15 Years – Comfort Crisis or Continued Challenge?

Published on by Brian FarnoLeave a comment

According to the Department of Labor, the average tenure for an employee in manufacturing is currently at 4.9 years. This number has consistently declined since 2014 as seen in the image below. This is not new information. I still remember when I was interviewing at EXAIR, the next tenure Application Engineer had been here for 12 years. That was in 2010. That made me believe that EXAIR treats its employees well and that people are happy to stay. I was drawn to this because I came from a family where my parents both worked for the same Steel Mill for over 35 years. Seeing a company that had an average tenure in the department I was going to join, sitting at 15 years, was at the top of my list.

1 – Median Employee Tenure Within Industries

At the same time, I was leaving a job I had been in for 5 years and was still learning consistently, just the economy was dropping out, and the industry was struggling. Would I be happy working in an office with this crew? I wasn’t afraid of being a young person and not knowing anything, I was confident I could learn. Well, flash forward through several years of constant learning, and now I am the most experienced Application Engineer. We have had some retirements and then lots of promotions leading up to this point. The one constant has been that I have always had new products, processes, or aspects of EXAIR and the compressed air industry to learn.

I mentioned the comfort crisis in the title because a lot of people I talk to ask me if I stay at EXAIR because I am comfortable. In all honesty, there has been a constant source of growth since I started. Whether it be our continuous product expansions forcing me to learn new materials. Obtaining my MBA from NKU to better understand the business side of EXAIR over the technical side of our products. Taking on different roles or contributing to new processes. Even up to the latest partnership with BETE Fog Nozzles, nowhere in the 15 years has there been a full month of pure comfort.

No one knows where the future will take us. All I can say is that I have been very blessed to make it this far and the future is looking even more exciting than the past. So tune in and stay with me, no matter where you go, let’s see where this ride goes.

Brian Farno, MBA – CCASS Application Engineer

BrianFarno@EXAIR.com
@EXAIR_BF

1 – Median Employee Tenure Within Industries – US Bureau of Labor Statistics – Retrieved from https://www.bls.gov/news.release/tenure.t05.htm

Contact Time: How to get the most from your EXAIR products

Published on by John BallLeave a comment
Poor Position vs Good Position

You may have heard us speak about contact time.  I would like to cover what that means in this blog.  Contact time refers to the amount of time that a target part is in the high-velocity airstream produced by an EXAIR blowing product.  The longer the contact time, the more effective the blow-off or cooling effect. Optimizing the mounting position of the EXAIR solution relative to the target makes a huge difference in effectiveness.  When our customers typically purchase EXAIR products, they have a tendency to improperly install them, reducing their performance capabilities.  Let’s look at a Super Air Knife.  In the photo above, you can see the relationship between a perpendicular and a recommended setup angle.  I have some recommendations that can help to increase the contact time and improve the performance. 

Super Air Knife Chamfer
  1. Angle – EXAIR machines a chamfer on the cap of the Super Air Knife as a starting point.  You want to have the chamfer parallel with the target line of movement.  This will create an air flow angle of about 45 degrees relative to the target.  This angle will increase the contact area and contact time, which is very beneficial for removing debris and/or heat.  Depending on the speed and height of the target, this can be altered for further refinement.
  2. Distance – For optimum performance, the Air Knife should be between 3″ (76 mm) to 12″ (305 mm) from the target.  If you are too close, the amplification ratio is sacrificed, and the force is reduced.  If you are too far, the air pattern will start to change, causing the velocity and force to decrease. 
  3. Counter-Flow – The direction of the air flow should be blowing in the direction opposite the target movement.  As an example, if the parts are moving from left to right, you want the Air Knife to blow from right to left.  This will allow the contamination to be blown back away from the cleaned surfaces, and it will increase the impact force to remove contamination, i.e. a head-on collision vs. a rear-end collision.

With these few simple steps, you will begin to maximize the performance and effectiveness of your EXAIR blowing solution.  Some accessories can help with the setup, like Swivel Fittings and Stay Set Hoses for the nozzles and the Universal Mounting Kit for the Air Knives.  You can modify the impact angle to best suit complex parts and systems.  If you need any help to get the most out of our products, you can contact an Application Engineer at EXAIR.  We will be happy to hear from you.     

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

Videos for Everyone!!!

Published on by jasonkirbyLeave a comment

EXAIR offers a comprehensive video library that includes everything from brief product introductions to detailed, step-by-step maintenance tutorials. If you are tackling a specific application, it is highly probable that we have a relevant video available. I regularly utilize these videos to clarify or showcase specific features of EXAIR products to customers. They serve as an essential resource in my daily activities, and the most advantageous aspect is that they are freely accessible at any time.

Numerous videos are available under the ‘Resources’ tab on our website, www.EXAIR.com. By selecting a product category from this section, you can access a variety of instructional content. Whether you are looking to learn how to change the shim in a Super Air Knife or enhance the conveyance of a Line Vac, you will find these videos and many others systematically arranged for your convenience.

Our blogs feature video demonstrations that make learning enjoyable and straightforward. If you have a topic you’re curious about, you can simply search our blog. Chances are, you’ll find a video that matches what you’re looking for. These videos break down complex ideas and show you step-by-step processes. They are great for visual learners who understand better when they see things in action. Our goal is to provide helpful resources, ensuring that everyone has access to easy, informative content.

If you would like to discuss our video library, or any of our EXAIR products, please do not hesitate to contact an Application Engineer. We are always happy to help!

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

Finding the Right Intelligent Compressed Air Product

Published on by Russ BowmanLeave a comment

I had the pleasure of talking with a customer who had purchased a Model 6063 1-1/2″ Stainless Steel Line Vac the other day. They were building chemical processing machinery, and needed to move vapor into a condenser for reclamation of the fluid. The Line Vac was doing exactly what they needed it to do, and with a supply pressure regulated down to 12psig, at that. Their question was, how do they quantify the flow rate?

Because the Line Vac generates a moderate level of vacuum head with a moderate vacuum flow, they’re ideal for drawing in bulk solid material and conveying it from one place to another. They’ll do the same with airborne dust, vapors, and gases, but…

Because they’re made for conveying bulk solids, our published performance data for the Line Vacs doesn’t address total developed airflow. However, because our Air Amplifiers are made for moving air (and anything that might be suspended in the air or already airborne), we DO publish airflow performance data for them. And it provides a GREAT segue for situations like this, when the only thing that can do a better job than one EXAIR product is another EXAIR product!

…Air Amplifiers, while similar in function to the Line Vacs, generate a high vacuum flow with a low vacuum head. This makes them the better choice for moving air & airborne dust, vapors, gases, etc.

In this case, the machine designer replaced the 1-1/2″ Stainless Steel Line Vac with a Model 6040 3/4″ Stainless Steel Adjustable Air Amplifier. It’s got a 1-1/2″ OD inlet plenum, so it was a ‘drop-in’ replacement for the 1-1/2″ Line Vac, which was plumbed in with a 1-1/2″ ID hose. When they regulated the supply pressure to 25psig, they were able to replicate the vapor carryover to the condenser at the specified rate, and even cut the already low compressed air consumption from 9.3 SCFM @12psig (for the Line Vac) to 3.7 SCFM @25psig (for the Air Amplifier).

As an EXAIR Application Engineer and a Certified Compressed Air Systems Specialist, I’m here to make sure you get the most out of your compressed air system. If that involves using a product other than the EXAIR Intelligent Compressed Air Product that you may have initially selected, I’m not going to be shy about telling you that. But, there’s a good chance that the more ideal solution is going to be another EXAIR Intelligent Compressed Air Product. If you want to talk about compressed air…so do I! Give me a call.

Russ Bowman, CCASS

Application Engineer
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