In most situations where an air nozzle is needed, you are looking to blow the chips or debris forward. There are certain applications where this is not practical, or even possible. If you are trying to clean out a blind hole, or a pipe where the end is blocked, or the length is too long that you cannot reach the other end, then EXAIR’s Back Blow Air Nozzle is the perfect solution. In this video I show the different options that we carry, and show how effective they are:
If you have an application you would like to discuss, then give us a call!
Sound levels are an important safety consideration in most industrial facilities. OSHA has guidelines on allowable noise levels and exposure, covered in OSHA Standard 29CFR – 1910.95 (a). Sound levels are measured in decibels, or dB. It makes sense that a higher decibel value means a louder sound (as illustrated in the graphic below). What is not intuitive is how multiple sound levels interact and combine, or how they compare to one another.
The first thing to understand about sound levels is that they aren’t measured on a linear scale. Instead, they’re measured on a logarithmic scale. This can really throw off our intuition. For instance, a sound at 20dB is actually 10 times stronger than one at 10dB, and a sound at 30dB is 100 times stronger than 10dB. If it were a linear scale, 20dB and 30dB would only be 2 and 3 times stronger than 10dB, similar to how mass works—like 20kg being double the mass of 10kg.
You can see why this is the case with the formula for calculating sound levels, which is as follows:
It’s important to note that the sound pressure levels calculated using this formula are unweighted. To really grasp how loud something will seem to us, we have to consider how our ears pick up various frequencies. This means that low and extremely high frequencies are given less weight than on the standard decibel scale. This adjusted measurement is referred to as dBA. You can check out some typical sounds and their dBA levels in the chart below:
Because of this logarithmic scale, combining two sounds can be pretty counter-intuitive too. Our Model 1100 Super Air Nozzle generates a sound level of 74 dBA, but when you place two of them side by side, the sound level jumps to 78 dBA (and not 148dBA). This is determined using the formula below:
The specifics of this calculation are explained in this blog here, but OHSA provides a quick and easy way to calculate, as shown in the table below:
To see if you need to tackle the noise levels in your facility, you should start by taking a baseline measurement of the different processes and devices that are making the noise. EXAIR’s Sound Level Meter, Model 9104, is here to help. It’s super user-friendly and gives you a digital readout of the sound level (no need to deal with logarithms!).
If you would like to discuss sound levels in your facility, or any of your other compressed air needs, give us a call!
EXAIR makes a wide variety of Intelligent Compressed Air Products that can be used for blowoff applications. The first step is to consider what size, and shape, the airflow pattern needs to be. If it’s a smooth, flat surface, our Air Knives are ideal for that. If a more directed, focused stream of air is required, we have Air Nozzles, Air Jets, and Air Amplifiers. And if it’s for statically charged debris, we can put Ionizers on Air Knives (Super Ion Air Knives), Air Nozzles (Intellistat Ion Air Nozzles), Air Jets (Gen4 Ion Air Jets) and Air Amplifiers (Gen4 Ion Air Cannons.)
If you navigate the EXAIR website to our Blowoff Kits, you’ll see that we can provide a number of our quiet, safe, and efficient Air Nozzles with Magnetic Bases and/or Stay Set Hoses for a quick & easy Blowoff System. In addition to the half dozen or so systems that are specifically called out, you can also put together your own setup that best suits your application. Here’s how:
Example: Model 1100-9412 is two Super Air Nozzles on a Dual Outlet Magnetic Base with 12″ Stay Set Hoses.
If you’d like to discuss a blowoff application – regardless of size or shape – give me a call.
Russ Bowman, CCASS
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We all know how crucial safety is in the workplace. Most companies conduct some type of annual safety training, and a key takeaway from these sessions is that safety isn’t just the job of a few individuals; it’s everyone’s responsibility. At EXAIR, we take safety very seriously. Many of our products are designed with safety as a priority, including our Safety Air Guns, which highlight our commitment to this principle. This focus is essential because using compressed air can pose health risks if not handled correctly.
In the U.S., OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) is the agency that enforces regulations to ensure safe and healthy work environments. They have the authority to impose hefty fines for any violations. When it comes to compressed air, two common violations involve air guns and blow-off devices, as outlined in 29CFR 1910.242(b) regarding dead-end pressure/chip shielding and 29CFR 1910.95(a) concerning maximum noise exposure limits.
The first regulation, 29CFR 1910.242(b), pertains to hand-held tools. It specifies that blow-off devices should not be used at pressures exceeding 30psig if the compressed air can become dead-ended. If there’s no escape route for the air, it can penetrate the skin and lead to an air embolism. A straightforward solution is to drill a hole to provide an alternate escape path, although this can introduce other safety concerns, which we’ll cover later. EXAIR’s air nozzles are designed with fins that allow air to escape safely, preventing blockage by your skin. This means you can confidently use the EXAIR Super Air Nozzles at pressures above 30psig.
The second regulation, 29CFR 1910.95(a), outlines the maximum sound levels that a person can safely be exposed to. Prolonged exposure to high sound levels can lead to permanent hearing damage. This is where the cross-drilled nozzle doesn’t quite meet the mark. While it’s safe for dead-end pressure, the noise from the turbulent airflow is quite loud. In contrast, EXAIR’s nozzles are designed to pull in surrounding air, creating a much quieter laminar flow. For instance, our Model 1210 Safety Air Gun, which features the Model 1100 Nozzle, operates at just 74dBA, well below the noise exposure limit for an 8-hour shift.
Model 1210 Soft Grip Safety Air is fitted with an EXAIR Super Air Nozzle. We can also supply it with a Rigid Extension and Chip Shield (right).
If you’re serious about compressed air safety, EXAIR’s range of safe, quiet, and efficient Safety Air Guns and Air Nozzles is an excellent option for your facility. Feel free to reach out if you want to chat about this or any other compressed air applications you might have!
