Tag: Cold Gun

Achieve the Perfect Temperature with EXAIR’s Adjustable Spot Cooler

Published on by Tyler DanielLeave a comment

EXAIR’s Adjustable Spot Cooler is an ideal fit for those who need the ability to adjust the temperature of their spot cooling solution. This user-friendly tool is available right out of the box with the necessary accessories to allow you to quickly install and implement the solution. It can be great for dry-machining processes or applications where you’re looking to replace a standard coolant-based method of cooling.

If that sounds like something you’re looking for, then the Adjustable Spot Cooler could be an excellent product for optimizing your processes. EXAIR’s Adjustable Spot Cooler incorporates Vortex Tube technology to produce temperatures ranging from -30°F – +70°F. A Vortex Tube works by imparting a rapid spinning motion to the supplied compressed air. This airflow makes its way to the end of the tube where it is forced to abruptly change direction. It is during this change of direction that energy is given off in the form of heat. The hot air then exits the tube from the hot end, while cold air exits the other end of the tube. As the valve is opened to allow more air to exhaust from the hot end, the temperature at the cold end will decrease. At a sound level of just 73 dBA when operated at 100 psig and a stock generator installed, this compact cooler will keep your operation clean and dry without causing unnecessarily high noise levels.

When looking at a Vortex Tube based solution, the variety of options can sometimes be daunting. This is where the Adjustable Spot Cooler shines. Through a simple turn of the control knob, you can easily adjust the temperature and cold fraction of the unit. Additionally, the kits come with (2) extra generators (15-H and 30-H) that can be swapped out for the stock generator for more/less cooling power and air consumption. The 15-H generator will deliver up to 1,000 Btu/hr of cooling capacity and the 30-H will provide up to 2,000 Btu/hr of cooling capacity. We have (2) different kits available, the Model 3825 Single Point and the Model 3925 Dual Point Kit. The 3825 is recommended for use in applications where you’re cooling a small surface such as solder joints, hot melts, or drilled plastics. The 3925 system is better served when heat is generated over a larger surface area, such as saw blade cooling. The kits use a flexible Loc-Line hose to allow you to precisely position the cold airflow onto your target. The Adjustable Spot Cooler provides easy mounting with a swivel magnetic base, allowing you to position the cold air flow directly at the most critical point where heat is being generated.

If you’re tired of cleaning up your coolant or have an application that requires dry machining, get one of the Adjustable Spot Cooler systems on order today. They’re in stock ready to ship the same day with an order received by 2:00 ET!

Tyler Daniel, CCASS

Application Engineer

E-mail: TylerDaniel@exair.com

X: @EXAIR_TD

Coolant Mess Vs. “Dry” Machining

Published on by Brian FarnoLeave a comment

It seems like a lifetime ago now that I have been with EXAIR for almost 14 years. However, I come from the metal cutting industry and still have numerous contacts and interests in what kind of technological advancements the industry sees. In the industry and even today, there seems to be a constant battle between using coolant to provide chip evacuation, lubrication, and cooling during a cut versus trying to tune the programs and feeds to perform dry machining. During dry machining, the operator may stand there and keep a handheld Safety air gun blowing chips away from the cutter and out of the tool path. The machine may even be plumbed up with compressed air to run through the traditional coolant lines rather than pumping liquid. This comes with its own issues. What if I were to tell you there is a third option?

You already know a third option exists if you read our blog regularly. It is the EXAIR Cold Gun Aircoolant System. These utilize the vortex principle to produce a cold air stream that will provide chip evacuation and cooling of the cutting tool and material. It will drop the incoming compressed air temperature by 50°F and easily point that cold stream of air at the cutting point just like a coolant line. This means the evacuation of the chip and, by using the cooler air, you can help reduce the heat buildup within both the cutting tool and the material, which can prevent thermal growth creep as well. Keeping the cutting tool and the material cooler reduces the amount of wear on the tooling and or coating of the tool. This has been found to reduce tool wear by over 21%.

This can not only reduce tool wear and improve the finish, but it also reduces the amount of cleanup by not introducing the liquid aspect. No more mopping up around the open guard machines or having to wipe down or blow off parts to remove moisture. The parts will come off the machine dry and the chips will go into the chip hoppers dry as well.

If you would like some help determining which of the four Cold Gun options is the best fit for your machining operation, please contact an Application Engineer today.

Brian Farno, MBA – CCASS
National Business Development Manager

BrianFarno@EXAIR.com
@EXAIR_BF

A Cold Gun to help a Stamping Process

Published on by John BallLeave a comment

 

Movie Film

When it comes to die stamping, friction generates heat.  Heat can be a problematic cause for generating scrap, slowing production speeds, and decreasing tool life.  A manufacturer of film reels was seeing the effects during their process.  They had a stamping machine that was creating the sprocket holes in the outer edge of a 35mm film.  These holes are used for advancing the reel strip through printers, projectors, and processing machines.  They had to be particularly careful, as film materials warp easily with heat.  Some of us remember the film reels that would bubble and burn out when the film stopped in the projector too long.  So, speed was critical without creating any quality issues.

The film reel manufacturer was intrigued with the EXAIR Vortex Tubes as they can generate cold air by only using compressed air.  They do not use refrigerants or have any moving parts.  They are very compact and can fit into tight places.  The manufacturer thought that if they could reduce the temperature in the stamping process, they could speed up production.

EXAIR makes different accessories available to help with installation and function of Vortex Tubes for various applications.  For this customer, I recommended the model 5315 Cold Gun System.  This product generates 1000 BTU/hr of cooling power, and has a Dual Point Hose Kit to allow for targeting both sides of the film reel.  It includes an incorporated, magnetic base to securely position it on a ferromagnetic surface of the stamping machine. Finally, it includes two 1” flat nozzles to spread the cooling airflow out a bit.  These flat nozzles would help to direct the cold air in between the two stamping plates.   They were able to keep the film reel and the die stamp cool as they sped up their operation.  Even with the additional speed, they also noticed that the die stayed sharper 20% longer which allowed for a corresponding productivity increase . 

If heat is slowing down your process, EXAIR will most likely have a product to keep it cool.  As with the customer above, heat was a “reel” problem.  With the Cold Gun System, we were able to increase their productivity and decrease their downtime.  Please contact an Application Engineer to discuss your application if temperature is affecting your process. 

John Ball
Application Engineer

Email: johnball@exair.com
Twitter: @EXAIR_jb

Photo by: Film by JanBaby  Creative Commons CC0 Public Domain

EXAIR Cold Gun Promo Starts November 1st!

Published on by Jordan T ShouseLeave a comment

That’s right, with the start of November this year we also start our Cold Gun promotion. This promotion runs from the start of November until December 31, 2023. The best part is that Cold Guns have a long history of providing spot cooling solutions for industry. Cold Guns have been cooling product and processes for over 36 years! Take advantage of the current promotion today!

From left to right: EXAIR Mini Coolers, Cold Guns, and Adjustable Spot Coolers come with Magnetic Bases for instant installation.

The EXAIR Cold Gun promo is a great way to receive an additional tool to extend the use of the Cold Gun. With the purchase of a promotional Cold Gun System w/ Single Point Hose Kit or promotional High Power Cold Gun System w/ Single Point Hose Kit you will receive a Dual Point Hose Kit for free. This is a $48.00 USD value. The Cold Gun will drop your compressed air temperature by 54 °F when operating at 100 psig inlet pressure. Choose the standard point tip or the 1″ fan tip to blow the cold air. The total length of the flexible discharge hose is around 11″. If more coverage is needed, the promotional Dual Point Hose Kit gives around 5-6″ of straight hose before splitting into two smaller lines that offer both point or fan tip nozzles as well. This dual point can be used to reach both sides of larger diameter cutters and components that need a blast of cool air.

Single Point
Dual Point

The Cold Gun is easily setup in any machine that has a ferrous metal surface thanks to its integrated magnetic base that will hold the unit in place even when the machine is moving or vibrating. If you do not have ferrous metal available for the magnetic base, using rigid piping or even something like u-bolts to hold the unit into place is a common practice of customers who need the cooling and know the Cold Gun will perform.

Lastly, if you aren’t certain whether the Cold Gun is the solution, we have an entire team of Application Engineers here to discuss the application, and it is also backed by our 30-day guarantee so our US and Canadian based customers can order one, test it in their facility for 30 days. If they are not pleased with the performance for any reason, the item can be returned to EXAIR. If you want to discuss your application, contact us today!

Jordan Shouse
Application Engineer

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