Tag: dB meter

Saving Money with our Super Air Knives

Published on by Al WooffittLeave a comment

Here at EXAIR we are confident that there is a lot to gain from using our products. Two of the biggest benefits of our Intelligent Compressed Air Products are a reduction in noise, and a reduction in Compressed Air usage. The latter will often lead to big money savings. Many times the savings our products offer will pay for the product itself! What is my Return on Investment going to be?

So, how do you calculate your ROI? The easy answer is that you don’t have to! You can use our Air Savings Calculator to calculate your savings for you. If you know your current air consumption (in SCFM), the new air consumption (SCFM) and the cost of the product, our calculator will turn that into monetary savings, as well as the calculated payback time in days.

Another option if you would rather not do the calculations yourself, is that you can send the item in question to our Efficiency Lab Testing. The Efficiency Lab Testing is a free service that we offer to show you the possible savings by switching to one of our products. We will calculate the savings for you and send you the results of our findings.
The final option – my favorite by the way – is that we can do the math right here:

For a simple example, I’m going to show the ROI of replacing a drilled copper pipe with an EXAIR Super Air Knife for a blowoff application. The calculations will be as follows:

Copper Pipe (1/4”): 3x 3/32” diameter drilled holes uses 9.4scfm per hole (28.2scfm total) at 80psig.

3” Super Air Knife: uses 8.7scfm at 80psig

Calculation:

For the yearly consumption, we need to find how many minutes in a year the blowoff will be operated:

For the Copper Pipe:

For 3” Super Air Knife

The difference between these two:

At this point, if you know your facilities cost to generate 1,000scf, you can use that to calculate how much you would save. For this example, we will use $0.25 to generate 1,000scf, which is used by the U.S. Department of Energy to estimate costs. This gives the following yearly savings:

With an investment of $273.00 (at the time of publishing), you can calculate the time it would take to pay off the unit:

From these numbers you can see that after 117 days, the 3” Super Air Knife will have paid for itself.

As you can see, it doesn’t have to take long for the knife to pay for itself, and then continue to contribute toward your bottom line. 

Al Wooffitt
Application Engineer

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Banner image by Peter Fertig from Pixabay

Conducting A Compressed Air Audit

Published on by jasonkirbyLeave a comment

The primary objective of a compressed air audit is to establish a strategy for enhancing energy output in relation to system efficiency. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, approximately 50% of the compressed air produced is lost. Additionally, it is estimated that leaks within the system can lead to a 25%-30% increase in compressed air consumption. Conducting a compressed air audit can enhance system reliability, prolong the lifespan of equipment, and reveal areas for potential improvement.

To conduct an air audit, you need to systematically assess a compressed air system by identifying and measuring air leaks, checking air filters, evaluating air quality, analyzing system operational data, performing visual inspections, and ultimately creating a plan to optimize energy use and identify areas for improvement within the system; this typically involves using tools like flow meters, pressure gauges, leak detection devices, and dew point monitors.

Create Checklist: To initiate your checklist, it is essential to first establish the scope of the audit. Identify the specific elements of your compressed air systems that require evaluation, including the compressor, dryer, receiver, filters, piping, and end-use equipment. Subsequently, determine the depth of detail and the type of data necessary for collection, as this will form the foundation of your checklist.

Review Data: Gather information regarding the compressed air equipment, encompassing compressor specifications, usage patterns, maintenance logs, and air quality metrics. Furthermore, it is essential to examine the installation, operation, and maintenance manuals of the equipment to verify adherence to the manufacturer’s recommendations.

Visual Inspection: Perform a visual examination of the equipment and its environment. Utilizing your compressed air audit checklist, assess for any leaks, damage, corrosion, or signs of wear, and evaluate these findings alongside other equipment. This process guarantees that safety mechanisms, including pressure relief valves and gauges, are properly installed and operational.

Air Quality: Assess the air quality within the compressed air system. Investigate for the presence of oil mist, water, and particulate contamination in both the system and the product, and verify that air treatment devices, including dryers and filters, are properly installed and operating effectively.

Operating Procedure: Examine your operational protocols and optimal practices with equipment operators. Assess potential avenues for decreasing air leaks, enhancing air pressure efficiency, and reducing energy waste. Furthermore, contemplate the adoption of an energy management system to oversee and regulate compressed air consumption.

Prioritize Needs: The maintenance and repair requirements of the compressed air system should be established based on the audit results. It is essential to prioritize the identified concerns and formulate a strategy for their resolution. Subsequently, responsibilities should be allocated to appropriate personnel, and timelines for completion must be set.

Review: It is essential to regularly review and update your compressed air audit checklist to ensure it accurately represents any changes in the system and the facility’s operational procedures. Adjustments should be made in response to findings from prior audits as well as input from equipment operators and maintenance staff.

If you would like to discuss compressed air audits, please do not hesitate to contact an Application Engineer. We are always happy to help!

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

Fits Like a Glove!!!

Published on by jasonkirbyLeave a comment
If you must use quick connects, the 1/4 turn claw type (left) is the least restrictive. Push-to-connects (center) are likely to starve your product, unless you oversize them (right) like we do in our Efficiency Lab.

To ensure optimal performance of your EXAIR Intelligent Compressed Air® product, it is essential to provide a consistent flow of compressed air at the ideal pressure. Factors such as the output pressure of the compressor, the airflow rate, the inner diameter of the piping, the internal smoothness of the pipes, and the type of connectors all play a significant role in determining performance.

In manufacturing applications, it is crucial to evaluate both the air pressure and airflow generated by the air compressor that supplies all tools. An air compressor may deliver sufficient supply pressure for an EXAIR product, yet it might not provide adequate airflow for prolonged use of the product.

A properly engineered compressed air distribution system can enhance efficiency by as much as 30%, resulting in significant annual energy cost savings. Hoses, tubing, and fittings play a crucial role in any compressed air system, similar to the pipes that convey compressed air to its final destination. Typically, these components are utilized between the compressor and the piping or between the piping and the application. Although they constitute a minor portion of the overall system, they often receive insufficient consideration, which can lead to pressure loss at the point of use if not appropriately chosen or maintained. To avoid unnecessary pressure drops and potential production losses, it is essential to take into account several key factors when selecting hoses, tubing, and quick disconnect couplings.

A pressure drop is when there is a reduction in air pressure within an air compressor system. The pressure drop can happen anywhere between the compressor discharge and the actual point of consumption. The pressure drop varies on the type of industry and application of air compressors. The extent of this pressure drop increases with smaller pipe diameters and longer lengths. Additionally, fittings can considerably affect system performance by decreasing the effective flow area.

EXAIR products are designed to improve the overall efficiency of your operations. If you need help and have questions, please contact any of the Application Engineers. There is no risk to trying our products as we have a 30-day Guarantee for all of our US and Canadian customers.

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

Compressed Air and Pressure Drop: Explained

Published on by Tyler DanielLeave a comment

A critical component to optimal performance of any compressed air operated product is ensuring sufficient compressed air flow. Simply put, inadequate air flow won’t allow you to get the job done.

 As compressed air moves through the distribution system, it encounters friction inside the walls of the pipe, tube, hose, etc. The diameter of the pipe, length, number of direction changes, and finished surface of the inner wall all play a part in this. A drop in air pressure will occur as a result of this friction. In addition to pressure drops experienced due to the distribution system, they can also occur at the point of use. If the line is undersized, this pressure drop will be great enough to impact the performance of the product. 

When designing and maintaining your compressed air system, pressure measurements should be taken at varying points to identify (and fix) any issues before they create a greater problem down the road. According to the Compressed Air Challenge, these are the places you should take regular pressure measurements to determine your system operating pressure:

  • Inlet to compressor (to monitor inlet air filter) vs. atmospheric pressure
  • Differential across air/lubricant separator
  • Inter-stage on multistage compressors
  • After-cooler
  • At treatment equipment (dryers, filters, etc.)
  • Various points across the distribution system
  • Check pressure differentials against manufacturers’ specifications. If high pressure drops are noticed, this indicates a need for service.

*More recent compressors will measure pressure at the package discharge, which will include the separator and after-cooler.

Once you’ve taken these measurements, simply add the pressure drops measured and subtract that value from the operating range of your compressor. That figure is your true operating pressure at the point of use.

If your distribution system is properly sized and the pressure drops measured across your various equipment are within specifications, any pressure drop noticed at the point of use is indicative of an inadequate volume of air. This could be due to restrictive fittings or undersized air lines, hose, or tube. Check that the point of use product is properly plumbed to compressed air per the manufacturer’s specifications.

EXAIR Products are designed to minimize this pressure drop by restricting the flow of compressed air. The more energy (pressure) that we’re able to bring to the point of use, the more efficient and effective that energy will be. The photo below shows two common examples of inefficient compressed air usage. With an open-ended blow off, a pressure drop occurs upstream inside the supply line. If you were to measure the pressure directly at the point of use, while in operation, you’d find that the pressure is significantly lower than it is at the compressor or further up the line. In the other photo with a modular style hose, some pressure is able to build up but if it gets too high the hose will blow apart. These types of modular style hose are not designed to be used with compressed gases.

EXAIR’s Super Air Nozzles, on the other hand, keep the compressed air right up to the point of discharge and minimize the pressure drop. This, in addition to the air entrainment, allows for a high force while maximizing efficiency. If you’d like to talk about how an EXAIR Intelligent Compressed Air Product could help to minimize pressure drop in your processes, give us a call.

Tyler Daniel, CCASS

Application Engineer

E-mail: TylerDaniel@EXAIR.com

X: @EXAIR_TD