Tag: air curtains

Taming Harsh Environments: The Power of EXAIR’s PVDF Super Air Knives

Published on by Al WooffittLeave a comment

Industrial blow off, drying, and cooling applications are tough. When your processes involve extreme chemicals, aggressive rinses, or highly corrosive atmospheres, standard aluminum or stainless steel hardware can discolor, degrade, or fail entirely.

EXAIR‘s PVDF Super Air Knives provide the ultimate solution for severe environments, combining Intelligent Compressed Air efficiency with the extreme chemical resistance of Polyvinylidene Fluoride (PVDF). These engineered tools deliver a high-velocity, uniform sheet of laminar airflow to eliminate moisture and debris while easily handling both low and high pH exposures.

The PVDF Advantage: Built for Aggressive Chemistry

PVDF is an advanced fluoropolymer engineered for environments where other metals degrade. EXAIR constructs these specialized knives using PVDF bodies paired with Hastelloy bolts to maximize corrosion defense.

  • Extreme Chemical Defense: Highly resistant to aggressive acids, halogenated solvents, and severe caustics.
  • pH Spectrum Versatility: Excellent performance on both ends of the pH spectrum, including direct exposure to brutal compounds like Sodium Hydroxide.
  • Zero Discoloration: Unlike metal alternatives that suffer surface rust or pitting, PVDF maintains its structural integrity and finish over time.

Unmatched Super Air Knife Performance

The PVDF version inherits all the award-winning performance benefits that make the EXAIR Super Air Knife line an industry benchmark:

  • 40:1 Air Amplification: For every 1 part of expensive compressed air used, the knife draws in 40 parts of “free” ambient room air using the Coanda effect.
  • Drastic Energy Savings: Reduces compressed air consumption by up to 80% to 90% when compared to inefficient open pipes or drilled tubes.
  • Whisper-Quiet Operation: Operates at a quiet 69 dBA even at 80 PSIG, protecting workers and ensuring OSHA noise compliance.
  • Laminar Uniformity: Produces a perfectly balanced, hard-hitting line of air across the entire length, eliminating the dead spots common with drilled pipe manifolds.

Size Options and Customization

While metal EXAIR Super Air Knives span up to 108 inches, the stock PVDF Super Air Knives are available in lengths ranging from 3 to 54 inches. Because industrial footprints vary, EXAIR engineers can also machine Custom Super Air Knives at specific metric or imperial lengths tailored to unique application spaces.

Tuning and Fine-Adjustments

Every unit ships with a standard 0.002-inch shim installed to set the initial airflow gap. To scale your force up or down, you can use specialized Super Air Knife Shim Sets.

PVDF Super Air Knife Kits include the Air Knife itself (PVDF body, Hastelloy C-276 hardware, and PTFE Shims,) a PTFE Shim Set, an Automatic Drain Filter Separator, and Pressure Regulator.

Tech Tip: Because PVDF is a softer polymer material than aluminum or steel, it requires a unique, careful tuning approach during installation to achieve the exact airflow pattern required. You can view step-by-step guidance on the EXAIR Blog video guide for changing PVDF shims.

For complete system installations, pairing the knife with EXAIR Super Air Knife Kits—which include an automatic drain filter separator and a pressure regulator—enables easy input pressure dialing to achieve the exact blowoff impact needed.

If you are ready to swap out loud, corrosive-damaged open pipes for a quiet, highly efficient, and chemical-resistant alternative, contact an EXAIR application engineer to configure the perfect PVDF setup.

Al Wooffitt
Application Engineer

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EXAIR Super Air Knives Help to Dry Labels In Bottling Factory

Published on by John BallLeave a comment

I spoke with a customer from a bottling facility that was using blower-type air knives.  They were trying to cool and remove condensation from the labels.  Their production rate was slow, and they were seeing issues in the labeling process.  Their operation consisted of an applicator that would place the label around the bottle prior to going into a steam oven to shrink the labels.  After this, a blow-off station was used to cool and set the label around the bottle and remove any condensation.  They determined that the bottles were not getting dry enough and the shrink rate was too long.  They were using a blower system, and they were having difficulty when they tried to reach the required bottle rate. 

With blower systems, they blow warm air which affects the cooling results.  Besides the maintenance and loud noises, the turbulent air causes erratic drying patterns.  EXAIR products use the power of the compressed air system to give a wide range of blowing forces for drying, cooling, or moving products.  With our Super Air Knives, we have a 40:1 amplification ratio, which means for every 1 part of compressed air, we bring in 40 parts of ambient air.  This adds mass to the airstream to make our Super Air Knives very efficient and effective.  With a laminar air flow, it creates a consistent force while moving the air in one direction.  This was important to push the condensation to the bottom of the bottles.  

Super Air Knife Kits include a Shim Set, Filter Separator, and Pressure Regulator.

So, I recommended two units of the model 110224SS Super Air Knife kits.  The kit includes the Super Air Knife, a filter, a regulator, and a shim set.  They mounted one knife on each side of the bottles to blow off and remove the liquid after the steam cycle.  Even at the increased bottle speeds, the EXAIR Super Air Knives had no issues with keeping the bottles dry and providing enough cooling to set the label.  With the regulator and shim set, it was easy for them to dial in the correct amount of force without using too much compressed air.  The labels remained attached, and the bottling process ran smoothly. 

In using compressed air, the EXAIR Super Air Knives are engineered to be very efficient and effective.  Now, they were able to dry the bottles to allow for a strong adhesion of the labels.  If you wish to speak to an Application Engineer about your cleaning, drying, blowing or cooling applications, we will be happy to hear from you. 

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

Step 3: Upgrade Your Blow off, Cooling, and Drying Operations

Published on by Al WooffittLeave a comment

In the world of manufacturing, compressed air is often called the “fourth utility.” It’s essential, but it’s also expensive to produce. If you’re following the Six Steps to Optimize Your Compressed Air System, Step 3 is where you stop the bleeding.

Step 3, dear reader, is the subject of today’s blog.

Upgrading your blow-off, cooling, and drying operations from “homegrown” solutions to engineered products is one of the fastest ways to slash energy costs and improve plant safety.

The Problem with “In-House” Solutions

Many plants rely on makeshift blow-off devices: crimped copper tubes, pipes with drilled holes, or basic air nozzles found at a hardware store. While they seem “free” or cheap, they are incredibly inefficient.

  • High Air Consumption: They lack the physics to move air efficiently, requiring massive volumes of compressed air to do the job.
  • Dangerous Noise Levels: Drilled pipes produce a high-pitched shear that often exceeds OSHA noise exposure limits.
  • Safety Hazards: If a pipe or open tube is dead-ended against skin, it can lead to serious injury or air embolism.

The Engineered Solution: EXAIR Technology

This is where EXAIR engineered compressed air products change the game. Unlike a standard pipe, EXAIR products use the Coanda effect to “entrain” the surrounding room air. For every part of compressed air used, an EXAIR nozzle or air knife pulls in 30 to 40 parts of “free” ambient air.

EXAIR Intelligent Compressed Air Products such as (left to right) the Air Wipe, Super Air Knife, Super Air Nozzle, and Air Amplifier are engineered to entrain enormous amounts of air from the surrounding environment.

If you are drying a conveyor belt or cleaning wide sheets of material, a drilled pipe is a money pit. An EXAIR Super Air Knife provides a high-velocity, uniform sheet of air across the entire surface. It’s quiet (around 69 dBA for most applications) and reduces air consumption by up to 80% compared to open headers.

For targeted blow-off or part ejection, Super Air Nozzles replace open tubes and cheap nozzles. They provide a forceful, concentrated stream of air while meeting OSHA requirements for skin pressure and noise. You get more “push” for significantly less “psi.”

Step 3 isn’t just about blowing air; it’s about optimizing how air manages temperature and waste. From Vortex Tubes that provide spot cooling without refrigerants to Air Amplifiers for smoke and fume removal, these tools ensure you aren’t overworking your compressors for simple tasks.

The Bottom Line

Upgrading to EXAIR engineered products isn’t just a maintenance fix; it’s a financial strategy. Most facilities see a return on investment (ROI) in just weeks through reduced energy bills.

By replacing inefficient, loud, and dangerous blow-off methods with engineered solutions, you’re not just optimizing your compressed air—you’re creating a quieter, safer, and more profitable shop floor.

Al Wooffitt
Application Engineer

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Changing a Shim on a PVDF Super Air Knife

Published on by Al WooffittLeave a comment

Our Super Air Knives are one of our most popular products, and with good reason. They are quiet, efficient, and versatile. We offer them in a wide array of stock lengths, ranging from 3″ to 108″, and in several stock materials — aluminum, stainless steel, both 303 and 316, as well as PVDF.

All Super Air Knives come with a 0.002″ shim installed that sets the gap thickness, which determines the force and flow they will produce. When combined with our shim sets, you can change or stack shims to put the Super Air Knife into a whole new performance band, adding to their versatility.

Changing shims in our aluminum and stainless steel Super Air Knives couldn’t be easier. Loosen the screws to remove the cap from the body, add or replace the shim, and tighten the cap screws to 7.5ft-lbs. For our PVDF Knives, we have to take a different approach. Due to the softer nature of the material, the PVDF Super Air Knife needs to be ‘tuned’ to achieve the desired airflow. In this video blog, I walk you through the steps involved in changing a PVDF Super Air Knife shim.

If you would like to talk to an Application Engineer to discuss your Air Knife application, give me a call!

Al Wooffitt
Application Engineer

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