Category: Sustainability

Decibel Levels in Manufacturing

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The Decibel (dB) is a unit used to measure the intensity of sound. Decibel levels are a little tricky as human ears are incredibly sensitive. Our ears can hear everything from a gnat flying by your ear to to very loud jet engines. The range of sound level is very vast. Manufacturing environments can be loud and expose employees to harmful noise levels. You can see some interesting manufacturing noise exposure data from the CDC, here.

On the decibel scale, the smallest audible sound (near total silence) is 0 dB. A sound 10 times more powerful is 10 dB. A sound 100 times more powerful than near total silence is 20 dB. A sound 1,000 times more powerful than near total silence is 30 dB. Here are some common sounds and their decibel ratings:

Experience tells us that many things distance affects the intensity of sound. Noise levels can be due to product design, proximity to the noise, frequency of processes, quantity of noise producing machines or processes. Exposure to high noise levels can be harmful. Extended length of exposure to sound levels above above 80 dB can begin hearing loss. If you feel you have to raise the level of your voice to be heard then you can assume that you are in an environment of 85 or greater dB. OSHA Standard 29 CFR-1910.95 (a) shows the Maximum Allowable Noise Exposure.

EXAIR engineers our products with safety and exposure in mind and we manufacture most every product to be under any threshold where hearing protection is required. If any product (like our largest Super Air Nozzles) is above the threshold, EXAIR is clear that hearing protection is needed. Please visit www.EXAIR.com and view how our Intelligent Compressed Air Products can help your quality of work atmosphere. If you have any questions regarding our products or for advice as to what products can improve the safety of your work environment, please contact any one of our Application Engineers.

Eric Kuhnash
Application Engineer
E-mail: EricKuhnash@exair.com
Twitter: Twitter: @EXAIR_EK

Understanding your ROI for EXAIR Products

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I used to hold a purchasing/engineering role for a previous company and as part of that role I was required to understand all costs of a project. The value of knowing the return of your investment is obvious but the benefit of this knowledge enhanced communications with other team members and at times with your customer. So how can I understand the economic impact from purchasing and Intelligent Compressed Air product from EXAIR?

EXAIR makes an easier job of calculating your ROI when purchasing our product(s). Simply go to www.EXAIR.com and click on “Resources”, located on the top center of our homepage. You will see “Calculator Library” where you can see our “Air Savings Calculator“.

Calculating your ROI using this tool is simple, simply place your current consumption rate (SCFM), the cost of our product(s), the SCFM for our product(s) and your cost of compressed air per 1000 Cubic feet (if this is unknown, $0.25/1000 cubic feet is a reasonable number to use).

  1. Current Consumption (SCFM): This is the current air requirements for your current process.
  2. Cost of EXAIR Product(s): This is the expenditure of the EXAIR product(s) being purchased.
  3. EXAIR Product(s) consumption (SCFM): This can be found in our catalog, web site or by calling EXAIR and talking to an Application Engineer.
  4. Cost of Compressed Air: This can be determined at your facility or a good industry average is $0.25/1000.

The calculator will automatically calculate your return and show you the payback in number of days. EXAIR encourages the use of our website and/or calling our Application Engineers for additional information or education on air savings. We are customer friendly and always eager to help.

Eric Kuhnash
Application Engineer
E-mail: EricKuhnash@exair.com
Twitter: Twitter: @EXAIR_EK

Quick Disconnects and Push In Fittings are not Ideal for Peak Performance

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In order to achieve the best performance of your EXAIR Intelligent Compressed Air® product, a steady flow of compressed air must be supplied at the optimal pressure. Compressor output pressure, air flow rate, piping ID (inner diameter), the smoothness of the inside of the pipe and connector type all contribute to the performance.

Especially for manufacturing uses, it is important to consider both the air pressure and air flow being produced by the air compressor providing the supply for all tooling. It is possible for an air compressor to produce sufficient supply pressure for an EXAIR product while not having adequate air flow to use the product for very long.

The optimal air pressure for most EXAIR products is 80 PSIG, with the exception of Vortex Tube based products, which are rated at 100 PSIG. Operating EXAIR products at air pressures less than 80 PSIG may lead to lower performance, but EXAIR encourages operating any blow-off product at as low a pressure as possible to achieve your desired result. A simple pressure regulator can lower your pressure and save energy. As a general rule near the 100 PSIG level, lowering air pressure by 2 PSIG will save 1% of energy used by an air compressor. Operating the product at pressures greater than 80 PSIG may produce slightly higher performance, but will require more energy to produce only a small gain.

Make sure that connectors and fittings do not restrict compressed air flow in any manner. Quick connectors can be especially problematic in this area. Because of their construction, quick connections that are rated at the same size as the incoming pipe or hose may actually have a much smaller inner diameter than that associated pipe or hose. This will significantly restrict the amount of air that is being supplied to the tool, starving it of the air flow it needs for best performance. In some cases, if the fitting is too small, the tool may not work at all!

EXAIR products are designed to improve the overall efficiency of your operations. If you need help and have questions please contact any of the Application Engineers. There is no risk to trying our products as we have a 5 year warranty and also a 30 Day Guarantee to all of our US and Canadian customers.

Eric Kuhnash
Application Engineer
E-mail: EricKuhnash@exair.com
Twitter: Twitter: @EXAIR_EK

EXAIR Safety Air Guns – On Promotion Now!

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August marks the beginning of our Safety Air Gun Promotion! For a limited time, order any EXAIR Safety Air Gun and receive a FREE Model #1126 Flat Super Air Nozzle with purchase. Head over to EXAIR.com to learn more about our Safety Air Guns and if you have questions or want to learn more, please contact any of our Application Engineers.

EXAIR Safety Air Guns are durable and comfortable to use. Each model uses an engineered Air Nozzle that provides superior performance by entraining large volumes of surrounding air. Safe operation is assured along with low air consumption and noise levels. Airflow that exits the nozzle can not be blocked, as required by OSHA standard 1910.242 (b).

You can see all of our Safety Air Guns and Air Nozzles on our website http://www.EXAIR.com. The following are the different models we carry and a few key points for each:

TurboBlast® Safety Air Gun, are the newest addition to our line and designed for extended use without fatigue during the most demanding applications, which require a huge amount of force to solve. These air guns produce up to 23 pounds of force! The TurboBlast air blow guns can be found removing slag from primary metal manufacturing processes, cleaning pulp from paper manufacturing machines and covering large or distant areas in need of cleanup. The rugged cast aluminum handle is covered with a soft, durable elastomer grip. Low profile trigger button will disengage if release. Our newest Safety gun provides adjustable flow, strong blow off force, 3′ and 6′ extensions and meets OSHA noise and pressure requirements.

Features & benefits of the new TurboBlast Safety Air Gun

EXAIR Safety Air Guns are made to withstand the demands of daily use, meet OSHA standards for noise and safety, CE compliant, designed for extended use and produce high blow off force.

VariBlast Precision Safety Air Gun is extremely lightweight and the most comfortable to operate during long periods of extended use. It features a variable trigger valve which produces varying force levels depending on how much the trigger is activated. The small diameter nozzle and extension will fit into tight spaces while providing strong blowing force.

The VariBlast Precision Safety Air Guns provides the most focused and precision air flow from EXAIR’s smallest engineered air nozzles.

VariBlast Compact Safety Air Gun is a uniquely powerful gun which produces variable force depending on trigger activation. This cast aluminum gun is equipped with any of our 1/8 NPT engineered air nozzles. The VariBlast Compact Safety Air Gun is small, comfortable and powerful while remaining light and ergonomic. It has two inlets for flexible air supply options.

VariBlast Compact Safety Air Gun

Soft Grip Safety Air Gun has a durable cast aluminum body that is suited for rugged industrial use. The ergonomic design has a large trigger for easy operation and a convenient hanger hook for easy storage.

EXAIR Model 1210 Soft Grip Safety Air Gun

Heavy Duty Safety Air Guns are a powerful air gun with a durable cast aluminum body that is best suited for heavy use in rugged industrial environments. The ergonomic composite rubber grip and wide curved trigger can be used for hours without fatigue.

Heavy Duty Safety Air Gun

EXAIR’s selection of Safety Air Guns, with engineered air nozzles, will cover any air gun application in your plant, meet OSHA’s standards for safety and minimize compressed air consumption when compared to similar commercial air nozzles. Take advantage of our promotion to day and receive a free air nozzle.

Eric Kuhnash
Application Engineer
E-mail: EricKuhnash@EXAIR.com
Twitter: @EXAIR_EK