.com
Twitter: @EXAIR_jb
How the EXAIR Chip Trapper Transforms Coolant Maintenance
In today’s manufacturing environment, efficiency isn’t just about cycle times; it’s about reducing waste, extending fluid life, and minimizing downtime. One of the most overlooked areas of optimization is coolant maintenance. That’s where the EXAIR Chip Trapper System comes in. Designed for simplicity and performance, the Chip Trapper offers a smarter way to remove chips, swarf, and sludge from contaminated liquids—without the headaches of traditional systems.
The Problem with Dirty Coolant
If you’re running CNC machines, lathes, mills, or parts washers, you already know the pain:
- Coolant becomes contaminated with chips and fines
- Bacterial growth leads to foul odors
- Pumps clog and maintenance increases.
- Fluid replacement costs add up quickly.
In many shops, coolant is replaced far more often than necessary—simply because there’s no efficient way to clean it.
What Is the EXAIR Chip Trapper?
The EXAIR Chip Trapper System is a compressed air-powered vacuum system designed to separate solids from liquids quickly and efficiently.
It works by:
- Vacuuming contaminated coolant into a drum
- Capturing chips and debris in a reusable filter bag
- Returning clean liquid back to the machine
This simple but effective process allows you to reuse coolant instead of disposing of it.
See It in Action
Key Features That Set It Apart
1. No Moving Parts = No Downtime
Unlike electric pumps, the Chip Trapper uses compressed air—meaning no motors to clog or wear out.
2. Reusable Filtration System
The filter bag captures solids while allowing clean coolant to pass through, reducing waste and operating costs.
3. Fast Operation
Systems can fill a 55-gallon drum in minutes, dramatically reducing cleanup time.
4. Complete, Ready-to-Use System
Available in 30, 55, or 110-gallon configurations, each unit comes with a drum and all necessary components.
Real-World Applications
The Chip Trapper is ideal for:
- CNC machines
- Lathes and mills
- Parts washers
- Sumps and tanks
- Grinding operations
It’s especially valuable in shops where coolant contamination is frequent and costly.
ROI: Where It Pays Off
The biggest advantage of the Chip Trapper is cost savings. By extending coolant life, shops can:
- Reduce fluid replacement costs
- Minimize disposal fees
- Cut maintenance time
- Improve machine uptime
In some cases, coolant life can be extended several times over with regular use.
The EXAIR Chip Trapper System isn’t just a cleanup tool—it’s a productivity upgrade. By turning dirty coolant into reusable fluid in minutes, it helps manufacturers cut costs, reduce waste, and keep machines running at peak performance.
If you’re still dumping coolant instead of reclaiming it, it might be time to rethink your process. Give me a call and let’s talk about the application!
| Jordan Shouse Application Engineer E: JordanShouse@exair.com O: (513) 671‑3322 F: (513) 671‑3363 A: 11510 Goldcoast Dr Cincinnati OH 45249 www.exair.com Find time on my calendar by scheduling a meeting here. |
Getting to Know the ATEX EasySwitch
EXAIR has a new addition to our Industrial Housekeeping product line, the ATEX EasySwitch Wet-Dry Vacuum System. This system will give all the convenience of our traditional EasySwitch, but suitable for use in ATEX rated zones. Below is a brief video highlighting the product’s grounding continuity.
If you have questions about the ATEX EasySwitch, or anything regarding EXAIR and our products, please do not hesitate to reach out.
Jason Kirby
Application Engineer
Email: jasonkirby@exair.com
Twitter: @EXAIR_jk