Tag: blade

Video Blog: How-To Replace The Super Air Scraper Blade

Published on by Brian FarnoLeave a comment

The EXAIR Soft Grip Super Air Scraper is a great tool for any industrial environment that requires some cleanup. Some examples include removing tapes or sticky metal chips from the floor, scraping material from screening towers or removing stubborn adhesives and labels from workstation tabletops. They are available with extensions up to 72″ so reaching remote areas is also easier.

Today’s video is going to showcase how easy it is to replace the scraper blade within the nozzle and get back to work quickly.

If you would like to discuss how the Super Air Scraper could benefit your facility, contact us.

Brian Farno
Application Engineer
BrianFarno@EXAIR.com
@EXAIR_BF

Super Air Knives Save The Day, a Saw Blade, and Production Schedule

Published on by Russ BowmanLeave a comment

A large manufacturing shop recently purchased a high speed band saw to cut aluminum. It was equipped with a mechanical rotating brush system to clean the blade as it ran, but this was unable to keep up with the volume of coolant-soaked chips that were produced at higher speeds. They had two options:

*Run the saw at a slower speed (and actually, their production schedule would not allow this, so technically there was only one option…)
*Come up with a reliable method of cleaning the saw blade (this is where EXAIR comes in.)

The Maintenance Supervisor was familiar with the capabilities of the Super Air Knife from past career experience, so he got two Model 110003 3″ Aluminum Super Air Knives installed:

Super Air Knives remove chips and coolant from high speed band saw blade.
Super Air Knives remove chips and coolant from high speed band saw blade.

This has made a “night-and-day” difference for this sawing operation:
*In the first week they had the saw, they went through four saw blades…when the teeth get clogged with chips, they don’t cut right; they get hot; and they fail.
*The inability of the brush system to remove the chips caused them to accumulate in the belt pulley housings…operators were spending 2-3 hours A DAY just to shut down the saw and clean them out.
*The excess of chips also caused the blade’s guide bearings to fail, which caused almost a day’s worth of down time to replace.
*The Maintenance Supervisor was called to the saw repeatedly during the work day to address these, and many other minor, malfunctions due to the inability to remove the chips.

This saw is now operating at the capacity they intended when they purchased it.  All for about $400, and that includes the door hinge they used to install it and allow for precise positioning (how cool is that?)

EXAIR Intelligent Compressed Air Products have a long reputation for saving the day…thirty-three years and counting.  How can we help you?  Give me a call and let’s find out.

Russ Bowman
Application Engineer
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A Dull Knife Is A Dangerous Knife

Published on by Russ BowmanLeave a comment

Anyone who’s ever cooked, hunted, crafted, fished, whittled, opened a well sealed package, or sharpened a stick for roasting marshmallows knows what I mean. A dull knife requires more force to cut your material, which means that you’re using less of your muscle strength to control the blade. If you’re not sure of where the blade is going, that’s a heck of a thing to leave to chance, especially if you’re holding what you’re cutting in your other hand.

Even if (I might even say “especially if”) you don’t use a knife for cutting every day, the conventional wisdom dictates that you should keep its blade sharp. Not only is this imperative for safety reasons (see above,) but you’re going to make a MUCH higher quality cut as well.

Sharp blades result from high quality material that is professionally crafted, and expertly maintained. The cheaper the material, the easier the blade will dull. High carbon stainless steel blades cost a little more, but they’re also easier to sharpen, and they stay sharp longer. A decent stamping machine can turn out hundreds of blades an hour, but forging a single piece of metal results in a level of hardness that is much more conducive to maintaining a sharp edge. Speaking of maintaining a sharp edge, that’s going to be left up to the user. A lot of hardware stores provide sharpening services, but it’s not all that hard. Expert results can be obtained by following what the experts do, and the Boy Scouts of America have taken pride in doing stuff like this for over a hundred years now. Full disclosure: I’ve been a Scout Leader for over nine years now, so I may be biased, but I am unapologetically so. I use these tips, and my pocketknife is VERY sharp.

High quality material, professionally crafted and expertly maintained, is, of course, a successful recipe for a great many products other than knife blades. EXAIR applies these principles to every single item in our 168-page catalog of Intelligent Compressed Air® Products. Here are just a couple of examples:

*The Super Air Knife (no relation to the cutting tools discussed above) is available in a range of materials: aircraft grade aluminum, types 303 or 316 stainless steel, or PVDF. They’re engineered for maximum efficiency, minimum noise level, and manufactured to exacting quality standards.

Capture
*The Heavy Duty HEPA Vac System turns your open top drum into a powerful, high capacity, dust free, industrial vacuum. It’s made of a hardened alloy for superior abrasion resistance, and, with no moving parts, it’s virtually maintenance free.

Exair-heavy-duty-HEPA-vacuum

I could go on, but these are the two products, and the benefits they provide, that I’ve actually discussed with potential users just today. If you’d like to know more about how EXAIR products can keep the use of your compressed air sharp, effective, and safe, give me a call.

Russ Bowman
Application Engineer
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How Could EXAIR Help With The Olympics?

Published on by Brian FarnoLeave a comment

With the Winder Olympics now officially underway I have been trying to figure out just how EXAIR could be a part of the process.  Maybe not in the forefront, but what are some applications that are there and have potential for being done by or improved by an EXAIR product.

The first even/ sport I thought of was Hockey.  When a skate is sharpened they generally do a dry grinding stone.  This can heat up the blade and cause it to become brittle.   The best way EXAIR can help is to offer a Cold Gun or a Mini Spot Cooler to apply a cold dry air to the grinding point and keep both the material and the stone cool to offer maximum tool life as well as a finer finish on the blade.  (This could probably be used in figure skating too but we’ll stick to hockey for this example.)

Skate Sharpening

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The second point was during any of the celebratory events where confetti is dispensed an EXAIR Line Vac or a Super Air Amplifier to help dispense the confetti.  We showcase how well this works in one of the Professor Penurious videos.

willitlaunch

The final would be the best in my opinion which is to use a Line Vac for a T-Shirt Cannon.  Which would help to spread the promotional items in the common areas. We have customers who build awesome t-shirt cannons used at sporting events, I’m just not sure they get the crowd that hyped up within the curling stadium.

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So whether you are in the Olympics or simply trying to make some parts for a customer we probably have a product that can help.  Feel free to contact us and find out how.

Brian Farno
Application Engineer
BrianFarno@EXAIR.com
@EXAIR_BF