The tank on the right needs to be filled and drained of alumina desiccant
The sketch above shows a 115” tall tank which needs to be filled and emptied multiple times with activated alumina desiccant. The desiccant ranges in size from 1/8” to ¼” with a median size of 5/32”, and has a bulk density of 48 pounds/ft³. The material has no fire or spill hazards, and poses a low health risk. (We evaluate these characteristics with every application to ensure the Line Vac is a viable solution.) The end user wanted to find a solution to move the alumina into the tank, and then a method to move it out of the tank. Total material transfer could be as high as 1500 pounds/hour.
Originally, the end user considered the setup shown below. This setup would empty the tank through the top, and then use the same Line Vac to refill.
Original transfer solution
What the end user and I came to realize, is that we could achieve full automation in emptying the tank by using a dedicated Line Vac with a slide gate. And, another dedicated Line Vac could be used to fill the tank, preventing any toggling of the Line Vac orientation. This was the solution, one Line Vac on the desiccant fill port and one Line Vac on the desiccant empty port.
Because of the high conveyance rate and the requirement for a material which could withstand abrasives, model 150200, our 2″ Heavy Duty Line Vac made of a hardened alloy, was recommended.
If you have a material conveyance application and need a compressed air based solution, contact an EXAIR Application Engineer.
…Don’t fix it, or so the saying goes. Sometimes, though, we have the opportunity to talk to compressed air product users who are looking to redefine the term “ain’t broke.” There are, for instance:
*People with end-use compressed air devices that came with their machines, which “ain’t broke,” but may be louder, or costing more to operate, than an engineered solution. A prime example of this is replacing an open-ended blow off with a Super Air Nozzle. We’ve got (69) distinct products in our Air Nozzles & Jets line…we’re sure to have one that’ll install quickly and easily, with immediately noticeable improvements. Improvements including a more comfortable work environment from lower noise levels and a lower air consumption which will provide your compressor relief and save air for other or future applications.
EXAIR Model 1100 Super Air Nozzle installs easily on copper lines, with a simple compression adapter.
*Expansions to processes, or add-ons to systems. We’ve helped out more than a few customers in the automotive industry – from manufacturing to detailing – who are now able to move more vehicles through by enhancing their existing central vacuum systems with EXAIR Model 6292 Vac-u-Gun Transfer Systems. They use these guns at work stations to deliver scrap and debris into the central vacuum system, the Vac U Guns have shortened the time spent removing scrap and trim by boosting the vacuum flow at the work station.
With three systems to choose from, we’ve got the portable vacuum system you need.
*Perhaps something “ain’t broke,” but it’s also not as safe as it could be. Our E-Vac Vacuum Generators and Vacuum Cups are perfect solutions for pick-and-place applications that keep operator’s hands away from machinery, while still allowing for the safe removal of manufactured parts. Actually, though, if the particular situation is “not as safe” enough to constitute an OSHA violation, we would certainly classify that as “is broke.” Call me NOW. I can help.
EXAIR In-Line E-Vacs and Vacuum Cups…ideal for quick, easy pick-and-place systems.
*”Bucket and Ladder” material transfer methods may be described as “ain’t broke” (usually by people who aren’t carrying the buckets up the ladder) but they certainly can be time and labor intensive. EXAIR Line Vacs have been solving these applications for years. From packing peanuts to steel shot (and just about anything in between…so long as it’ll fit inside a hose from 3/8” to 6”,) we’ve got it covered. Check this out and see for yourself:
Whether or not you’d call your current situation “broke” or not, if you’re thinking about it, I bet it’s worth talking about. Give us a call.
Russ Bowman
Application Engineer
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This morning I was chatting with my colleague Russ Bowman about taking care of kids. I was complaining about having to try and chop vegetables while holding a 1 year old in my other arm. Russ shared some perspective with me. He always took pride in what he could get done with an infant or toddler in one arm. While I was complaining, he pushed me to see what I could really get done. I thought cutting squash was pushing it. He informed me that I lack either imagination or perseverance in my dad skills. I wish his wife (or mine) had been around because, I’m pretty sure they would offer “perspective” to both of us about how much you can get done with infant in your arms. Which would be fine, Russ and I know our better halves are better than us… Thank Goodness. Otherwise, the kids would not stand a chance.
The discussion reminded me of EXAIR’s foot pedal. It is like an extra hand to control your air supply. I had a customer this week that was punching 4 mm diameter plastic circles from a part. The 4 mm diameter plastic chips built up on the machine which would lead to a housekeeping nightmare. The customer installed a 3/8″ Line Vac, model 6078, to evacuate the plastic chips after each punch. The Line Vac worked great to evacuate the chips, but running it constantly required 5.6 SCFM of compressed air. To get the job done, the Line Vac only needed to run five seconds after each punch operation, and the punch operated three times every minute. Controlling the air supply to the Line Vac to only turn on when the Line Vac was needed would save 4.2 SCFM of compressed air.
Picture Model 6080 Line Vac removing chips from a drill press.
Unfortunately, the operation required two hands. One hand to position the plastic blank, one hand to actuate the punch. This meant controlling the Line Vac would need a third hand. With a foot pedal, model number 9040, though, the operator could gain additional control to operate the Line Vac only when needed. This saved 4.2 SCFM of compressed air. The foot pedal would pay for itself in 124 days. On a 3/8″ Line Vac that may not seem like much, but a foot pedal controlling a 2″ Line Vac would save 33.75 SCFM and the payback time would be 15 days.*
*Assuming 24 hour day and 250 working days per year.
A foot pedal is an excellent option, when you need that third arm. Check one out today at www.exair.com.
Certain EXAIR products are designed for specific applications. We’ll still get calls from folks who want to use them in situations different than what they’re intended. For instance:
*Reversible Drum Vacs for use with volatile liquids. Due to the very real risk of ignition, we do not specify our Industrial Vacuums for use with flammables. This is a case where we can’t help, but we do know some suppliers of suitable equipment for these situations.
*Cabinet Cooler Systems for anything but a totally enclosed electrical cabinet. Oftentimes, these alternate applications are really just in need of a reliable, consistent source of cold air, which can be more properly addressed with a Cold Gun, Adjustable Spot Cooler or Mini Cooler.
*Speaking of those particular Spot Cooling Products, we’re able to help many callers who inquire about these by simply pointing them in the direction of a Vortex Tube: they’re lightweight, compact, and with standard NPT connections for compressed air supply, cold flow, and hot exhaust, you can hook them up to darn near anything you want.
A broad range of products, each with a broad range of applications!
Like the Vortex Tubes, a good many of our products’ designs afford adaptability to a wide range of uses. I submit, for your reading pleasure, these two wildly different Line Vac applications:
*A manufacturer of electrical connector devices needed to move small parts from a mass production line to their assembly area. A Model 6084 2” Aluminum Line Vac and our 6934-20 2” Clear Reinforced PVC Conveyance Hose (20ft Length) was purchased and installed. They operate it as needed to empty the production bin and fill the assembly bin; simple as that. This is a “textbook” job for a Line Vac.
*A service company that specializes in large compressors & engines was looking for a compact & mobile device to evacuate exhaust gases. This is normally where we start talking about Air Amplifiers (and we did) but their calculations called for more suction head than the Air Amplifiers will generate. Their calculations were right, and they’re putting Model 6060 ¾” Stainless Steel Line Vacs on all their service trucks. So, a “textbook” job for an Air Amplifier was actually a better fit for the Line Vac.
And speaking of “textbook” applications that take unexpected turns, another caller needed help with a “pick and place” operation that he’d purchased a small E-Vac Vacuum Generator and Vacuum Cup for. He needed to move these small media filters, one at a time, from a stack, into their product. Try as they might, they could NOT pick up just one of these pieces from the stack, which was about 3” in diameter, and about the consistency of a coffee filter….which was exactly what I used to replicate the application in the Efficiency Lab. I couldn’t just pick one up with the E-Vac either, so I tried to just use the open suction end of a Line Vac – even with the compressed air supply valve cracked open as low as I could manage, it still wanted to pick up 2 or 3 at a time. We’ve got one other product that generates a vacuum, and, crazy as it sounds, I attempted to apply our Air Amplifier in a pick-and-place situation. And it worked: with the supply valve cracked open (it wasn’t even registering flow to the smallest division on our rotameter flow meter,) the Model 120020 ¾” Super Air Amplifier was able to consistently pick up one (and only one) coffee filter at a time. So our “textbook” job for an E-Vac was solved by an Air Amplifier.
Sometimes, what seems to be the obvious solution, isn’t. With a little discussion, and possibly experimentation, though, the right answer will generally reveal itself. If you think this might be where you’re at with your application, give us a call. I can’t wait to see what happens!
Russ Bowman
Application Engineer
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