Reducing Sound Levels

Published on by jasonkirbyLeave a comment

When touring a manufacturing facility, one of the most striking observations is the high noise levels present. The various operational processes contribute to an overall sound intensity that can exceed safe limits for workers. According to OSHA Standard 29 CFR – 1910.95(a), there are specific maximum allowable noise exposure levels based on both duration and sound intensity. Prolonged exposure to excessive noise can lead to significant hearing damage or even complete hearing loss if appropriate hearing protection is not utilized.

Sound

To assess whether sound levels in your facility are excessively high, consider utilizing EXAIR’s Digital Sound Level Meter Model 9104. This device is specifically designed to measure sound pressure levels in the environment, providing readings in decibels (dB) on both the A and C scales, with options for fast or slow response times. By employing this meter, users can pinpoint areas where noise levels may necessitate personal protective equipment (PPE) to prevent hearing loss. Additionally, it may help identify underlying issues that require repair, ultimately leading to a reduction in noise levels.

In contrast to the 98dBA sound level from this array of nozzles, the sound pressure level from an EXAIR Super Air Knife is only 69dBA.

Once measurements are taken, it becomes possible to pinpoint the specific applications that require attention, whether through repairs, mitigation strategies, or personal protective equipment (PPE) measures. Common culprits of excessive noise levels from compressed air include open pipe blow-offs, cross-drilled holes in safety air gun nozzles, liquid nozzles used for air blow-offs, and poorly designed air nozzles. By replacing these open tubes and cross-drilled nozzles with an engineered EXAIR Super Air Nozzle, you can significantly decrease both air consumption and noise levels.

EXAIR Super Air Nozzle entrainment

At EXAIR, we uphold the principle that safety is a collective obligation. Our commitment to producing high-quality engineered products emphasizes safety and efficiency. To ensure the well-being of your operators, we provide a variety of blow-off products specifically designed to reduce noise levels to safe standards.

 If you have any questions about reducing sound levels, or anything regarding EXAIR and our products, please do not hesitate to reach out. We would love to hear from you!

Jason Kirby
Application Engineer
Email: jasonkirby@exair.com
Twitter: @EXAIR_jk

New Product: Ultra Duty Line Vacs™

Published on by John BallLeave a comment

To continue growth, EXAIR manufactures new products to either expand an existing line or to capture new markets. In this blog, I will cover the new Ultra Duty Line Vacs. When it comes to moving bulk materials with compressed air, EXAIR’s Heavy Duty Line Vac has long been the go-to choice for demanding applications. Its hardened alloy construction resists wear and delivers impressive conveying performance. But in some industries, the materials being moved are so abrasive that even the Heavy Duty version eventually shows signs of wear.

The Ultra Duty Line Vacs are designed to handle the conveyance of the most abrasive materials.  The bodies are made from the same material as our Heavy Duty Line Vacs, but we added a ceramic insert.  The ceramic material offers even more resistance to wear.  The overall length is a bit longer to accommodate this insert, but the flow rate, distance, and conveyance rates are the same. 

We currently offer them in 1 ¼”, 1 ½”, and 2” for hose connections individually or in kits.  We can offer the vacuum end with a threaded connection if required by adding the letter “E” as a suffix.  The kit versions will include a bracket for the Line Vac, a filter, a regulator, and a coupling kit for the filter and regulator. 

Here are the model numbers and versions that are currently in stock:

Model:                 Description:

170125                  1 ¼” Ultra Duty Line Vac only

170150                  1 ½” Ultra Duty Line Vac only

170200                  2” Ultra Duty Line Vac only

172125                  1 ¼” Ultra Duty Line Vac Kit

172150                  1 ½” Ultra Duty Line Vac Kit

172200                  2” Ultra Duty Line Vac Kit

If you’re dealing with abrasive, difficult materials in your processes, look no further than the EXAIR Ultra Duty Line Vac. They’re available to ship same-day from stock and backed by our unconditional 30-day guarantee.  Now through October 31st, you’ll receive a FREE 1122 2” Flat Super Air Nozzle as a promotion with the purchase of any EXAIR Line Vac with qualified orders.  If you need help with your application or to determine which product would be the best solution, EXAIR has Application Engineers to help you out. 

John Ball
Application Engineer
Email: johnball@exair.com
Twitter: @EXAIR_jb

EXAIR Product Drawings

Published on by Russ BowmanLeave a comment

My friend Bill’s Dad was an engineer for a major aviation manufacturer, and was among the first to use their brand-new (in the late 1960’s) computer-aided design & drafting (CADD) program. Their metal fab shop was still making drawings by hand, and asked him how precise the tolerances could be on a CADD drawing. He told them it could be as tight as a ten thousandth of a inch (0.0001″) so they asked him for such a drawing – aviation components have famously tight tolerances – so he entered it all in to the mainframe computer, which took a considerable amount of time and resources, but it generated the drawing that the fab shop needed. Later, they came and told him they were ready to make the part and asked if he wanted to come see it. When he got to the shop, he saw his drawing next to a piece of sheet metal on a table. The cut lines (specified by his drawing, which, again, had tolerances to the ten thousandth of an inch) were laid out in grease pencil, and a technician was readying an oxy-acetylene torch to make the cuts. That was the last time he took the trouble to make a drawing for that particular shop.

I don’t know for sure, but I’m fairly certain these parts aren’t made with a grease pencil & blowtorch.

In the 1990’s, I worked for an industrial pump company, and a big part of my job was using CAD (some time in the 1970’s or 1980’s, the 2nd “D” fell out of use, and it became known as computer-aided design, or computer-aided drafting) to make drawings showing our customers where the pump’s fluid ports would be (so they could prepare the suction & discharge piping) as well as the fabrication drawings for the baseplates that we mounted the pump and drive equipment on. The computer I used for that sat on my desk, whereas the computer that Bill’s Dad used occupied several rooms in the building. I also used a mouse & keyboard instead of punch cards and magnetic tape reels to input my shapes & dimensions. And I don’t even want to think about how much more power their computer used.

I learned quickly that the first law of CAD is “never draw anything twice”, so I was ALWAYS pleased when manufacturers had CAD files to send me. I could simply drop those in to my drawings, and go about my day. That’s why, when I started this job at EXAIR, one of the things that impressed me most was our comprehensive CAD Library in our Knowledge Base. We do require registration (fast & free) as a user, but once you’re in the system, you can instantly download CAD files for any of our products. We even have solid models for folks who work magic with 3D design (I was strictly a 2D guy.)

EXAIR’s CAD Library has 2D drawings and 3D models of all of our products, like a Super Air Knife (left), Line Vac (center), or even a Chip Trapper System (right).

For any stock EXAIR product, you’re only a few mouse clicks away from getting drawing files. Our R&D engineers can also generate drawings of custom products – special length Air Knives, Line Vacs with custom flanges, etc. – upon request. If you’d like to find out more, give me a call.

Russ Bowman, CCASS

Application Engineer
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EXAIR’s VariBlast Precision

Published on by Al WooffittLeave a comment

Air Guns are one of the most common and most trusted tools in manufacturing facilities that use compressed air. There are many options out there on the market, so what makes EXAIR’s VariBlast Precision Safety Air Gun a cut above the rest?

As with all of EXAIR‘s Safety Air Guns, the VariBlast Precision takes safety seriously. All models when used with an EXAIR Safety Air Nozzle are in compliance with OSHA standard 1910.242(b). This means that the airflow that exits the nozzle cannot be blocked, and the static pressure will never exceed 30psig, even when supplied with shop pressure.

The other key safety feature is the low noise level. OSHA noise exposure standard, 29 CFR 1910.95(a), states that protection is needed for continuous exposure to noise levels above 90dBA. Our VariBlast Precision options are all below 75dBA (some configurations are as low as 58dBA!). This is well below the minimum allowable level stipulated by OSHA.

Beyond safety, the VariBlast Precision has many other benefits. Not only is it lightweight and durable, being made of a high-impact, glass-reinforced nylon that is resistant to breakage. It is also easy to use with a comfortable, full-finger trigger and a convenient hanger loop built into it. This trigger also allows for variable flow, giving you a range of forces and flows at your fingertips.

The VariBlast Precision comes standard with a 6″ extension.  For greater reach, we also offer a 12″ or a 20″ option. All extensions are made of Type 316 stainless steel, and are compatible with our Atto, Pico, or Nano Super Air Nozzle. These nozzles come in both Type 316 stainless steel (for durability and corrosion resistance), or in PEEK plastic for non-marring applications. They can also be outfitted with an impact resistant polycarbonate Chip Shield.

If you would like to discuss your blowoff application, and see how EXAIR’s VariBlast Precision, or any of our other Safety Air Guns can help you out, give us a call!

Al Wooffitt
Application Engineer

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