The Vac-U-Gun is capable of both vacuuming materials, as well as operating as a blow gun. It has a unique design that has a reversible generator to allow modes to change simply and easily. In this blog, I will go over the Vac-u-Gun and the packages that we offer.
EXAIR’s Vac-U-Gun is a low-cost solution to a wide variety of smaller industrial housekeeping problems. The Vac-U-Gun is made from a durable die-cast construction and has no moving parts to replace or wear out. In addition to being easy to use, the Vac-U-Gun is also more efficient than the commonly found blowguns. By injecting a small amount of compressed air, a vacuum is then produced by a Venturi on one end and a high output flow on the other. Switching from vacuum mode to blow-off mode can be achieved in just a matter of seconds. To change the direction of flow, simply remove the threaded cap at the end and change the orientation of the generator inside.
The Vac-U-Gun is available by itself, or as a system in one of three different kits. The model 6192 Collection System has the Vac-u-Gun, a reusable bag, a crevice tool, a brush tool, a skimmer tool, and two extension wands. The model 6292 Transfer System has the items in model 6192 plus a 10-Foot (3 meter) vacuum hose. Model 6392 All Purpose System has all the items in both systems.
The extension wands are 19” (48 cm) long and can be used to help to reach the floor or into tough areas. The tools and extensions are made from plastic to help clean electrical panels safely. The vacuum hose can reach refuse containers to collect recyclable debris. As a blow-off tool, the Vac-u-Gun uses very little compressed air and has an amplified output of 12 times that of the compressed air usage. So, a large volume of air can help clean quickly.
If you’re looking for a versatile gun that can help boost productivity in a number of applications within your facility, look no further than the Vac-U-Gun. EXAIR offers a 30-day unconditional guarantee on our cataloged items to try. You can see for yourself how effective the Vac-u-Gun systems are. If you have any questions, an Application Engineer will be able to assist you.
EXAIR manufactures two types of Air Wipes; the Standard Air Wipe™ and the Super Air Wipe™. They are designed to blow an airstream in a concentric pattern around the outside of pipes, cables, extruded shapes, hoses and much more. In this blog, I will focus on the features and benefits of the Super Air Wipes.
Air Wipe – How it works
The Super Air Wipes are used in applications to blow-off, cool, clean and dry products. The air is blown in a conical 360o pattern completely around the outside of parts. EXAIR engineered a Coanda profile to entrain large amounts of ambient air. This will increase efficiency by using less compressed air and still generate a large force to perform the task. The Coanda profile is set at a 30o angle to increase the contact area and keep debris away from the portion of the product that has already been cleaned.
The construction of the Super Air Wipes is also unique. It has a split design to allow for an opening to place around the part; so, you will not have to break or re-thread the material. They also use stainless-steel screws and stainless-steel shims. For diameters up to 4” (102mm), they will come with a braided stainless-steel hose to supply compressed air to both halves. The stainless-steel components give the units better corrosion resistance, higher temperature ratings, and more durability.
The aluminum Super Air Wipe is available in 11 sizes; the stainless steel Super Air Wipe comes in 5 sizes…all from stock.
EXAIR manufactures the Super Air Wipes with two different body materials; aluminum and 303 stainless steel. EXAIR stocks aluminum models with inner diameters from 3/8” (10 mm) for wire and cables up to 11” (279mm) for large pipes and hoses. The aluminum models have a temperature range of 400oF (204oC). We also stock the stainless-steel models from ½” (13mm) to 4” (102mm) inner diameters, and they have a temperature range up to 800oF (427oC). If you require different diameters or different types of body materials, don’t be afraid to ask. EXAIR can also make specials.
Super Air Wipe Kit
What can improve the function of the Super Air Wipes? We offer kits to help get the most out of the Air Wipes. A kit will include the Super Air Wipe, a filter, a regulator and a shim set. The filter will remove bulk liquids and debris from the compressed air to keep the performance optimal. The Regulator is used to control the force. This helps to not over-use the amount of compressed air required for the job. With a regulator, you can make fine adjustments to get the proper amount of air. For coarse adjustments, you can add shims to increase the air flow and force. They are easy to install on the Super Air Wipes to permit for applications to have more cooling, faster drying, and better removal of tough debris. For cleanliness and control, the Super Air Wipe Kits would be recommended.
Here are some additional advantages to using the EXAIR Super Air Wipes that I did not cover. They are OSHA safe from dead-end pressure and noise exposure. So, they are quiet. We placed pre-tapped holes in each half of the body for easy mounting with brackets or attachments. They do not have any moving parts or require any electricity to operate. The non-contact wiping actions that the Super Air Wipe can provide helps to support cleaning items without affecting the surface finish. Also, you won’t have to worry about replacing cloths or brushes that will wear over time and slow down production.
With the creation of the EXAIR Super Air Wipes, uniform cleaning, cooling, and blowing around the outside of parts is a simple task. You don’t have to worry about a variety of nozzles to target the circumference or make a fabricated blow-off device that will waste air and take a lot of time out of your day. A simple purchase of the Super Air Wipe is all you need. You can order them from our website at http://www.EXAIR.com or call us at 800-903-9247. If you need help in selecting the proper product for your application, you can contact an Application Engineer at EXAIR for help.
I find myself interchanging these terms; pressure drop and differential pressure. This is very common as both are determined by the change in pressure between two points. In this blog, I will cover the difference between these two terms in my view.
Pressure drop only occurs when the air is flowing. The higher the velocity, the more extreme the pressure drop will be. Velocity is created when the pressure changes. So, the higher pressure will go toward the lower pressure. But we wish for that pressure difference to be as low as possible. Pressure drop is always a loss, and you cannot regain that energy. Forms of pressure drop that can be found are like small diameter pipes or tubing; restrictive fittings like quick disconnects, and conditioning equipment like after coolers and air dryers. If too large of a pressure drop occurs, the pneumatic equipment will not have enough power to operate effectively and efficiently. I have another blog with a video that helps demonstrate this, “Pressure Drop and its Relationship to Compressed Air”.
Pressure Regulators “dial in” performance to get the job done without using more air than necessary.
Differential pressure can be static or flowing. It is very similar to pressure drop except that the energy is stored. The most common device that does this is the pressure regulator. You are able to reduce the pressure downstream to the point-of-use. This type of pressure reduction stores energy, and it will save you money, instead of wasting money. For every 10 PSI reduction in pressure, it will save you 5% in energy. With blow-off devices, you want to use the least amount of pressure to “do the job”. Over-using your compressed air is wasteful.
Here is a graph of a typical compressed air system. As you can see, the typical pressure drop from the air compressor to the point-of-use. So, if you can reduce the pressure drop through the system and optimize the differential pressure from the regulator to your point-of-use, you can optimize your system.
Pressure Drop Chart
In a simple statement, a pressure drop loses energy while differential pressure stores energy for later use. EXAIR offers a variety of efficient, safe, and effective compressed air products to fit within the demand side. This will include the EXAIR Super Air Knives, Super Air Nozzles, and Safety Air Guns. If you wish to go further in optimizing your system, an Application Engineer at EXAIR will be happy to help you.
EXAIR has been manufacturing Intelligent Compressed Air Products since 1983. They are engineered with the highest of quality, efficiency, safety, and effectiveness in mind. Since compressed air is the utility for operation, the performance limitations can be defined by its supply. With EXAIR products and pneumatic equipment, you will need a way to transfer the compressed air from the source to the point-of-use. There are three main ways; pipes, hoses and tubes.
One of the largest systematic problems with compressed air systems is pressure drop. If too large a pressure loss occurs, pneumatic equipment will not have enough power to operate effectively and efficiently. The amount of pressure drop is based on restrictions, obstructions, and piping. When air is forced into small areas, it will cause a high velocity. The high velocity will create turbulent air flow which increases the pressure loss. A restrictive type of pressure drop can be found in different forms, like small diameter pipes or tubing; or restrictive fittings like quick disconnects and needle valves, and undersized filters, regulators and valves.
Why did I bring this up? Pressure drop… Pressure Drop is a waste of energy, and it reduces the ability of your compressed air system to do work. To cut waste, we need to reduce pressure drop. If we look at the equation for pressure drop, we can find the factors that play an important role. Equation 1 shows an equation for pressure drop.
Equation 1:
From Equation 1, differential pressure is controlled by the flow of compressed air, the length of the pipe, the diameter of the pipe, and the inlet pressure. As you can see, the pressure drop is inversely affected by the inner diameter to the fifth power. So, if the inner diameter of the pipe is twice as small, the pressure drop will increase by 25, or 32 times.
It is very important to know the inner diameter of the supply lines to your pneumatic devices. As an example, a model 110006 6” Super Air Knife will need a 3/8″ black, schedule 40 pipe that has an I.D. of 0.493″ (12.5 mm). We use this pipe to flow 21 SCFM of compressed air at 100 PSIG through 50 feet of pipe. What would be the pressure drop? With Equation 1, we get a pressure drop of 1.28 * (21 SCFM/60) ^1.85 * 50 feet / ((0.493″)^5 * 100 PSIG) = 3.15 PSID. Thus, you started with 100 PSIG, and at the end of the 50 ft. pipe, you will only have (100 PSI – 3.15 PSI) = 96.85 PSIG to use.
Let’s look at a 3/8” hose and a 3/8” tube. The 3/8” hose has an inner diameter of 0.375” (9.5 mm), and the 3/8” tube has an inner diameter of 0.25” (6.4 mm). In keeping the same variables except for the diameter, we can calculate the pressure drop with the above equation. 3/8″ hose = 1.28 * (21 SCFM/60) ^1.85 * 50 feet / ((0.0.375″)^5 * 100 PSIG) = 12.4 PSID. 3/8″ tube = 1.28 * (21 SCFM/60) ^1.85 * 50 feet / ((0.25″)^5 * 100 PSIG) = 94 PSID.
As you can see, the 3/8” hose has a pressure drop 3.94 times higher than the 3/8″ NPT pipe. Also, the 3/8″ tube has a pressure drop 7.6 times higher than the hose.
Diameters: 3/8″ Pipe vs. 3/8″ tube
At EXAIR, we want to make sure that our customers are able to get the most from our products. To do this, we need to properly size the compressed air lines. Within our installation sheets for our Super Air Knives, we recommend the in-feed pipe sizes for each air knife at different lengths. (You will have to sign in to the website to download). We also have an excerpt about replacing schedule 40 pipe with a compressed air hose. We state; “If compressed air hose is used, always go one size larger than the recommended pipe size due to the smaller I.D. of hose”. Here is the reason. The 1/4” NPT Schedule 40 pipe has an inner diameter of 0.364” (9.2mm). Since the 3/8” compressed air hose has an inner diameter of 0.375” (9.5mm), the diameter will not create any additional pressure drop. Some industrial facilities like to use compressed air tubing instead of hoses. This is fine as long as the inner diameters match appropriately with the recommended pipe in the installation sheets. Then you can reduce waste from pressure drops and get the most from your EXAIR as well as all other pneumatic products.
With the diameter playing such a significant role in creating or mitigating pressure drop, it is very important to understand the type of connections to your pneumatic devices; i.e. hoses, pipes, or tubes. In most cases, this could be the reason for the under performance of your pneumatic products, as well as wasting money through operation of your compressed air system. If you would like to discuss further the ways to save energy and reduce pressure drops, an Application Engineer at EXAIR will be happy to help you.
