Six Steps to Optimizing:  Step 1 – Measure the Air Consumption

Published on by John BallLeave a comment

Since air compressors use a lot of electricity to make compressed air, it is important to use the compressed air as efficiently as possible. EXAIR has six simple steps to optimize your compressed air system. Following these steps will help you to cut electrical costs, reduce overhead, and improve your bottom line. In this blog, I will cover the first step – Measuring the air consumption to find sources that use a lot of compressed air.

Six Steps to Optimizing Your Compressed Air System

Information is important to diagnose wasteful and problematic areas within your compressed air system. To measure air consumption, flow meters are used to find the volume or mass of compressed air per unit of time. Flow rates are very useful data points to find problems like leaks, over-use in blow-offs, waste calculations, and comparison analysis.

There are many different types of flow meters. Many of them entail a breakdown of your current compressed air lines by cutting, welding, or dismantling for installation. This will add costs in downtime and maintenance staff. But, not with the EXAIR Digital Flowmeters. In this blog, I will share the features and benefits of the Digital Flowmeters, including options for you to start measuring and optimizing your compressed air system in Step 1.

Overall, it only takes a few minutes to install and start measuring. The installation kit comes with a drill guide to properly locate the two holes in the pipe. The Digital Flowmeter uses a clamp to mount onto the pipe and to seal the area around the probes. Once it is powered, the unit is ready to measure the air flow inside the pipe with a large LED display. The display can be customized to show flow readings in three different units; SCFM, M3/hr or M3/min; and, it can display the Daily Usage and Cumulative Usage. 

To get started, the EXAIR Digital Flowmeter is a thermal dispersion device that can accurately measure compressed air flows. They use two sensing probes for comparative analysis. One probe is a temperature sensing probe, and the other is a flow-sensing probe. By comparing these, the Digital Flowmeter can measure precisely the mass of air flow without needing to be re calibrated. They are a cost-effective, accurate, and simple way to measure compressed air flow.

EXAIR stocks a large volume of Digital Flowmeters to ship on the same day for U.S. and Canadian customers. We also offer a 30-day unconditional guarantee to try them out. We stock meters for pipe diameters from ½” NPT to 4″ NPT Schedule 40 black pipe. EXAIR can also offer flow meters up to 8″ NPT black pipe; copper pipes with diameters from 3/4″ to 4″, and aluminum pipes with diameters ranging from 40mm to 101mm. If you have another type of piping for your compressed air system, you can give us the material, O.D. or I.D., and wall thickness. We may still be able to get a Digital Flowmeter for you.

For measuring, all the units come standard with a 4 – 20mA analog output. Per your request, we can change this signal to a serial output for RS-485 or Ethernet connections. What more can we offer with the EXAIR Digital Flowmeter? Options. Options upgrade the flow meters to better suit your application. Here is a list below:

EXAIR’s Digital Flowmeter w/ USB Data Logger

USB Data Logger: This option allows for a recording of the flow information. With a software download, you can set up the USB Data Logger to record the flow from once a second (roughly 9 hours of storage) to every 12 hours. After the data points are recorded, you can then download the information into the software to review. Then the information can be uploaded to an Excel program to do further analysis.

Summing Remote: With compressed air pipes running along the ceiling and walls, reading the Digital Flowmeter may be difficult. The Summing Remote has a 50-foot (15 meter) cable to bring the LED display into viewing. The Summing Remote is powered by the Digital Flowmeter, and it can be positioned at eye level, inside managers’ rooms, or around large equipment for monitoring.

Hot Tap Digital Flowmeter: This option is a great way to install a Digital Flowmeter on the pipe without shutting down the compressed air line. We offer this option for 2″ and larger for steel and copper pipes. It gives a quick and easy way to attach them if you have a 24-hour operation or a critical process that needs to run continuously.

Pressure Sensing Digital Flowmeter: If you would like to know the compressed air flow and the air pressure, this option will be able to do this. They are available with the Digital Flowmeters for steel and copper pipes that are 2″ and larger, and for the aluminum piping that is 50mm and larger. This option can display pressure units in either PSI or Bar right on the same LED display that shows the flow readings.

Block-Off Rings: If you want to move your Digital Flowmeter, the Block-Off Rings will be able to cover the openings in your compressed air pipe. They seal around the drilled opening when the Digital Flowmeter is removed from the pipe. They are reusable; so, they can be removed if you want to remount the Digital Flowmeter in the same spot. If you want to use one flow meter in different locations, the Block-Off Rings allow you to do this.

When you need to analyze your pneumatic components, flow is an important point in diagnosing the overall “health” of your compressed air system. The EXAIR Digital Flowmeter can give you that important data point. With optimization, you can cut your energy consumption, improve efficiency, and save yourself money. This blog is an overview of Step 1 of six steps. You may have more questions about the other steps, and that is great! You can find them in other EXAIR blogs, or you can contact an Application Engineer at EXAIR.

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

Engineered 360° Blowoff for Wire, Cable, Hose, and Tube

Published on by Tyler Daniel1 Comment

The homemade solution is not always the best one (unless we’re talking about food….). When it comes to homemade blowoff devices, this is certainly always the case. The benefit of using an engineered product vs a homemade one comes down to performance, plain and simple.

When it comes to the Super Air Wipe, when compared to block-style or homemade wipes, the engineered product is always going to be the best solution. They’re designed specifically to operate more efficiently (and safely) than what your maintenance guy has rigged up to use with common components from the facility.

While it may be cheaper up front, it’s certainly not the most efficient in terms of operating costs and could also pose safety issues for your operators nearby. Take the example of an LED lightbulb vs an incandescent one. The LED bulb is going to cost more upfront, but will use less energy to operate AND have a longer overall lifespan than the incandescent bulb. Over time, the LED bulb will save you more than the initial purchase price in electrical costs. Many are often brighter too!

The same can be said when comparing EXAIR’s Super Air Wipe to homemade or what we often refer to as “block-style” wipes. This was the case with a recent company that produces a variety of different sizes of cable and wire. After an internal evaluation of their compressed air usage, they identified several of these throughout many processes in the facility that were consuming too much compressed air and leading to pressure drops in other areas of the plant. Not to mention, they were extremely loud! This required everyone in that part of the facility to constantly wear hearing protection when production was running.

With the sizes they were running most of the time (7-12mm), it made sense to offer our Model 2401 1” Super Air Wipe. After implementation, low pressure alarms in their other processes had stopped and they were able to operate without any further issues. The sound level throughout the facility was also significantly reduced, allowing operators to work without the need for additional hearing protection if they wished. We had reduced the sound level to 80 dBA, well within the safe standard for maximum allowable noise exposure as outlined by OSHA 1910.95(a). With the Super Air Wipe in place, they were able to save on compressed air, increase productivity due to the elimination of low-pressure alarms, and were able to improve the safety of the process for their operators. Not bad for a day’s work!

The Super Air Wipe provides a uniform 360° laminar airflow for blowing off, drying, cleaning, and cooling a wide variety of pipe, cable, extruded shapes, hose, and wire. Its split design allows it to be easily clamped around the surface of the material without having to “feed” the material through. If you’re processing any type of hose, wire, or extruded shapes that could benefit from installing a Super Air Wipe give us a call. With all sizes shipping from stock on an order received by 2:00 pm ET we can have one to you as early as tomorrow!

Tyler Daniel, CCASS
Application Engineer
E-mail: TylerDaniel@exair.com
Twitter: @EXAIR_TD

Overview of EXAIR’s PowerStream Nozzles

Published on by jasonkirbyLeave a comment

The PowerStream nozzles by EXAIR offer a superior spraying solution for a wide range of processes. Their innovative design enables a uniform, deflected flat fan spray pattern, facilitating efficient and consistent liquid distribution across the entire spray width. Its precision ensures optimal performance for various applications, promoting effective coverage and minimizing waste. The PowerStream nozzle’s versatility in accommodating various flow rates makes it an ideal solution for seamlessly integrating into current systems or for the development of new infrastructure, ensuring that it meets diverse operational demands effectively. Available from stock and ready to ship the same day, EXAIR‘s PowerStream nozzles are available with 1/8 NPT thread and are suitable for use up to 250 PSI liquid pressure.

Applications:

  • Cooling, coating
  • Quenching
  • Dust suppression
  • Washing, rinsing
  • Foam breaking
  • Slurry spraying
  • Sanitizing
  • De-greasing
  • Lubricating

Advantages:

  • Durable, one-piece construction
  • Wide spray angle
  • Clog-resistant
  • All stainless steel construction
  • Compact footprint, versatile

Liquid atomizing nozzles made from Type 303 stainless steel are designed to withstand harsh conditions due to their excellent resistance to corrosion and high temperatures. This material choice enhances the lifespan and performance of the nozzles. They are designed for environments with a maximum operating temperature of 800°F (426°C).

If you have questions about the PowerStream nozzles by EXAIR, or any of the many EXAIR products, 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

Compressed Air Use in the Agriculture Industry

Published on by Russ BowmanLeave a comment

The history of agriculture is really the history of civilization. Once our ancestors moved from hunting & gathering to herding & planting, the concepts of villages and trade took off, and here we are, living in the suburbs, exchanging currency for goods at the local supermarket. The methods in which these goods (the food we eat) are processed have evolved from everything being done by hand, to the use of an impressive degree of modern technology. Some of that technology involves compressed air – hence the subject of this blog. Consider:

  • Gasoline or diesel driven air compressors can power tools and pumps in areas where electricity isn’t available.
  • Fertilizers and pesticides are oftentimes sprayed onto crops using products like EXAIR Air Atomizing Spray Nozzles, which generate an even, controllable spray pattern & flow rate, while making extremely small droplet sizes for maximum coverage.
  • Air Operated Conveyors like EXAIR Line Vacs are widely used to move grain, soil, fertilizer, etc., quickly & easily from storage bins or hoppers.
As a coffee lover, there’s not much I enjoy more than specifying a Line Vac for use with coffee, like the one above being used to convey green coffee beans. They’re used for roasted and ground beans too!
  • Blowoff products like EXAIR Super Air Knives are ideal for cleaning and drying produce carried on conveyor belts.
Super Air Knife drying fruits and vegetables

I had the pleasure of assisting a caller with the selection of a wet-dry vacuum for cleanup operations on a dairy farm. Since it was going to be used in an area subject to liquid spills, they wanted a non-electric solution to eliminate shock hazards from dragging an extension cord across a wet floor. They needed a HEPA filter for silica dust, and wanted the ability to quickly change operation from vacuuming up that dust, to cleaning up liquid (like fresh milk) spills.

EXAIR Model 6303 Premium HEPA EasySwitch Wet-Dry Vac System fit the bill perfectly for them. It’s compressed air operated (so no shock hazard), with more than enough vacuum power for wet or dry cleanup, and the ability to easily switch (as advertised) from wet to dry operation. Also, with no moving parts to wear out, it’ll run darn near indefinitely, maintenance free, when supplied with clean compressed air.

For critical dust containment, the HEPA EasySwitch Wet-Dry Vac System is your durable, reliable, compressed air operated solution!

If you would like to read more about the kinds of applications in which our products help customers solve interesting application problems, please visit our Application Database under “Resources” on the website – (registration required, but it’s free & fast). This resource has details of the successful use of EXAIR products across dozens of industries – Agriculture included. In fact, it’s near the top of the list (to be fair, it’s alphabetical). If you’d like to find out more about how EXAIR Intelligent Compressed Air Products can be used to your benefit, give me a call.

Russ Bowman, CCASS

Application Engineer
Visit us on the Web
Follow me on Twitter
Like us on Facebook