March is National Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month.

Published on by Jordan T ShouseLeave a comment

March is National Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month, a time dedicated to raising awareness about cerebral palsy (CP), celebrating those who live with it, and advocating for better support and research. As someone personally touched by CP, I find this month incredibly meaningful. My son, Lincoln, was diagnosed with spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy at age one, and our journey has been one of challenges, triumphs, and a deepened appreciation for the strength found in our community. This month, marked by the vibrant color green and the #GoGreen4CP movement, encourages us all to learn more about CP—a neurological condition affecting movement and muscle tone—and to push for inclusivity in education, healthcare, and beyond.

For me, the #GoGreen4CP movement is more than just a campaign; it’s a reflection of our daily life. Lincoln’s form of CP is the most severe form of spastic CP and affects all four limbs, the trunk, and the face, making mobility a hurdle, but his determination shines through every step he takes with his walker or pedal on his adaptive bike. I’ve written about this before in my work here at EXAIR, where I’m fortunate to have a platform that allows me to share personal stories like ours. CP affects over 1 million people in the U.S., with around 10,000 new diagnoses each year, often due to brain development issues or injuries before, during, or shortly after birth. This month, I’m reminded of how far we’ve come—thanks to therapy and support—and how much more we need, like increased research funding, which groups like the Cerebral Palsy Foundation tirelessly advocate for.

Speaking of EXAIR, February holds its own significance for us here at EXAR with Founders’ Day on February 21st each year. It’s a day to celebrate the vision of our company’s founders, who built a culture of innovation and community that I’m proud to be part of. This year, as we marked Founders’ Day just a few weeks ago, I couldn’t help but connect it to the spirit of resilience my family and so many others honor in March. At EXAIR, we design engineered solutions to solve problems, much like the adaptive tools and therapies that help Lincoln navigate his world. The overlap of these two moments—Founders’ Day and CP Awareness Month—reminds me how a supportive workplace and a passionate community can intersect to make a real difference.

So, how can you get involved this March? Wear green to spark conversations, share stories on social media with #GoGreen4CP, or donate to organizations driving CP research and support like the Cerebral Palsy Foundation. For my family, it’s also a chance to thank those who’ve walked alongside us—therapists, nurses, friends, and even my EXAIR colleagues who’ve cheered Lincoln on. National Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month isn’t just about awareness; it’s about action and connection. As Lincoln and our family continue this journey, I hope you’ll join us in shining a light on CP, not just this month, but every day.

Be kind and love one another!

Jordan Shouse
Application Engineer

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Image courtesy of The Cerebral Palsy Foundation

Gen4 Ionizing Points: Overview

Published on by John BallLeave a comment
Model 8299 Ionizing Point

As the weather gets colder, and the air gets dryer, static electricity can become a real nuisance in production plants.  Machines will start jamming, alignments will be difficult, debris will collect on surfaces, and hazardous sparks can shock staff.  EXAIR manufactures a large line of Gen4 Static Eliminators to remove this static nuisance.  We offer them with air to remove static at a distance and to create a force to clean.  We also offer them without air to help eliminate static in tight spaces or for when airflow may disrupt a material flow.  In this blog, I will cover our single point unit, the model 8199 Gen4 Ionizing Point. 

Our Ionizing Point is rugged for tough industrial applications.  The high voltage cable is constructed with a PVC coated, armored cable to withstand many common hazards like pinch points and cuts, thus protecting the internal conductors.  The Gen4 Ion Point is also UL component recognition for the US and Canada, and it is also CE compliant to the applicable European directives for safety as well as electromagnetic interference. 

The solid, stainless steel emitter point is also removable.  This helps to insure continuous problem-free operations.  Once the emitter point wears due to normal use, it can be replaced very simply and economically by simply unscrewing the old one and threading in a new emitter point.  The Gen4 Ionizing Point comes standard with a 5 foot (1.5 meter) long high voltage cable.  However, other cable lengths up to 50 feet (15 meters) are available upon request.  The end has a saddle for mounting through the side of air moving ducts or for simple placement near a static issue.

To operate the Ionizing Points, a Gen4 Power Supply is required to create ions with a high voltage signal.  The AC waveform of the signal creates positive and negative ions to remove either polarity of static.  EXAIR offers two different models; the model 7960, which has two output ports, and the model 7961, which has four output ports.  They can operate more than one Static Eliminator to help save money when the application solution is ideal for operating multiple units in the same vicinity.  The features of the Power Supply are that it has a selectable primary voltage of 115Vac or 240Vac, it generates 5,000 volts, and it has shunt circuitry to provide for safe reduction of output when the power supply “sees” a shorted condition on the secondary.

Gen4 Ionizing Points

The Gen4 Ionizing Point is designed for small target areas or for duct mounting. Static is created by rubbing, hitting, and peeling of non-conductive materials.  The Gen4 Ionizing Point can be used directly for slitting, label peeling, or small print areas for quality.  A series of them can be used for ionizing a ducted airflow to tackle problems within air conveying systems. 

Duct mounting

Now, how about a free promotional item?  For qualified purchases of Gen4 Static Eliminators, including the Gen4 Ionizing Point, EXAIR will ship a model 7929, AC Sensor, for free with your purchase, a $65.00 value.  If you are an end-user and located within the United States or Canada, you can take advantage of this offer until March 31st, 2025.  If you wish to speak to an Application Engineer about your application, we will be happy to assist you with a solution to eliminate static. 

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

Digital Sound Level Meter

Published on by jasonkirbyLeave a comment

Manufacturing environments present numerous hazards for both companies and their employees on a daily basis. Among these risks, the potential dangers posed by high-decibel machinery and equipment are often underestimated. The Digital Sound Level Meter from EXAIR serves as a user-friendly tool designed to measure and monitor sound pressure levels across diverse industrial settings.

The Digital Sound Level Meter from EXAIR is both precise and responsive, effectively measuring sound decibels and presenting the results on a large LCD screen. This display features a backlight button for enhanced visibility. Additionally, the device includes an F/S response time button, allowing users to select between slow response for stable noise measurements and fast response for fluctuating noise levels. The “Max Hold” function enables users to set a specific decibel threshold, providing alerts when this level is surpassed. Furthermore, the Digital Sound Level Meter is certified by the NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) for initial calibration, ensuring its accuracy and reliability.

If you have any questions about the Digital Sound Level Meter by EXAIR, or any EXAIR product or application, please feel free to reach out to our team of Application Engineers for assistance.

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

Adjustability and Precision w/ EXAIR’s Super Air Nozzles & Stay Set Hoses

Published on by Tyler DanielLeave a comment

If you’ve been tasked with reducing operating costs in your plant, upgrading your blowoffs to EXAIR’s Engineered Air Nozzles & Jets might be just the ticket. When replacing a homemade or inefficient solution, EXAIR’s Super Air Nozzles can save you as much as 80% of your compressed air usage.

An open copper pipe or tube, even if “flattened” as we’ll commonly see, wastes an excessive amount of compressed air. This wasted compressed air can create problems in the facility due to unnecessarily high energy costs and the pressure drop that can be experienced affecting other processes. In addition to simply using too much compressed air, an open pipe or tube will often produce sound levels in excess of 100 dBA. At these sound levels, according to OSHA, permanent hearing damage will occur in just 2 hours of exposure.

By simply replacing the open tubes and pipe with an EXAIR Super Air Nozzle, you can quickly reduce air consumption AND reduce the sound level. Sound level isn’t the only thing an OSHA inspector is going to be concerned about regarding an open pipe blowoff, in addition OSHA 1910.242(b) states that a compressed air nozzle used for blowoff or cleaning purposes cannot be dead-ended when using with pressures in excess of 30 psig. I don’t know if you’ve ever tried to use an air gun with 30 psig fed to it, but the effectiveness of it is dramatically reduced. This is why there needs to be a device installed that’ll prevent it from being dead-ended so that you can operate at a higher pressure.

EXAIR’s Super Air Nozzles are designed with fins that serve two purposes. They help to entrain ambient air from the environment, allowing us to maximize the force and flow from the nozzle but keeping the compressed air consumption minimal. In addition, these fins are what prevent the nozzle openings from being completely blocked off. Using an OSHA-compliant compressed air nozzle for all points where a blowoff operation is being performed should be a priority. Each individual infraction will result in a fine if you’re unfortunate enough to be the victim of an unannounced OSHA inspection.

If your process involves numerous different products with varying dimensions, you might need a way to adjust each blowoff based on the material being run. With our Stay Set Hoses, this can be achieved quickly and easily without the need for any tools or a long shutdown.

EXAIR’s Stay Set Hoses are available from 6”-36” in length with ¼ NPT male threads on each end, or a ¼ NPT male on one end and 1/8 NPT female on the other. The Stay Set Hoses are rigid and allow you to maintain precise positioning of the blow off nozzle. The hoses have “memory” and will not creep or bend. They’re easily repositioned as well, making them an ideal solution for applications that may require frequent repositioning due to varying parts.

All of these products are available to ship same-day with an order received by 2:00 ET from stock. Give one a try today!

Tyler Daniel

Application Engineer

E-mail: TylerDaniel@EXAIR.com

X: @EXAIR_TD