Tag: abrasive vacuum

Dynamic Viscosity and Kinematic Viscosity

Published on by John BallLeave a comment

Dynamic viscosity is the frictional force between the liquid layers.  It is measured with a viscometer that uses mechanical rotational resistance to discs that are placed in the fluid.  They have the units of Centipoise (cP) or Pascal-second (Pa-s).  Kinematic Viscosity removes the density to see how the behavior of the fluid flows.  This type of viscosity is measured with funnels or tubes to see how long gravity will pull the fluid through under its own weight.  The units for this type of viscosity are Centistokes (cSt) or M2/sec. Both types of viscosities are easily changed with temperature.  To convert the kinematic viscosity to dynamic viscosity, you only need to divide the dynamic viscosity by the fluid’s density in grams per cubic centimeter (g/cm³), reference Equation 1.  Because the density changes with temperature, the conversion is fluid specific.  Why do I bring this up?  If you are looking to transfer different fluids, EXAIR has a solution for you.    

Equation 1:

Kinematic Viscosity = Dynamic Viscosity / density

Not all liquid vacuums are the same.  Have you seen motor burnout, loud noises, single directional flow, and potential electrical hazards?  EXAIR manufactures a pneumatic venturi pump to remove all those issues, the High Lift Reversible Drum Vac System.  It does not have any moving parts to wear; a two-way action to fill or expel liquid from standard drums; and is quiet.  They only use compressed air to generate a powerful vacuum to lift liquid into a drum; and with a simple twist of the knob, it will push the liquid out.  And by using compressed air, no electricity is required, making it safe to use.  They work great for fluid transfers or liquid spills, and the High Lift Reversible Drum Vac can fill a 55-gallon (208L) drum in 85 seconds from 15 feet of lift.  And with the powerful vacuum pressure, it can move thick liquid with viscosity up to 1400 Cp through 20 feet (6m) of hose.  How can this product be useful for you?  If you work with liquids in a cistern, underground tanks, higher viscous fluids, or pits, EXAIR has a product for you; the High Lift Reversible Drum Vac System.  They are reliable and simple to use, and that is why it was awarded the 2015 Product of the Year by Plant Engineering.  In this blog, I will go over the specifications and packages that EXAIR offers.

The High Lift Reversible Drum Vac pump has stainless steel construction for corrosion resistance.  It comes with a built-in safety relief valve to avoid over pressurizing and an internal float to stop any over-filling of the drum.  The air consumption is only 43 SCFM (1,218 SLPM) at 80 PSIG (5.5 Bar), and it has a quiet noise level of only 83 dBA.  Systems are available in 30-, 55- and 110-gallon capacities (114L, 208L, and 418L respectively) in different packages.

The standard package will include the two-way pump assembly, shutoff valve, 20′ (6m) vacuum hose, a 90° quick release elbow, a standpipe, and an aluminum chip wand.  The standpipe is cut to length for the properly sized drum (the drum is not included in this option).  The standpipe extends inside the drum to remove as much liquid as possible when emptying. 

The Deluxe package will include all the items shown above in the Standard package and adds a drum dolly, ABS spill recovery kit, (2) extension wands, crevice tool, skimmer tool and a magnetic toolholder.

The Premium package will include all the items in the Standard package and adds the drum with lock ring and lid, drum dolly, ABS spill recovery kit, (2) different lengths, aluminum crevice tools, skimmer tool, a magnetic toolholder and a 20′ (6m) compressed air hose.

With the relationship between dynamic and kinematic viscosities, you can determine the best EXAIR Industrial Housekeeping Product to transfer or discard.  If you have any questions about the High Lift Reversible Drum Vac System, you can contact an Application Engineer at EXAIR.  We will be happy to help you.

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

Supporting The Next Generation of Engineers

Published on by Brian FarnoLeave a comment

A while back, I was lucky enough to spearhead a donation from EXAIR to The University of Cincinnati’s 1819 Innovation Hub Makerspace. For the past several years, we have been sponsoring the UC Combat Robotics club, which uses the Makerspace to build its bots and learn more about the applications of its course of study. This facility is open to all students who attend the university. The course of study does not matter; the desire to learn appropriate usage of equipment and a determination to create are all that is needed.

The space puts every student through training for safety and manufacturing processes, if needed, and then the students can operate on their own. The staff in the space are often students themselves, or they are people with years of industry experience to share with the students utilizing the space. This 12,000 square-foot makerspace and fab lab is home to a variety of equipment that can all be seen on their equipment listing here. You can go in and learn how to use anything from a sewing machine or soldering iron, all the way up to a 4-axis CNC machine. If you just have an idea and desire to learn, the staff will even train you on how to make the idea come to life and do it all safely in a semi-controlled environment.

When we saw the need for safe, efficient use of compressed air in this space, EXAIR stepped in to help. We outfitted every air drop in the facility and every machine with an EXAIR VariBlast Precision Safety Air Gun w/ Chip Shield and Nano Super Air Nozzle. This will help keep all the operators safe by eliminating the risk of exceeding 30 psig dead-end pressure and also reducing the operating noise level to below the OSHA standard of 85 dBA, all the way down to 75 dBA. By keeping the entire facility uniform, they are also able to make purchasing new units easier when they are needed.

We also helped them assemble their new EXAIR Chip Trapper System to help recycle the coolant from their CNC machines and help them extend the life of their cutting fluid by being able to remove all the debris from their sumps, reducing the surface area on which bacteria can grow.

On top of both of these, we helped them to see how easy a Cold Gun is to mount onto the side of virtually any machine in their shop, even the industrial sewing machine, and showed them just how beneficial it can be. There was actually a group of students using one of the stationary belt sanders, and we were able to connect the Cold Gun to the closest air drop, use the magnet to hold it onto the housing of the sander, and position the single-point cold outlet to the contact point to keep the sandpaper and material cooler to prevent loading up of the sandpaper.

These were just a couple of the products we were able to share with them in order to help outfit their space with safe and efficient compressed air products. I’ve condensed the entire event down into a 50-second clip if you would like to watch. I feel like we need some classic Benny Hill music in the background.

I think the best part of this experience for me was the discussion that evolved as we unpacked all the items. We had already had lots of chatter back and forth around what their system is capable of and also what they plan to do with the EXAIR products. Then, as we are unpacking and discussing the capabilities, more applications started to come up. I have a feeling this is just part of what happens in this space. Ideas are born, then brought into fruition, all within these walls.

Special thanks to Benjamin Jones and his team for letting us be part of training the future leaders in the industry.

Brian Farno, MBA – CCASS
National Business Development Manager

BrianFarno@EXAIR.com
@EXAIR_BF