A few weeks ago I got a call from a large North American manufacturer of Strut Columns. They recently got a large recall on products they were shipping because metal chips and debris were causing the oil seals to wear and leak prematurely. They found that the manufacturing process could leave chips clinging to the inside diameter (ID) of the outer tube and would make it past there visual inspection. They wanted an option to design into a robotic “cleaning station” where the ID would get cleaned while the outside features were getting cleaned as well. Well for me it was pretty easy to select the EXAIRBack Blow Nozzles!
EXAIR Back Blow Nozzle
We offer three different sizes to fit inside a wide variety of diameters from ¼” (6.3mm) to 16” (406mm) ID. They are designed to clean tubing, pipes, hoses, channels, and extruded “odd” shapes. The 360o rear airflow pattern can “wipe” without touching the internal surface to remove coolant and chips. For the application above, I recommended the model 1006SS Back Blow Air Nozzle to fit inside the 2″ (51mm) opening. The range for this Back Blow Air Nozzle is from 7/8” (22mm) to 4” (102mm) inside diameters. This 316SS robust nozzle would last a long time without having to change or replace.
Airflow Patterns for EXAIR Back Blow Nozzles
At first they purchased a hand held system on one of our Heavy Duty Safety air guns, This gave them the ability to test the concept out and they found it worked great wiping the ID clean of all unwanted debris. They used the 1306SS-12-CS, this gun with the 12″ extension and chip guard gave them a great platform to test!
Model 1306SS-24-CS Heavy Duty Back Blow Safety Air Gun with Model 1006SS Back Blow Air Nozzle, 24″ Alum. Ext Pipe & Chip Shield
Once they wrapped their testing up, they replaced this manual operation with just the nozzle on a 1.5″ schedule 40 pipe. The nozzle was mounted on the end and a robot would slide the part ID over the nozzle!
This $117.00 nozzle was able to fix an issue that caused hundreds if thousands of dollars in recalls! That’s why we take time and intelligently design our nozzles, the 1006SS was designed for these type of applications and it excels in them!
Using Engineered nozzles can make a big difference in the function of your processes – not only to your financial bottom line, but to everyone’s safety, health, and livelihood. If you’d like to find out more about how EXAIR can help, give me a call.
EXAIR Back Blow Air Nozzles come in three sizes, for bores from 1/4″ to 16″ in diameter!
EXAIR manufactures three different sizes of Back Blow Air Nozzles to clean inside tubing, pipes, hoses, blind holes, and channels. The 360o rear airflow pattern can “wipe” the entire internal surface clean from coolant, chips, and debris. They are constructed of 316SS, making these nozzles robust, durable and more resistant to corrosives.
Back Blow Air Nozzle Family
Our smallest Back Blow Nozzle is the Model 1004SS. It has a M4 X 0.5 male thread and can clean diameters ranging from ¼” (6.3mm) to 1” (25.4mm). Model 1006SS has a ¼” NPT air connection for cleaning inner diameters ranging from 7/8” (22mm) up to 4” (102mm). Our largest Back Blow Air Nozzle is the model 1008SS. It has a 1” NPT connection, and it can be used inside diameters ranging from 2” (51mm) to 16” (406mm).
Now, what can make these unique types of air nozzles even more useful? Attaching them to an EXAIR Safety Air Gun. In this blog, I will go through each of our Back Blow Safety Air Guns that EXAIR can offer from stock.
The unique feature that sets the VariBlast apart from other small air guns is the force variability. The valve is designed to control the opening to allow for a variable force with the same nozzle. The VariBlast is made from a durable cast aluminum construction for tough industrial use. It has a rugged ergonomic grip with a user-friendly trigger. The compressed air inlets are located in two different positions to select the best fit for your application.
With the model 1004SS Back Blow nozzle, the VariBlast Compact Back Blow Safety Air Gun is a small but powerful tool that can clean inside smaller pipes, tubes, and hoses. The extension tubes range from 6” (152mm) to 36” (914mm) to extend deep inside cavities and openings. The Chip Shield is made from a durable polycarbonate material that will protect your operators during use.
The next size air gun in this series is the Soft Grip Safety Air Gun. With an ergonomic soft handle and full-grip trigger, the Soft Grip Safety Air Gun can be used for hours without fatigue. EXAIR offers two types of Back Blow Nozzles with the Soft Grip; model 1004SS and model 1006SS.
Like the VariBlast above, the Soft Grip Back Blow Safety Air Gun with the model 1004SS has the same extensions ranging from 6” (152mm) to 36” (914mm) as well as a Chip Shield. With the larger 1006SS Back Blow Nozzle, the Soft Grip has extensions that range from 6” (152mm) to 72” (1,829mm) in length with a Chip Shield. Both of these types of Soft Grip Back Blow Safety Air Guns are great products in allowing you to clean inside a greater variety of diameters and lengths.
For rough industrial environments, EXAIR offers the Heavy Duty Safety Air Guns. They come with a composite rubber grip and a wide curved trigger. It has a 3/8” NPT inlet for increased compressed air flow for those “tough” cleanings.
The Heavy Duty Back Blow Safety Air Gun comes standard with the model 1006SS Back Blow Nozzle, an extension pipe, and a Chip Shield. The extensions lengths can range from 6” (152mm) to 72” (1,829mm). If you need a tough air gun for rugged areas to clean inside pipes and tubes, the Heavy Duty Back Blow Safety Air Gun could be the best candidate for your application.
As our largest model, the Super Blast Back Blow Safety Air Gun has the strongest blowing force. They can clean large areas inside pipes, channels, and tubes ranging from 2” (51mm) to 16” (406mm) in diameter. It has a soft foam grip for easy handling and a spring-loaded manual valve that will turn off if dropped. The model 1008SS Back Blow Nozzle is mounted to an extension that is either 1 foot (0.3m), 3 feet (0.9m), or 6 feet (1.8m) in length. With a 1” NPT inlet, the Super Blast Back Blow Safety Air Gun will generate a strong blast of air for cleaning and removing troublesome material.
If you need to clean the entire surface inside of tubes, hoses, channels, pipes, etc., EXAIR has the perfect product for you, the Back Blow Air Nozzles. They can remove the dirty coolant, chips, and debris in a non-contact way. EXAIR offers these nozzles with our VariBlast, Soft Grip, Heavy Duty, and Super Blast Safety Air Guns for manual cleaning operations. EXAIR stocks these Safety Air Guns for fast delivery. And if you are located in the U.S.A or Canada, we offer a 30-day unconditional guarantee. You can try them out and see how effective, safe, and powerful they are in improving your internal cleaning processes. If you need more details, you can contact an Application Engineer at EXAIR. We will be happy to help you.
A manufacturing plant was using extruded aluminum structural framing for making benches. After the aluminum parts were cut, they had coolant and chips inside the tube. They tried to run a rag through the center to remove the material, but it wasn’t able to get into all the crevices and before long the rag was saturated. Also, they noticed that the chips would scratch the internal surfaces. For this company, quality was very important to represent their brand. So, they were needing a non-contact way to clean the inside of these parts after sawing. They contacted EXAIR as we share the same business facets of first-class customer service and great quality.
Back Blow Air Nozzle Family
At EXAIR, we design and manufacture nozzles for just this type of operation; the Back Blow Air Nozzles. We offer three different sizes to fit inside a wide variety of diameters from ¼” (6.3mm) to 16” (406mm). They are designed to clean tubing, pipes, hoses, channels, and extruded “odd” shapes. The 360o rear airflow pattern can “wipe” without touching the internal surface to remove coolant and chips. For the application above, I recommended the model 1006SS Back Blow Air Nozzle to fit inside the 1 ½” (38mm) opening. The range for this Back Blow Air Nozzle is from 7/8” (22mm) to 4” (102mm) diameters. This 316SS robust nozzle would last a long time without having to change or replace cloth rags.
After installing the model 1006SS onto an extension pipe, the cleaning operation became very easy and efficient. After each cut, they would run the Back Blow Nozzle through the center with only one pass to clean. The non-contact wiping removed the coolant and chips without marring the internal surface. In addition, they were able to speed up their operation by 20%. Cleaner tubes, less time, cost savings; they were happy that they contacted EXAIR for our expertise.
Model 1204SS-6-CS and 1206SS-6-CS
If you need to clean the inside of tubes, hoses, pipes, etc., EXAIR has the perfect nozzle for you, the Back Blow Air Nozzles. EXAIR can also offer these nozzles on our VariBlast, Soft Grip, and Heavy Duty Air Guns for manual operations. They come with Chip Shields and extensions that can reach as far as 72” (1829mm). Or like the customer above, automate the system to get a great non-contact cleaning. If you require any more details, 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
Some applications such as blowing chips or debris out of a pipe or blind hole, it may not be possible to blow forward. The pipe may be too long, making it impossible to push the debris all the way down the pipe or the other end of the pipe may not be open. In either of these scenarios, the Back Blow Nozzle is the right tool for the job. An array of holes around the diameter of the Back Blow Nozzles provides a powerful 360° airflow pattern that will clear out any leftover coolant or chips from the machining process.
EXAIR has three different size Back Blow Nozzles; the 1004SS (M4 x .5), the 1006SS (1/4 NPT), and the 1008SS (1” NPT). The 1004SS is recommended for use on pipes as small as ¼” and up to 1”. The 1006SS can be used for a wide range of pipe sizes, from 7/8” up to 4”. The 1008SS nozzle offers the greatest overall force for stubborn or sticky materials stuck to the inside diameter of the pipe. This nozzle is suitable for use in pipes ranging from 2”-16”. As the Back Blow Nozzle will be blowing chips and debris back out of the pipe towards the operator, it is always recommended that a Chip Shield is used. The strong polycarbonate Chip Shield will keep them safe from flying debris and keep you in compliance with OSHA directive 1910.242(b).
Various Views of the Model 1006SS Back Blow Nozzle
All of EXAIR’s Back Blow Nozzles are available with extensions. For the 1004SS we have extensions from 6”-36”, and from 12”-72” for the 1006SS and 1008SS. The Back Blow Nozzle can also be installed on our VariBlast, Soft Grip, Heavy Duty, and Super Blast Safety Air Guns. With such a wide range of available sizes and configurations, we can tackle just about any internal pipe cleaning application. If you have a process in your facility that may benefit from the use of one of these nozzles, give us a call and get one on order today!
