Tag: continuous duty vacuum

EXAIR Chip Vac Removes Swarf and Keeps the Machining Center Running

Published on by John BallLeave a comment

The word of the day is “swarf”. Swarf is fine chips or filings of stone, metal or other material produced by a machining operation.

A company had four automatic profile cutting machines to cut aluminum stock.  They contacted me for help to improve their operation.  Each machine had a cleated belt conveyor to remove the swarf (or chips) from the cutting process.  Because the swarf was small in size, the chips could get around the edge of the belt and affect the conveying system.  Two of the four conveyors failed, and they wanted to find a better option to remove the swarf and keep the machines running.  They sent me a photo of the type and size of the swarf that was thwarting their conveying system.

Swarf - fine metal chips from machining
Swarf – fine metal chips from machining

EXAIR receives many calls about applications similar to this. I suggested the model 6193 Chip Vac System.  This assembly will fit onto a standard open-top 55 gallon drum which has a much smaller footprint than the conveying system.  The 0.1 micron filter allows for the air to escape and keep the fine particles inside the drum.  For this customer, once the drum was filled with aluminum chips, it was easy to rotate in an empty drum, sending the full drum of material to recycling.  The vacuum generator has no moving parts which makes it quiet, maintenance free, and long lasting.  It also creates a high vacuum level which was very useful when they attached it near the chip collection area.  The Chip Vac System was easy to install and it was very beneficial in keeping the machining area clean and running.

EXAIR Chip Vac
EXAIR Chip Vac

If you find that your chip conveying system is affecting your operations, you should contact an Application Engineer at EXAIR to see if we have a better and more reliable solution to remove your swarf.

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

EXAIR’s Industrial Housekeeping Products are Portable

Published on by Neal RakerLeave a comment

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I had noticed somewhat of a trend in my inquiries regarding our Industrial Housekeeping Products of late. It seems that customers want to use our Chip Vac, Heavy Duty Dry Vac or perhaps the Heavy Duty HEPA Vac with a really long vacuum hose. I’m talking like 50 or 60 feet worth of suction hose. And when I ask the customers why they want such a long hose, they say it is so they can reach all parts of their shop from a central location.

It did not occur to me until now that folks may not realize that, in fact, all of our Industrial Housekeeping Products are made to be moved around the shop, just like you would an electric shop vacuum with casters.

All of our Industrial Housekeeping Products have an industrial drum dolly available for them from the smallest 5 gallon sizes up to the big 110 gallon units. In fact, our Chip Trapper product comes with one included as part of the base system.

If you have a need to vacuum debris from multiple locations, moving the Industrial Housekeeping unit around the shop allows you to keep your vacuum hose as short as possible (we have 10 ft. hoses). With this configuration, you do not suffer the line losses associated with trying to create a vacuum across a 60 ft. long vacuum hose which results in lost performance. Dealing with a 10 ft. hose is also a lot less hassle than a much longer one.  It is a better idea to use a longer compressed air hose to supply your Industrial Housekeeping Vacuum system with compressed air and roll it around to each area where you need to use it. Compressed air travels through hoses much more readily than vacuum flows do.

EXAIR has all the necessary accessory items available including Drum Dollies and compressed air hoses to outfit the Industrial Housekeeping Products.

Neal Raker, Application Engineer
nealraker@exair.com

Award Winning HEPA Vac

Published on by Dave WoernerLeave a comment

Continuing my series of EXAIR award winning products for 2014.  Plant Engineering’s readers voted the Heavy Duty HEPA Vac a silver award for Environmental Health. The HD HEPA Vac differs greatly from most of the EXAIR products.  We often improve a work environment by reducing noise level from compressed air blow offs or limiting the energy usage of a facility by conserving compressed air, but when EXAIR introduced the Heavy Duty HEPA Vac, we entered a new area of environmental health.

hepafam_collection

High Efficiency Particulate Air standards are set by the US Department of Energy. Originally, the standards were created to protect workers, the public and the environment from particulate that may be found in DOE’s nuclear facilities. (For more information on HEPA filtration consult DOE-STD-3020-2005.) The Heavy Duty HEPA Vac filter meets the HEPA standards to filter a minimum 99.97% at 0.3 micron level.  Each filter is tested in strict accordance with IEST-RP-CC-007. After testing the filtration, vacuum and ventilation companies discovered the added benefit of using HEPA filtration is to remove particulate that may inflame allergies or asthmatic symptoms. Pollen, pet dander, and dust are physically too large to pass through the HEPA filter. For instance, most pet dander is 5 microns and will become trapped inside the circuitous air passage route inside the HEPA filter. Also, HEPA filters will even filter airborne pathogens.  Engineering Toolbox list several nominal particle sizes to give you the idea of scope. By meeting these strict standards, EXAIR’s Heavy Duty HEPA Vac can be used in a whole new industry where HEPA filtration is required.

Tries to imitate the late Billy Mays

But wait there’s more!

We haven’t even talked about the HEAVY DUTY DRY VAC component of the Heavy Duty HEPA Vac.  The Heavy Duty HEPA Vac features the same hardened alloy construction of the Heavy Duty Dry Vac.  This alloy holds up to abrasive materials such as garnet, crushed glass, sand or hard materials like stainless steel chips, pipe plugs, or brass piping caps.  We tested the conveying power of the Heavy Duty Dry Vac, it moved 32 pounds per minute of steel shot blasting media, 146% percent more than a standard Chip Vac.  With all this vacuuming power, it still maintains a surprisingly quiet 82 dBA of sound level.

The Heavy Duty HEPA Vac would be the perfect item to clean out that clogged filtration system, or to clean up that spilled kitty litter that will clog up a standard electrical vacuum. It will not blow tiny particulate all over your shop and it can help protect your personnel from airborne particulate.

Dave Woerner
Application Engineer
Davewoerner@EXAIR.com
@EXAIR_DW