Tag: compressed air nozzle

EXAIR Back Blow Nozzles and Air Guns

Published on by Jordan T ShouseLeave a comment

In the fast-paced world of industrial manufacturing, keeping equipment clean is crucial. Chips, coolant residue, and debris can accumulate inside pipes, tubes, hoses, and channels, leading to downtime, reduced performance, and even safety hazards. Traditional forward-blowing air tools often push contaminants deeper into these confined spaces or out the wrong end, creating more problems than they solve. Enter EXAIR’s Back Blow Nozzles and Air Guns—a game-changing solution designed to tackle these challenges head-on. If you’re new to these tools or just curious about how they work, I highly recommend checking out this insightful video blog from one of our Application Engineers. It offers a close-up look at the nozzles in action inside a pipe, demonstrating their 360-degree airflow in real time. It’s a quick, eye-opening demo that perfectly illustrates the “back blow” magic.

What Are Back Blow Nozzles?

At their core, EXAIR Back Blow Nozzles are engineered precision tools made from durable Type 316 stainless steel (SS) to withstand harsh industrial environments. Unlike standard nozzles that blast air forward, these feature an array of holes around the nozzle’s circumference that blow backwards. This creates a powerful, uniform 360-degree airflow pattern that “wipes” the internal surfaces clean as it travels backward toward the operator. The result? Debris, chips, and coolant are pulled out and ejected safely—without forcing them further into the pipe or creating projectiles that could fly out the far end. This backward-directed flow is especially valuable for:

  • Cleaning blind holes and dead-end channels.
  • Clearing long tubes where forward blowing is impractical.
  • Removing sticky or stubborn buildup from machining processes.

All EXAIR Back Blow Nozzles comply with OSHA standards for noise (29 CFR 1910.95(a)) and dead-end pressure (29 CFR 1910.242(b)), ensuring they are safe for operators while delivering high performance.

The Lineup: Sizes for Every Application EXAIR offers three Back Blow Nozzle models, each optimized for specific pipe diameters. Here’s a quick breakdown:

Power Up with Safety Air Guns

While the nozzles shine on their own, attaching them to an EXAIR Safety Air Gun takes functionality to the next level. These guns feature ergonomic designs, automatic shutoff valves, and variable force options to reduce fatigue and enhance control. Plus, they’re OSHA-compliant, with dead-end pressures well below the 30 psi limit to prevent injuries from air bursts. Here are the key air gun options compatible with Back Blow Nozzles:

  • VariBlast Compact Safety Air Gun: A lightweight, variable-force tool with a rugged aluminum body and ergonomic grip. Ideal for the 1004SS nozzle in smaller applications—perfect for quick, precise clean outs without overkill.
  • Soft Grip Safety Air Gun: Built for extended use, this features a cushioned handle and full-grip trigger to minimize hand strain during long shifts. Available with 1004SS or 1006SS nozzles, plus extensions up to 72″ and optional Chip Shields for blow back protection.
  • Heavy Duty Safety Air Gun: Tough as nails for demanding environments, with a reinforced handle and high-impact durability. Pairs well with the 1006SS for reliable performance in gritty workshops.
  • Super Blast Safety Air Gun: The powerhouse of the bunch, delivering maximum force for the 1008SS nozzle. Extensions up to 6 feet make it a beast for large-scale pipe cleaning, like hydraulic cylinders or industrial conduits.

No matter which gun you choose, adding a Chip Shield is a smart move—it keeps flying debris away from the operator, turning a potential hazard into a hassle-free task.

Heavy Duty Back Blow Safety Air Guns come with Chip Shields, and Rigid Extensions from 6″ to 72″ in length.

If you have an application you would like to discuss, give us a call!

Jordan Shouse, CCASS

Application Engineer

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Let’s Keep Things Clean: Advantages of the Flat Super Air Nozzle

Published on by John BallLeave a comment
Flat Super Air Nozzles have replaceable shims to vary performance.

A panel manufacturer was having some issues with black contamination affecting the powder coat paint.  They were using an overhead chain conveyor that would move the panels from the paint booth to the oven for curing.  At the end, the panel would be offloaded to a conveyor belt to move into storage for later assembly.  They were having quality issues with black specs that showed up on the gray paint.  They found out it was coming from the links from the overhead chain conveyor.  They contacted EXAIR to see if we had a solution for them. 

We reviewed the specifics of what was occurring in their application so I could understand better the nature of the problem. After evaluating a couple of options, I recommended two pieces of our model 1122, 2” Flat Super Air Nozzles.  This nozzle blows a 2” wide airstream with a powerful force to cover the width and depth of the chain links.  They were able to cut the flashing for the guard around the chain conveyor to blow the air.  One was located on the side of the conveyor, and the other was placed at the top of the conveyor.  The 2” Flat Super Air Nozzles were installed and oriented at a point along the travel, where there weren’t any panels on the hook supports.  This ensured that the debris was removed before the painting process began.  The issue was that debris mixed with the powder paint during application and then baked into the finish. The panels then had to be reworked or scrapped.  Once they installed the EXAIR Flat Nozzles, the quality improved immensely as they were able to remove the loose debris before raw panels were added to the conveyor.

To expand more on the EXAIR Flat Super Air Nozzles, they have a wide range of uses.  Their unique design utilizes a patented shim for improved efficiency, safety, and force range.   EXAIR has an easy way to change the shim to better suit different applications.  You can increase or decrease the force of the nozzle by just removing two screws and changing the thickness of the shim inside.  EXAIR offers a Shim Set to allow for adjustment to a range of forces to meet your needs and without overusing the compressed air.  Many times our Flat Nozzles are compared to plastic flat nozzles. Those nozzles do not have this capacity. They also tend to break when installed within harsh, abrasive or otherwise rough, industrial processes. 

If you have a “dirty” process, and you wish to blow it away in a safe and effective manner, EXAIR will have a nozzle for you.  We offer a variety of sizes, materials, and designs to best fit your application.  You can speak with an Application Engineer if you need more details.  The company above was glad that they did. 

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

Protection Against Dead End Pressure with EXAIR Flat Super Air Nozzles

Published on by jasonkirbyLeave a comment

Safety in the workplace is of paramount importance, and most organizations recognize this by implementing annual safety training programs. A fundamental message from these sessions is that safety is a collective responsibility, not just the duty of a select few. At EXAIR, we prioritize safety in all aspects of our operations. Our commitment is evident in the design of many of our products, such as the Flat Super Air Nozzle, which emphasizes our dedication to safe practices. This focus is particularly vital, as improper handling of compressed air can lead to significant health risks.

Meets or Exceeds OSHA Requirements

In the United States, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is responsible for enforcing regulations that promote safe and healthy working conditions. This agency has the power to levy significant fines for any infractions. Among the frequent violations related to compressed air are those concerning air guns and blow-off devices, specifically addressed in 29CFR 1910.242(b), which pertains to dead-end pressure and chip shielding, as well as 29CFR 1910.95(a), which sets forth the maximum permissible noise exposure levels.

The regulation 29CFR 1910.242(b) addresses the use of hand-held tools, specifically highlighting that blow-off devices must not operate at pressures exceeding 30 psig if there is a risk of compressed air becoming dead-ended. In situations where air has no escape route, it poses a serious risk of penetrating the skin and causing an air embolism. EXAIR’s air nozzles are engineered with fins that facilitate safe air release, thereby preventing skin blockage. Consequently, users can operate the EXAIR Super Air Nozzles confidently at pressures above 30 psig.

2″ Flat Super Air Nozzle

EXAIR’s Flat Super Air Nozzles distinguish themselves from other Super Air Nozzles by utilizing a design akin to an Air Knife, featuring a shim that determines the air gap instead of traditional fins for safe air release. The nozzle’s engineered lip at the outlet effectively prevents dead-ending, ensuring continuous airflow. In the event that the nozzle’s end becomes obstructed, air can still escape from the sides, maintaining safety and compliance with OSHA standards.

 If you have any questions regarding the OSHA directives mentioned above, or anything regarding EXAIR and our products, please do not hesitate to reach out. We would love to hear from you!

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

Advantages of EXAIR’s TurboBlast Safety Air Guns

Published on by Russ BowmanLeave a comment

It’s been almost three years since EXAIR introduced our latest innovation in handheld blowoff products: the TurboBlast Safety Air Gun. It came hot on the heels of the VariBlast Precision and Compact Safety Air Gun product lines, which both feature a variable pull trigger that affords the operator precise control over the flow & force produced. That proved to be a real game-changer for a lot of customers, letting them even more fully optimize their blowoff applications.

For that same kind of control, in a larger, more powerful Safety Air Gun, we incorporated a gate valve into the design of the TurboBlast. It’s operated by a rotating collar, directly downstream of the trigger:

A quarter turn of the gate valve collar changes the TurboBlast Safety Air Gun’s discharge from a breeze to a blast.

We make them without the gate valve too – if you’re buying a Safety Air Gun that’s capable of 23lbs of force, there’s a decent chance that you don’t need, or want, the ability to turn that down. With or without the gate valve, though, we’ve heard some great success stories from satisfied customers:

  • A company that refurbishes machinery for the pulp & paper industry uses Model 1925-3 TurboBlast Adjustable Safety Air Guns (with our Model 1114 1 NPT High Force Super Air Nozzle, 3ft Extension, and Gate Valve) for the initial cleaning of the machines, and at certain other steps in the breakdown & disassembly. The Extension gives them extra reach, and the ability to clean larger areas in a single blast, and the Gate Valve lets them reduce the output force for more delicate areas of the machine.
  • Workers in a foundry use a Model 1917 TurboBlast Safety Air Gun (with our Model 1118 1-1/4 NPT High Force Super Air Nozzle, no Extension or Gate Valve) to remove scales from metal products right out of the forge. This is a classic “don’t need, or want, the ability to turn that down” case.
  • A firefighting sprinkler system manufacturer quickly & easily removes debris from the inside of welded pipes with a Model 1915 TurboBlast Safety Air Gun (with our Model 1114 1 NPT High Force Super Air Nozzle, no Gate Valve or Extension.) Operators appreciate its ergonomic design for this repetitive work of blowing quick blasts of air through a bank of pipes.

Whether you need something that’ll deliver a pinpoint flow of air in a tight space, or one that’ll blow a wide pattern of air with high force, EXAIR has a Safety Air Gun for you. If you’d like to find out more, give me a call.

Russ Bowman, CCASS

Application Engineer
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