Category: Air Wipe

Buy 1, Get 40 Free

Published on by Al WooffittLeave a comment

Buy one, get one free is a phrase many of us are familiar with. Most of the time it is a good thing; we all like free stuff. What would you say to buy one, get 30 free? Or even 40 free? That’s not far off how our Air Knives perform. They entrain large volumes of ambient air, so for every 1 SCFM of compressed air you are paying for, you are getting 30–40 SCFM of additional free ambient entrained air.

So how are our Air Knives able to do this? We explain this phenomenon in more detail in this blog here, but in summary, a Super Air Knife takes advantage of the Venturi Effect. Named after Giovanni Venturi, who found out that when you increase the speed of a fluid through an orifice, the surrounding fluid will move along with it. This creates a region of low pressure, and the faster the speed, the lower the pressure. With low pressure, the air around rushes in to fill that gap and join the airstream. The quantity of ambient air that gets ‘pulled’ into the airstream is entrained air, or free air.

The engineered surface of the Super Air Knife is designed to minimize as much loss in air speed as possible, which maximizes the amount of free air that is being entrained. The ratio between free air and compressed air used is called the amplification ratio. Super Air Knives have an amplification ratio of 40:1, with our Standard Air Knives having an amplification ratio of 30:1. For comparison, a pipe with holes drilled will have an amplification ratio of between 2:1 and 5:1. As you can see, with a Super Air Knife you are getting a much better deal on your compressed air usage.

This additional free air adds more mass, which allows the Super Air Knife to do more work. You will get a harder hitting force than a comparable product while using less compressed air. This makes Super Air Knives especially good for cooling and drying applications, where moving large volumes of air is ideal.

EXAIR Intelligent Compressed Air Products such as (left to right) the Air Wipe, Super Air Knife, Super Air Nozzle, and Air Amplifier are engineered to entrain enormous amounts of air from the surrounding environment.

It’s not just our Air Knives that take advantage of the Venturi effect to produce large amplification ratios. Many of our products are designed with efficiency in mind, including our Air Amplifiers, Air Wipes, and Air Nozzles and Jets, to name a few. If you would like to discuss how an EXAIR engineered compressed air product can amplify your process, then give us a call!

Al Wooffitt
Application Engineer

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Protecting Precision: Air Wipe Ensures Accurate Measurements

Published on by Tyler DanielLeave a comment

Imagine investing in a high-end laser measurement system, capable of gauging product dimensions down to fractions of a micron, only to have the readings thrown off by something as small as a speck of dust or a thin film of residue. For one of our customers, who specialize in repairing and calibrating laser gauges, this wasn’t just a “what if.” It was a real challenge that needed a reliable solution.

The answer came in the form of EXAIR’s Air Wipe.

In their setup, cylindrical products pass through a laser gauge that verifies their diameter. Any contamination on the surface risks altering the accuracy of that measurement. By installing an Air Wipe just upstream of the gauge, they created a 360° wall of compressed air that strips away residual coolant, debris, or dust. The result is a clean, consistent surface before every scan — ensuring the gauge is reading the product, not the contaminants.

Split ring design eliminates the need for product “threading” through the Air Wipe.

The beauty of the Air Wipe lies in its design. A hinged, split-body housing makes it easy to install around existing lines, while the engineered air gap creates a uniform, high-velocity sheet of air that fully encircles the product. Unlike multiple nozzles aimed at different angles, the Air Wipe eliminates guesswork and guarantees complete coverage without gaps.

This customer chose it for metrology, but the same principle applies across industries:

  • Extrusion lines use Air Wipes to remove cooling water from plastic or rubber profiles.
  • Wire and cable manufacturers rely on them to dry and clean before printing or spooling.
  • Pipe and tubing producers install them before coating or inspection processes.
  • Medical and electronics manufacturers trust them when cleanliness and precision are non-negotiable.

For this customer, the Air Wipe turned a potential weak point in their process into a strength. Instead of worrying about contaminants interfering with measurement, they can now focus on providing precise, reliable results for their clients.

It’s a simple solution that makes a big difference: when the measurement has to be right, start by making sure the surface is clean. EXAIR offers a wide variety of products that utilize a laminar flow of compressed air for cleaning, cooling, and drying operations. Give us a call today to discuss your application!

Tyler Daniel, CCASS

Application Engineer

E-mail: TylerDaniel@EXAIR.com

X: @EXAIR_TD

The 30-Day Guarantee Gives You Confidence.

Published on by Al WooffittLeave a comment

When you make a purchase, you want to have confidence that the solution that you’ve spent money on is going to work. With many of the applications that we discuss with customers, the solutions are tried and tested. If your electrical panel is getting too hot, then an EXAIR Cabinet Cooler is exactly what you need. If there’s static on your assembly line, a Gen4 Static Elimination product is the way to go. And if you need to blow off excess water from an extruded pipe, a Super Air Wipe is the perfect fix.

There are plenty of situations where the solution isn’t clear-cut. We believe our products can make a difference, but with so many variables, it’s impossible to just plug everything into a formula and predict the exact outcome. The only way to know for sure is to test. That’s where EXAIR’s 30-day unconditional guarantee comes into play. Every one of our cataloged products is covered by this guarantee. Once you buy one of these items, you have a month to really test it out; change the angle, tweak the operating pressure, or swap out shims. If you manage to find the right setup to fix your issue, awesome! If not, we’ll gladly take it back and give you a full refund! The only thing you need to cover is the shipping to return it to us.

A great example of where testing is key is our Line Vacs. There are several factors to consider: the bulk density of the material, its size, whether it’s abrasive, the desired conveyance rate, and the distance for conveyance – both vertical and horizontal. By using the data we’ve gathered from our controlled in-house tests, we’re going to be able to give you a solid recommendation on which model will suit you best. However, to truly understand how our Line Vac will perform with your specific material and operational conditions, it needs to be put through its paces at your facility. When you buy from us, you get 30 days to try it out risk-free.

At EXAIR, we want to ensure you are getting the best possible solution. Our 30-day unconditional guarantee is one way that we make that a reality. If you would like to discuss how our products can help with your application, give us a call!

Al Wooffitt
Application Engineer

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Banner Image by Bruno from Pixabay

EXAIR’s Super Air Wipe

Published on by Al WooffittLeave a comment

EXAIR’s Super Air Wipe is a quiet and efficient solution for your pipe or cable blowoff. They are specifically engineered for drying, cleaning or cooling a variety of extruded shapes. The 360° uniform airflow produced by the Super Air Wipe will be more effective, while using less compressed air than a comparable solution using an array of nozzles. They are also easy to insert into your process due to the split design, allowing you to clamp the Air Wipe around your material without the need for threading.

The Super Air Wipe comes in two different materials – aluminum and stainless steel, with various stock sizes. Our aluminum models are available in sizes from 3/8″ to 11“, and stainless is available from 1/2″ to 4“. As with all EXAIR’s other stock products, these are available for same-day or next-day shipping, and are covered under our 30-day unconditional guarantee. The aluminum models are rated for temperatures of up to 400°F, while the stainless steel are good up to 800F.

The aluminum Super Air Wipe is available in 11 sizes; the stainless steel Super Air Wipe comes in 5 sizes…all from stock.

We also provide Super Air Wipe Kits to get the most out of your Super Air Wipe. A kit will include the Super Air Wipe itself, a filter, a regulator, and a shim set. The filter will remove bulk liquids and debris from the compressed air to keep performance optimal. The regulator is used to fine-tune the force provided by the Super Air Wipe. This helps to not over-use the amount of compressed air required for the job.

EXAIR’s Starter Guide: Air Wipes

If you need larger adjustments to the force and flow than the regulator can provide, then you can add shims to increase the airflow and force. They are easy to install on the Super Air Wipes to allow for applications to have more cooling, faster drying, and better removal of tough debris. With both the regulator and shim set, you can vary the air velocity from a breeze to blast, so whatever your application requires, the Super Air Wipe will work for you.

If you would like to learn more about our Super Air Wipes, then please give us a call!

Al Wooffitt
Application Engineer

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Twitter: @EXAIR_AW