Warmer temperatures are quickly approaching, which may seem like a welcome change for personal reasons, but in a processing line, the increased temperatures can wreak havoc on sensitive components found in an electrical control panel.
EXAIR Corporation will be hosting a FREE webinar titled “Intelligent Solutions for Electrical Enclosure Cooling” on May 23, 2018 at 2:00 PM EDT.
(click on the photo to register – it’s FREE!)
By attending this interactive session, you will learn the difference between the 3 most common NEMA ratings for electrical control panels found in an industrial setting, NEMA Type 12, 4 and 4X. We’ll provide examples of traditional, yet unreliable, methods of cooling and the concerns associated with using these types of devices.
Next we will explain how ignoring heat related issues can cause machines to shut down due to failed electrical components, resulting in lost production and increased maintenance costs, negatively affecting a company’s bottom line.
In closing, we’ll show how using an engineered, compressed air operated solution can reduce downtime by providing a low cost, maintenance-free way to cool and purge control panels with no moving parts.
EXAIR Chip Vacs come in a range of sizes, and options, to meet the needs of most any clean up job.
The season for spring cleaning – spring, that is – is upon us (here in the Northern Hemisphere anyway) so it’s time to start looking for ways to make the task as easy and hassle-free as possible. That’s my take, anyway…and if you feel the same trepidation (or maybe even dread) as me, then this blog is for you. If you are one of those people who LIKES cleaning (you know who you are,) there’s something here for you too. Without further ado, let’s talk about the EXAIR Chip Vac Systems.
The first thing you should know is that, like all EXAIR Intelligent Compressed Air Products, Chip Vac Systems are compressed air operated. Why is this important?
*Safety – there’s no electric power cord or cable to trip over, damage, or get wet…all of which can be an electrocution hazard.
*Consistency – unlike a typical shop vac, which has a motor driven impeller/propeller to generate the vacuum flow, the Chip Vac creates powerful direct flow action from the compressed air supply. With no moving parts in the way, there’s nothing to trap debris or clog the line. If it can fit through the hose, the Chip Vac can suck it into the drum. Every time, all the time.
*Reliability – electric motors can overheat and burn out if you run them continuously for long periods of time – or if you start and stop them frequently. Not so with the Chip Vac…it’s pulling rated vacuum and flow as soon as you cut in air to it. And if you supply it with clean, dry air, the Chip Vac will operate darn near indefinitely, maintenance free.
At EXAIR, our motto of being “easy to do business with” applies to not only all aspects of Customer Service and Technical Support; it’s even integral to our systems design. What does this mean for the Chip Vac?
*Versatility – we make Chip Vac Systems for 30, 55, or 110 gallon drums. If you don’t already have an open top drum to install one on, we can supply the drum too.
*Portability – Deluxe Chip Vac Systems come with a dolly for your drum, so you can roll it wherever you need it. The 30 Gallon Chip Vac Systems are compact enough to fit through just about any passageway that you can walk through. But in tighter constraints…
*Portability, part 2 – Mini Chip Vac Systems come complete with a 5 gallon drum that can be easily carried or lifted to just about anywhere you need it to go. The Deluxe System even comes with a dolly, for total portability.
*Resourcefulness – because they fit standard drums, they’re easy to move from one drum to another. This is of particular value to machine tool operators who work with different materials: they can use the Chip Vac on one drum to vacuum up aluminum chips from one job, and then move it to another to clean up stainless steel chips from another job. This makes recycling quick, easy, and profitable.
EXAIR’s Engineered Air Nozzles and Air Jets provide a superior solution to minimize compressed air usage and reduce noise levels for compressed air blow-off operations.
Air Nozzles and Jets – when compared to commonly used open copper tubes or pipes the compressed air savings can be as high as 80%. With less compressed air, sound levels are greatly reduced. A 10 dBA noise level reduction is typical. All EXAIRAir Nozzles and Jets meet OSHA guidelines for dead end pressure and sound level exposure requirements.
EXAIR has engineered air nozzles for virtually any application
EXAIR Nozzles are designed and manufactured to take advantage of the Coanda (wall attachment of a high velocity fluid) effect which can amplify the airflow up to 25 times. The compressed air exits through the small holes on the nozzle which entrains the surrounding air. The effect from this is a high volume, high velocity blast using less compressed air. EXAIR manufactures many sizes and styles of air nozzles from the smallest, but quite powerful Atto Super Air Nozzles to our largest 1-1/4 NPT Super Air Nozzle. We also offer Flat Super Air Nozzles, and the Back Blow style nozzle for cleaning out tubes, pipes, channels or holes from 1/4″ to 16″ in diameter.
All of our Air Nozzles are engineered to meet or exceed OSHA Standard 1910.24(b) for 30 PSIG dead end pressure, they cannot be dead-ended as there is always a route for the air to escape so the outlet pressure will never reach 30 PSIG. In addition, our products are going to meet the OSHA Standard CFR 29 – 1910.95(a) for allowable noise exposure levels.
EXAIR Air Jets also utilize the Coanda effect to produce air motion in their surroundings. A small amount of compressed air (1) is throttled through an internal ring nozzle above sonic velocity. A vacuum is produced, pulling in large volumes of surrounding, or ‘free’ air, through an around the jet (2). The exit flow is the combination of the two air sources (3).
How an Air Jet Works
EXAIR manufactures Air Jets in two types, High Velocity, and Adjustable with materials of construction of brass and Type 303 Stainless Steel. The High Velocity Air Jet uses a changeable shim to set the gap, controlling the force and flow of the air. The Adjustable does not use a shim, and has a micrometer gap indicator and locking ring to allow for varying force and flow performance.
EXAIR Air Jets – High Velocity type on the left, Adjustable type on the RightSwivel Fittings available from M4 up to 1″ NPT
EXAIR’sSwivel Fittings make it easy to adjust the position of the Air Nozzles and Air Jets. The fittings allow for movement of 25° form the center axis for a total movement of 50°. There are nine different models available and all of them are made from stainless steel
If you would like to discuss blow off, noise levels, dead end pressure or any of EXAIR’s intelligent compressed air usage solutions, I would enjoy hearing from you…give me a call.
As they always say, “big things come in small packages”. Oftentimes, some of the things that have the most value or quality are quite small. Jewelry or diamonds certainly come to mind as some high-quality items that are relatively small in size. One little product we have at EXAIR is the Mini Cooler. Don’t let the word “Mini” fool you. EXAIR’s Mini Cooler packs a powerful punch while using minimal compressed air and not taking up valuable space on your shop floor.
Single and Dual Point Mini Cooler
The Mini Cooler is a proven, reliable way to reduce downtime and increase productivity on a wide variety of operations involving small parts where heat is causing a problem. With just an ordinary supply of compressed air as the power source, the Mini Cooler uses Vortex Tube technology to produce a 20°F (70°F compressed air temp) stream of cold air. This cold air can be directed to the part to prevent heat build-up that can cause premature tool wear, affect part tolerances and improve product finish. The Mini Cooler consumes just 8 SCFM of compressed air when operated at 100 PSIG, making it an ideal solution when available compressed air is at a premium.
The Mini Cooler can be used for a wide variety of applications, many of which we’ve blogged about here before. This application discusses a manufacturer that made surf casting bags used by fishermen fishing straight off of the beach. They had problems with the needle overheating and breaking which in turn damaged the finished product. Not only were they wasting materials, but also time spent periodically replacing the needles on the sewing machines. A focused stream of cold air from the Mini Cooler was all it took to remedy the situation.
Another application that I had the pleasure of seeing while visiting in Hungary was at a manufacturer of cataract lenses. They were using both the Adjustable Spot Cooler and the Mini Cooler in the milling process of the lenses. The cold air from the Mini Cooler replaced expensive and messy liquid coolant and was capable of maintaining a consistent temperature on the lens to prevent warping.
Mini Cooler used to maintain a low temperature on cataract lenses during inspection.
The Mini Cooler is available with both single and dual cold outlets, depending on the part needing to be cooled. The kit will include the Mini Cooler, a swivel Magnetic Base for precise mounting and positioning, either a Single or Dual Point Hose Kit, and a Manual Drain Filter with a mounting bracket included. If you’re experiencing heat related troubles on a small application, take advantage of EXAIR’s Unconditional 30-Day Guarantee and give the Mini Cooler a try. You’ll be HEATED if you don’t!
