When it comes to drying, cooling, or cleaning processes, efficiency and consistency matter. EXAIR’s Super Air Knives are engineered to deliver a uniform sheet of air across the entire length of the knife, making them the ideal choice for a wide range of industrial applications.
Sixteen stock lengths, and Four stock Materials
Why Choose EXAIR Super Air Knives?
The Super Air Knife is designed for energy efficiency, low noise, and powerful performance. By entraining surrounding air at a 40:1 ratio, it amplifies the airflow while minimizing compressed air consumption. This results in:
Up to 90% air savings compared to open pipe blowoffs.
Quiet operation, typically under 69 dBA—even at 80 PSIG.
Uniform airflow across the full length, ensuring even drying and debris removal.
Maintenance-free operation with no moving parts to wear out or require adjustment.
These air knives are available in aluminum, 303 and 316 stainless steel, and PVDF, making them suitable for everything from general industrial use to harsh chemical and washdown environments.
Streamlined Installation with Plumbing Kits
To make setup simple, EXAIR offers Plumbing Kits—pre-assembled and ready-to-install packages that include everything you need for optimal performance. Each kit includes:
Properly sized fittings and hoses for balanced air distribution
Crosses and tees for different length knives
Optional kits with filter and regulator assemblies to ensure clean, controlled air supply
Plumbing Kits eliminate the guesswork and ensure your Super Air Knife operates at its best from day one. They also save valuable installation time and guarantee consistent performance across multiple units.
From drying bottles on a packaging line to removing debris in machining or coating operations, EXAIR’s Super Air Knife system is engineered to outperform traditional blow off methods. Ready to improve efficiency and lower energy costs? Explore EXAIR’s full line of Super Air Knives and Plumbing Kits to find the best setup for your application.
I often write and share personal experiences here. It’s kind of funny—if you had asked me 15 years ago whether I’d be writing regularly, I would have said, “Absolutely not.” That sentiment actually ties in well with today’s message.
Last night, I decided to tackle a maintenance issue on a 2014 Honda Pilot that’d been graciously loaned to us while we saved up for a newer vehicle for my wife. Her van’s transmission failed, and the cost to repair it just didn’t make sense. The Pilot has had a persistent clunking noise whenever it hits a bump. Upon inspection, I found both sway bar links were completely shot—the grease boots were torn, and the sway bar bushings were totally rotted. I had ordered the parts last winter with a few others, and I finally had time in my schedule to take care of them.
If you’ve ever worked on sway bar links, you know they usually don’t come off easily. Still, I kept a positive mindset and tried to remove the nuts holding the links in place—with zero success. So, out came the saw. I was able to cut the driver-side link out, and that’s when I should’ve realized things wouldn’t go smoothly.
My cut on the lower bolt was off and left too much of the stud. So, I grabbed another tool: the angle grinder. I’m not afraid to use the right tool—or to get rough when needed. With the sway bar supported and my hearing protection on, I went to work. It wasn’t a perfect job, but eventually I used a punch and hammer to knock out the remnants and moved on to the top mount. That one backed off halfway, then got cut at the threads and came right out. Thank goodness for sharp saw blades.
With the old link gone, I removed the deteriorated bushing and installed the new one without any trouble. Then came time to install the new sway bar link. These replacements were serviceable with grease fittings—a nice little upgrade for this older vehicle—so I had a good feeling they’d be the last ones it would ever need.
Oddly, the two new links (bought at the same time) came with different styles of lock nuts. One was slightly smashed into an oblong shape. The top nut went on snugly, but just as I was torquing it down, the Allen key recess began to round out. Not a huge deal, since I didn’t anticipate needing to take them apart again.
But the bottom stud and oblong retaining nut didn’t go so well. Halfway on, the nut tightened up severely, and the hex recess rounded out. All I could think was, “It shouldn’t be this hard.” I used the small wrench that came with the new links, and it popped loose—finally. Then I resorted to using vise grips on the flats.
Here’s where I made my mistake: I didn’t slide the grease boot out of the way and kept going. Just as I reached the last thread, the pliers slipped and pinched the brand-new grease boot. I still finished the installation—knowing I’d have to remove it again anyway—and wanted to make sure nothing else was out of alignment. At the time, I felt defeated by a simple task. This really shouldn’t have been so difficult.
In the end, I ordered another new sway bar link. It’s on the way, and I’ll attempt round two in 3–5 business days.
So, what’s the point of this story? Things don’t always go as planned. Sometimes it’s because you miss something or don’t trust your gut when something feels off. Other times, it’s stubborn determination to force something that just isn’t working. You can either dwell on it or take a breath, make a new plan, and keep pushing forward with the same energy.
I’ve seen this play out not just in car repairs, but in travel, my career, and life in general. When something doesn’t go right, it’s okay. Just adjust and move forward. It’s a mindset we bring to our work with customers at EXAIR.
That’s why our 30-day guarantee matters so much. If a recommendation didn’t work out, or testing pointed in one direction, but the results just weren’t there, we’ll help you rework the plan. We’ll back what’s already been done by covering any stock product with our 30-day guarantee and help chart a new path forward.
We’re not perfect, and we never claim to be. My plans don’t always work out either. But a failure doesn’t mean the end—it just means it’s time for a new plan of attack.
Brian Farno, MBA – CCASS Application Engineer
BrianFarno@EXAIR.com @EXAIR_BF
Big shout-out to my youngest daughter for snapping the photo of the passenger side and spraying down the rusted studs with Aero Kroil while I was at work, and she was enjoying summer break. It definitely pays to have your kids pitch in on these projects.
I’ve shown just how fast you can change the EasySwitch Wet-Dry Vac from wet mode to dry mode in a previous video blog here. In case that isn’t what concerns you about the vacuum you or your team use in your facility then let’s outline some additional benefits on just what this vacuum is capable of.
EasySwitch Performance Table
This patented vacuum generates 94 SCFM of vacuum flow and pulls 210 inches of water column when powered at 100 psig inlet pressure. This vacuum flow and force enables cleanup of wet or dry materials. From cleaning out sub-grade sumps to vacuuming up floor dry from spill containment. The ability to switch from wet to dry mode in the matter of 10 seconds or less means less downtime or even more important, less time for a spill to creep larger.
Combine the ease of use with no need for electricity, because it is powered by compressed air, and you have a safe, wet environment cleanup solution. This enables operators to maintain compliance with OSHA directive 29 CFR 1910.22(a), safe surface conditions by enabling them to easily clean up wet or dry spills or collection of debris on walking surfaces.
EasySwitch Conveyance Rates
If material segregation for recycling purposes is needed, the EasySwitch can even be easily moved from one drum to another by lifting the lid from one 55 gallon drum to a fresh drum ready to go. This can help maximize recyclable solids profits should your facility machine multiple metals. Machine cleanouts for changeovers can achieved quickly thanks to the assortment of cast aluminum crevice tools to fit into all nooks and crannies inside of a machine. Even the magnetic tool holder is easily transferred to new drums should the need arise.
If you would like to discuss your current vacuum product and see how the EasySwitch can simplify your task, give us a call, chat, or email today.
In a previous life I worked in the metal cutting industry on machines that were all imported to the USA. Every machine we brought in had to have the air inlets changed out to match the NPT ports that most of our domestic customers had within their facilities. This simply made sense, why force someone to change an air fitting or something as simple as that to match the rest of their facility. The option we did not offer was to change all the hardware on the machine to match the rest of the SAE sized hardware and limit the number of tools their staff needed. That didn’t make sense. Well, here at EXAIR we like to do things differently.
There are several companies that I deal with here who always prefer their air inlets be different, whether it be a metric BSP thread or a larger NPT thread, maybe a global thread, or even a special fitting like a taper lock fitting. No matter the needs, as long as it will physically fit on the product, chances are we can offer the fitting that will simplify installation. Even past the installation we like to look forward to the complete ownership of our products. Once a machine is located in a facility, what other types of fasteners are used, what is the rest of the machine tooled with. When working on a machine as a maintenance person or adjusting the operation, not having to struggle with determining which Allen wrench or hex size a bolt is and risk damaging the bolt can be extremely helpful.
Most EXAIR products come from stock with standard fractional hardware. We do offer a number of products with a BSPT air inlet and they are often available with the same expediency as our other stock products, same day on orders received by 2 PM ET that are shipping within the U.S. As mentioned above, we can customize a product with the fasteners of your choice, as long as they pass our design criteria. Some of the most common fastener changes I have seen are converting a Super Air Knife to an M6-1.0 threaded bolt rather than the stock 1/4-20 fastener. There are a multitude of other requests that I recall throughout the years. Some of the most intricate are listed and explained below.
Specialty Hardware
From left to right: M6-1.0 stainless steel bolt, a titanium hex-head bolt, a Hastelloy hex-head bolt, brass hex-head bolt, Kolsterized hex-head bolt, special acorn head fastener, Allen key flat-head bolt. Each of these fasteners has been used within a custom configuration to meet a specific need, whether it be simply to match the metric or SAE hardware in the rest of the machine or to meet the demands of the environment they are going into. The bottom row are, integral star washer nut, serrated safety washer, and spring washer. Each of these has, again, been requested by a customer to meet the design and safety standards they have a requirement for. These are just a sampling of the custom hardware we have used over the years to support our customer base and fill their need with product that meets their standards.
If you would like to discuss custom hardware in a stock product or even a full on custom point of use compressed air product, the Application Engineer team here is ready to help. Contact us and we will do our best to understand what your need requires and offer a solution to fit.
