Tag: blow off

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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How the Coanda Profile Drives Efficiency in EXAIR Products

Published on by Jordan T ShouseLeave a comment

In compressed air applications, efficiency often comes down to how effectively you use the air you already have. One of the most important aerodynamic principles that allows modern air-powered devices to operate efficiently is the Coanda Effect. This phenomenon is the foundation behind several EXAIR engineered products, enabling powerful airflow while minimizing compressed air consumption.

Understanding how the Coanda profile works can help engineers and plant managers optimize processes such as drying, cooling, cleaning, and conveying.

Compressed air flows through the inlet (1) to the Full Flow (left) or Standard (right) Air Knife, into the internal plenum. It then discharges through a thin gap (2), adhering to the Coanda profile (3) which directs it down the face of the Air Knife. The precision engineered & finished surfaces optimize entrainment of air (4) from the surrounding environment.

What Is the Coanda Effect?

The Coanda Effect describes the tendency of a fluid stream—such as air—to follow along a nearby curved surface instead of continuing in a straight line. As the air travels along this surface, it pulls surrounding air into the stream, creating a region of low pressure and dramatically increasing total airflow.

In simple terms:

  1. Compressed air exits a small opening.
  2. The air adheres to a curved surface (the Coanda profile).
  3. This creates a low-pressure area.
  4. Surrounding air is entrained, or pulled into the airflow.

The result is a much larger volume of moving air than the compressed air supply alone would create.

This principle was originally studied by aeronautical engineer Henri Coandă in the early 1900s while researching airflow over aircraft surfaces.

EXAIR Products That Use the Coanda Profile

EXAIR incorporates this aerodynamic design into several of its Intelligent Compressed Air Products™.

1. Air Knives

EXAIR Air Knives use a Coanda profile to create a wide, high-velocity sheet of air across the entire length of the unit.

Examples include:

  • EXAIR Standard Air Knife
  • EXAIR Full-Flow Air Knife
  • EXAIR Super Air Knife

Inside these units, compressed air enters a plenum chamber and exits through a narrow slot. The air then follows the curved Coanda surface, turning approximately 90° and flowing down the face of the knife.

As the air moves along the profile, it entrains large volumes of surrounding air—up to 30-40 parts ambient air for every 1 part of compressed air.

Common applications include:

  • Parts drying after washing
  • Conveyor cleaning
  • Web or sheet drying
  • Cooling components
  • Pre-paint blowoff

2. Air Amplifiers

Another product that relies heavily on the Coanda profile is the Air amplifier.

Super Air Amplifier Family

Example:

  • EXAIR Super Air Amplifier
  • EXAIR Adjustable Air Amplifier

Instead of producing a flat airflow like an air knife, air amplifiers generate a conical air stream. Compressed air flows across a circular Coanda profile that draws in large amounts of surrounding air.

This creates amplification ratios up to 25:1, meaning the airflow produced is far greater than the compressed air supplied.

Typical uses include:

  • Cooling hot parts
  • Ventilating smoke or fumes
  • Circulating air in enclosures
  • Removing heat from equipment

3. Air Wipes

EXAIR also applies the Coanda profile in a circular configuration for drying or cleaning cylindrical materials.

Super (left) and Standard (right) Air Wipes come in sizes from 1/2″ to 11″.

Example:

  • EXAIR Air Wipe
  • EXAIR Super Air Wipe

These devices create a 360-degree ring of air that surrounds rods, tubes, wires, or cables. As air follows the Coanda profile around the ring, it entrains surrounding air and produces a strong, uniform drying or blowoff action.

Applications include:

  • Drying wire or cable
  • Removing coolant from tubing
  • Cleaning rods or extrusions

The Coanda Effect might seem like a theoretical concept, but it has a very practical impact on industrial operations. By carefully designing curved surfaces that guide airflow and entrain surrounding air, EXAIR products turn a small supply of compressed air into a powerful and efficient airflow solution.

Whether drying parts, cooling electronics, or removing debris from a conveyor, the Coanda profile allows EXAIR products to deliver maximum performance with minimal energy use.

Jordan Shouse, CCASS

Application Engineer / Sales Operations Engineer

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Reduce Compressed Air with EXAIR Air Nozzles and Jets

Published on by jasonkirbyLeave a comment
EXAIR Nozzles

EXAIR’s Engineered Air Nozzles and Air Jets offer an effective solution for reducing both compressed air consumption and noise levels during blow-off operations. Compared to traditional open copper tubes, pipes, and standard air nozzles, these products can achieve compressed air savings of up to 80%. This significant reduction in air usage also leads to a notable decrease in sound levels, with an average noise reduction of 10 dBA. Furthermore, all EXAIR Air Nozzles and Jets comply with OSHA standards regarding dead-end pressure and sound exposure limits.

EXAIR Nozzles are expertly engineered to utilize the Coanda effect, which enhances airflow by up to 25 times through the attachment of high-velocity fluid to surfaces. Compressed air is released through small openings in the nozzle, drawing in surrounding air and creating a powerful blast of high volume and velocity while consuming less compressed air. The company offers a diverse range of air nozzles, from the compact yet potent Atto Super Air Nozzle to the larger 1-1/4 NPT Super Air Nozzle. Additionally, EXAIR provides Flat Super Air Nozzles and Back Blow nozzles, specifically designed for cleaning tubes, pipes, channels, or holes ranging from 1/4 inch to 16 inches in diameter.

Our Air Nozzles are designed to comply with or surpass OSHA Standard 1910.24(b) regarding dead-end pressure at 30 PSIG. They are engineered to prevent dead-ending, ensuring that there is always an escape route for the air, which means the outlet pressure will not reach 30 PSIG. Furthermore, our products adhere to OSHA Standard CFR 29 – 1910.95(a) concerning permissible noise exposure levels. EXAIR Air Jets leverage the Coanda effect to enhance air movement in their environment. A small volume of compressed air is accelerated through an internal ring nozzle at supersonic speeds, creating a vacuum that draws in significant amounts of surrounding or ‘free’ air. The resulting exit flow is a mixture of these two air sources.

EXAIR produces two types of air jets: High Velocity and Adjustable, crafted from brass and Type 303 Stainless Steel. The High Velocity Air Jet features a replaceable shim that allows users to adjust the gap, thereby regulating the air’s force and flow. In contrast, the Adjustable Air Jet does not utilize a shim; instead, it incorporates a micrometer gap indicator and a locking ring, enabling users to modify the performance in terms of force and flow as needed.

If you have questions about our Air Nozzles and Jets, or anything regarding EXAIR and our products, please do not hesitate to reach out.

Jason Kirby
Application Engineer
Email: jasonkirby@exair.com
Twitter: @EXAIR_jk

Dude, Where’s My Safety Air Gun?

Published on by Russ BowmanLeave a comment

I am the poster child for misplaced items. A couple of years back, I lost the key to my truck. I looked for it for WEEKS (it’s not my daily driver) — and finally admitted defeat. A local locksmith offered mobile service, which was kind of expensive but not as bad as I thought, and made me a new key in about a half hour. He actually made two (my wife insisted) and having my truck back just in time for that spring’s mulch was well worth it. Knowing the location of the spare key is nice & comforting too.

Just last fall, I lost my glasses one fine Friday afternoon. I’m only moderately nearsighted, so it was just a mild-to-moderate inconvenience. After a quick trip to the eye doctor and a local business that makes glasses on the same day, I had two new pairs of glasses (my wife, again, insisted on the 2nd pair.) When I got home, my “lost” glasses were on the counter…she’d found them between the arm of the couch and the end table. Ironically, if I’d had a pair of glasses, I’d have found them easily since that’s one of the first places I looked, but was unable to see them with my compromised vision.

Last month, both of those incidents came to mind when the Press Release dropped for a new EXAIR product: our Model 5920 Air Cradle.

EXAIR’s new Air Cradle is a simple but innovative accessory designed to keep safety air guns and similarly sized tools within easy reach at workstations and machine centers.

It’ll hold up to 10lbs, so you can even leave the air supply hose hooked up. Using the Air Cradle means you won’t have to search for your Safety Air Gun, worry about it getting damaged or dropped, and you’ll be one step closer to having a well-organized work space.

Now, I’m not saying that if I had a “truck key cradle” or an “eyeglasses cradle” I wouldn’t have lost my keys or glasses…it’s important to note that one has to actually USE handy organizational tools to be organized…but it would’ve definitely lowered the chances of losing them.

I think it’s also important to note that the Air Cradle came about as a direct result of a customer or two asking about properly stowing their Safety Air Gun. We have regularly scheduled meetings where we discuss calls like that, and the Air Cradle was the direct result of such a conversation. If you have questions about compressed air in general, or EXAIR engineered compressed air products specifically, we’d love to hear from you…whether your call leads to a new product’s development or not!

Russ Bowman, CCASS

Application Engineer
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