As EXAIR and BETE continue to build on a strong partnership, EXAIR has recently added a selection of BETE products to the site, including the innovative BETE HydroClaw (HC) tank and vessel cleaning nozzle. This clog-resistant design makes it an ideal solution for industries that demand powerful, maintenance-free tank cleaning, such as breweries, wineries, chemical processing plants, or food processing facilities that use small- to medium-sized tanks.
The HydroClaw is an efficient, hygienic cleaning nozzle engineered to allow particles up to 1/4″ in diameter, three times the free passage of comparable spray balls. Large-diameter orifices create heavy straight jets that are dispersed using specially designed deflection cups, and with no moving parts, they deliver consistent cleaning performance while reducing maintenance and downtime. Its low-pressure/high-flow operation quickly cleans tank walls while simultaneously decreasing water consumption. Available at a 360° spray angle in food-grade 316L stainless steel and a variety of standard connection types and sizes. Below is a video showing the HydroClaw in action.
The HydroClaw and many other BETE nozzles are available for immediate purchase. Learn how these and an extensive selection of different liquid and air-atomizing nozzles can enhance the efficiency and reliability of your industrial spray applications by visiting EXAIR.com.
If you have any questions about an EXAIR or BETE product, give an application engineer a call. We are happy to help specify a product or, for more extreme liquid nozzle applications, get a BETE application engineer involved for support.
We like to tout the benefits of our intelligent and efficient compressed air products. For example, our Super Air Knife entrains ambient air at a ratio of 40:1, so for a moderate amount of compressed air, you will get large volumes of air blowing against your part. But another way you can be efficient is by turning your compressed air off – or at least only turning it on when you need it. For example, if you are drying parts moving along a conveyor, turning the air off in between parts will save even more compressed air. You only need to use the air when it is necessary. This is where EXAIR’s Electronic Flow Controller, or EFC, comes in.
Our EFC is great for automating processes involving compressed air use, by turning the air flow off when it’s not needed. In fact, not only does it provide simple on/off control to blow only when a part is “seen” by the photoelectric sensor, there are eight distinct modes to incorporate delay on or off, flicker on or off, signal on/off delay, interval, or “One-Shot,” where the sensor detects the part, delays opening the valve per the timer setting, and blows for one second. The different modes are demonstrated in this video:
We include the EFC with our Deluxe Super Air Knife Kits for the obvious synergy with the Super Air Knives’ typical applications of cooling, drying and cleaning. However, there are many other EXAIR products and applications that could benefit from the functionality of the photoelectric sensor. Take our Line Vacs, for example. If a hopper is being filled with product that is being conveyed by the Line Vac, you can use the sensor on the EFC to turn off the Line Vac. Alternatively, you could use the sensor to detect when the hopper is almost empty and turn the Line Vac on.
We have had customers use our EFC to control the flow from our Atomizing Spray Nozzles. When the sensor detects the parts being coated, the EFC turns on the compressed air supply, allowing the Air Atomizing Spray Nozzle to apply a coating. Once the part has been coated, the EFC shuts off the air supply, not only saving on compressed air, but also the liquid used to coat its parts.
Our Electronic Flow Controls can accommodate flows up to 350scfm, so they can be used in a wide variety of applications. In fact, the more air volume you control with one of these, the faster you can amass savings and the faster your return on investment! If you would like to discuss how an EFC could save you money, give me a call!
There’s an old adage we say quite often, “A photo is worth a thousand words”. This is something we really believe in. We can have an hour-long conversation about your application, and we may think we understand it. But when you send a photo, we see something that wasn’t mentioned, will cause a problem or make implementing our solution easier. Or, we simply don’t get the chance to talk about it.
So sending a photo, troubleshooting or specifying a part of an application can be a bigger help than a conversation! And that works in reverse too! Our team of application engineers are well versed in how our products work and the best installation to get the most out of them! But sometimes it is hard to get across in a conversation! So fairly often I open up MS Paint and quickly put together a rudimentary sketch of the installation of the product! I have two examples below!
Model 9055 EFC controls a Model SF9010SS No Drip Siphon Fed Flat Fan Pattern Atomizing Spray Nozzle
A customer wanted to spray a fine coat of oil on the surface of a part to keep the surface from corroding. The liquid was in a bucket, and they didn’t want to invest in a pump, so we chose a Siphon Fed nozzle. There was one issue. After picking the nozzle, we learned the parts were not equally spaced on the conveyor belt. The problem was if they ran the nozzle constantly they would create a large mess and waste a lot of expensive oil. So, opting to select the No Drip version of the nozzle and implementing an EFC was the best option to get him up and running! The nozzle would close the liquid valve when the compressed air went under 20 PSIG. And that was the job of the EFC. It sensed the parts with the photoelectric sensor and told the integrated solenoid valve to open, turning the nozzle on and spraying the part. Then the logic inside would close the valve, turning the nozzle off after a set timed delay!
This customer wanted to see how everything would go together, so I inserted some images in MS Paint and sent a sketch over! While it’s not the prettiest of sketches, it got the point across. They bought the system and got it up and running with great success!
Model 6084 2″ Alum. Line Vac
This one is more of a troubleshooting sketch. The customer bought a 2″ line vac to attach to the bottom of a hopper and convey plastic pellets to a screw injector hopper. They installed the line vac right to the bottom of the hopper, turned the air on and…. it didn’t work. So they gave us a call and asked for an Application Engineer! During the normal “How is it set up” conversation, we started talking about how the material is presented to the inlet of the Line Vac. Which is when he said it was just coming straight off the bottom of a hopper. If you know how our line vacs work, you know right away what the problem was! The line vacs need to pull in ambient air with the product to provide a good conveyance. So, typically they work the best when the inlet can be vented somewhat to allow for dynamic airflow. However, that doesn’t mean it can be used on a hopper bottom. Another option is that you can make a “Snorkel” of sorts. I threw the photo above together real fast to show my customer how they could use a simple tee fitting to allow the line vac to pull ambient air and the product through the conveyance hose! As a result, the customer made some simple changes using parts they had lying around the shop, and it’s working great now!
As you can see, it’s definitely beneficial to see the application, even in a crude drawing! So, if you have an application where you need a little help visualizing how an EXAIR product can be set up and used, please reach out! We have a full office of Application Engineers waiting to take your phone call, email or online chat to help you get the most out of our products!
EXAIR’s line of 1” and 2” Flat Super Air Nozzles are rugged, efficient, and ideal for applications that require a wide forceful stream of airflow. The patented design utilizes a special shim to maintain the critical position of the component parts. The result is a laminar, high velocity blast of air with minimum air consumption and sound level.
Right 1126 1″ Flat Super Air Nozzle and Left 1122 2″ Flat Super Air Nozzle
The Flat Super Air Nozzles are available in a wide range of configurations. With both the 1” and 2” sizes you have the option to select either Zinc Aluminum alloy or Type 316 Stainless Steel for higher temperature or corrosive applications. They’re also available installed at the end of our Safety Air Guns. The 1” Flat Super Air Nozzles are ideal for our VariBlast Compact Safety Air Gun while the 2” is suitable on either our Soft Grip Safety Air Gun or the Heavy Duty Safety Air Gun. Extensions ranging from 6”-72” in length and Chip Shields also available, you have the flexibility to tailor a Safety air gun to your exact application. Since the design of the nozzle prevents any chance for it to be dead-ended, all configurations will be compliant with OSHA directive 29 CFR 1910.242(b). This means you’re able to operate at input pressures in excess of 30 PSIG without risking harm to your operators.
Back of Image 1629-12-CS VariBlast Safety Air Gun & Front is the 1230-6-CS Soft Grip Safety Ari Gun
Flexible Stay Set Hoses and Magnetic Bases are ideal kits to help fill a wide variety of applications. Simply mount the hose in proximity to the application, and bend it to your desired orientation. Since the hose has memory, it will not creep or bend. It will always keep the aim until physically moved to the next position and will withstand temperatures of up to 158° F (70° C). The Stay Set Hoses come in 6″, 12″, 18, 24″, 30″, and 36″ lengths and options of 1/4 MNPT x 1/8 FNPT or 1/4 MNPT x 1/4 MNPT.
Left Model 1122-9312 Blow off Kit Right 1126-9456
If you would like to discuss blow off, noise levels, dead end pressure or any of EXAIR’s intelligent compressed air usage solutions including the flat air nozzle and accessories, I would love hearing from you…give me a call.
