Tag: conveyor pneumatic tube

Line Vacs- Air Operated Conveyors, and Much More

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The EXAIR Line Vac is a tried and true device for conveying parts, materials, and waste – with no moving parts. The list of successfully conveyed materials in the application database is far reaching – including plastic pellets, scrap/trim, chips, pills/tablets, shavings, sawdust and granules.

The Line Vacs can be used for more than conveying large amounts of material from A to B. Recently, one of our automation customers found an application for the Line Vac in the design and manufacture of a custom fill machine.  The machine was commissioned to fill small, plastic cups.  To move the cups from the material staging area to the filler processing area, (10) of the 2″ aluminum Line Vacs were used.  Using a sensor to measure the stack height in each tube, the compressed air is triggered on/off to transfer a group of cups over to the filling area.  See photo below-

Line Vac Transporter

Other types of applications that Line Vacs have been used for include pick and place, small space ventilation, fine powder dispersion and light vacuum generation. Another popular use is to integrate into a machining process for waste removal of chips, shavings, and waste removal.

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1-1/4″ (32mm) Line Vac Mounted to Remove Plastic Shavings and Transport to Waste Container

The Line Vacs come in (3) types- Standard, Light Duty and Heavy Duty.  Also, (3) different end connections are available including smooth bore, threaded, and the new sanitary flanged. Depending on the model type, materials of construction may include aluminum, type 303 and 316 stainless steels, and a hardened alloy.  Special high temperature versions are available with temperature ratings up to 900°F (482°C.)

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To discuss your application and how a Line Vac or any other EXAIR Intelligent Compressed Air Product can improve your process, feel free to contact EXAIR, myself, or one of our other Application Engineers. We can help you determine the best solution!

Brian Bergmann
Application Engineer

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Light Duty Line Vac For Paper Trim Removal

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Today I worked with a customer that manufactures a wide variety of material handling equipment including coil unwinders.  The engineer was calling because there was a special project for a coil unwinder that could handle a waste piece of paper trim.  As the metal coil is being unwound for delivery to a metal processing machine, the protective paper is pulled off and was to be collected into a waste receptacle for easy handling and disposal/recycling.  The engineer was hoping to replicate an existing system that used a hybrid blower system, with an extra compressed air nozzle, but in a simpler form.

Coil Unwinder

We proposed the use of the 4″ Light Duty Line Vac– shown below.130400The Light Duty Line Vacs offer an effective way to convey small and light materials a short distance. Like the standard Line Vac, the Light Duty Line Vac converts an ordinary hose or tube into a  conveyor for scrap, trim, and bulk materials.

When the process involves moving low volumes of materials over short distances, the Light Duty Line Vac is a great choice. The simplified (2) piece design offers effective conveying at a lower cost. As an added plus, the compressed air consumption is lowered to levels commensurate with handling the lighter materials, at lower volumes and short distances.  Using a pressure regulator to control the supply air allows for tuning of the transfer rate, and keeps air usage to the minimum amount needed.

The Light Duty Line Vacs are available with inlet/outlet diameters from 3/4″ up to 6″.  With no moving parts, maintenance free operation is assured.

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Light Duty Line Vacs – Available in 3/4″, 1″, 1.25″, 1.5″, 2″, 3″, 4″ and 6″ Diameters. All in Stock!

For other larger materials, higher transfer rates, corrosive environments, or abrasive materials, take a look at the other EXAIR Line Vac offerings including the aluminum, 303 and 316 stainless standard Line Vacs, the aluminum, 303 and 316 stainless steel Threaded Line Vacs, high temperature models, standard and threaded Heavy Duty Line Vacs, and lastly the new Sanitary Flanged 316 stainless steel type.

If you would like to talk about Light Duty Line Vacs or any of the EXAIR Intelligent Compressed Air® Products, feel free to contact EXAIR and myself or one of our Application Engineers can help you determine the best solution.

Brian Bergmann
Application Engineer

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EXAIR Provides Quick Blowoff Solution for Gauge Manufacturer

Published on by Tyler DanielLeave a comment

I was recently contacted by a manufacturer of custom measurement systems. They were working on a design for a system that could measure (2) different sizes of gears with a high degree of accuracy. A robotic arm would pick up the gear off of a conveyor and deposit it onto a gauge for inspection.

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The two gears being measured

During the initial quoting phase of the project they had been a little misled. They were told that the gears would be completely clean and free of debris before being deposited on the conveyor and picked up for inspection.  It turns out this would not be the case. Chips, oil, or debris remaining on the gear would result in false part rejection. With the required completion date looming, they reached out to EXAIR for some help in implementing a solution to clean the gear before inspection.

While blowing off the oil or chips from the gear was the primary concern, having this debris flying around inside the machine could have been problematic as well. We needed to find a way to contain the chips and remove them. In the process, there was a brief moment that the robot arm held the gauge in place just prior to depositing it onto the gauge. It was there that we identified an opportunity to both clean and remove the chips that were blown off the gear. Using a Model 1105 3/8 NPT Super Air Nozzle and Model 9068 Swivel, they were able to precisely position the blowoff to hit across the bottom of the gear where the chips were located. They then 3D printed a shroud to contain the area where the gauge was held and the blowoff would be performed. They designed the shroud with a 1-1/4” outlet to connect directly to our Model 6082 Line Vac. The intake of the Line Vac was installed right at this point and was set to activate as soon as the air nozzles began their cleaning cycle. The chips were blown off of the gears, contained by the shroud, and taken away to a bin underneath the machine by the Line Vac. The crisis was averted!!

This was the first time they had implemented some type of method to clean the part before measuring. In the past, they had lost potential projects due to the inability for them to provide a clean part for measurement. With this newfound method of part cleaning, they’re now able to be a more complete solutions provider to their customers. They’re able to design the part cleaning feature into the process from the start, rather than retroactively as they had to do here.

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Model 6082 Aluminum Line Vac

At EXAIR, we understand how problems can crop up during design and cause potential delays in the completion of a project. For this reason, we keep all of our catalog products in stock and ship same day with an order placed by 3:00 pm EST. This customer was local and was able to call in with a problem, determine a solution, and come pick up their order the same day. If you are having difficulty cleaning or drying machined parts, give us a call. EXAIR has the solution, in stock, ready to ship to you immediately.

Tyler Daniel
Application Engineer
E-mail: TylerDaniel@exair.com
Twitter: @EXAIR_TD

Do You Need 30 Days for Testing?

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Not long ago while checking out of a motel my laptop bag that was attached to the handle on my suitcase fell forward and the impact shattered the screen on the laptop.  Upon turning the computer on I realized that a new screen was in order.

I waited until I arrived at home and found what I thought to be the correct monitor and quickly ordered it.  It arrived two days later and I painstakingly took the laptop apart and exposed the mounting frame.  The removal of the broken screen and the installation of the new was not too difficult but the cable connector was less than robust and was very tight.  Carefully I worked it back and forth and it came free.

Installation and reassembly went quickly and then I powered up the machine.  I was only greeted with a series of very loud and annoying beeps.  At that point I shut it down and called the company I purchased the screen from and described the issue.  They determined that the resolution of the screen was incorrect for my laptop and that I needed a different model.  They said I could return the incorrect one and upon inspection receive a credit less the return shipping.  At that point I ordered the correct screen and packaged up the wrong one and dropped it off at the parcel delivery service.

The new model arrived and it installed easily and worked perfectly.  I waited patiently and never did see a refund so I called the company and they said that it was an oversight on their end and that it would be corrected within 48 hours.  Sure enough they issued the credit and money was credited back to my account with one exception, the 40% restocking fee!

I can tell you that EXAIR is not that way!  If you order the wrong item or are not satisfied for any reason and the item was purchased within the last 30 days we will facilitate the return and ZERO restocking fee. There are a multitude of reasons our customers would want to take advantage of our 30 day guarantee and we make it a simple transaction if you need to take advantage of it too. Testing is one reason a customer would use this 30 days, other customers may have ordered incorrectly or released product inadvertently, they may have wanted a small sample for a meeting or demonstration at a customers location.

30 day money back guarantee
EXAIR Guarantee

If you want to discuss any EXAIR product, I would enjoy hearing from you…give me a call.

Steve Harrison
Application Engineer
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