Tag: EFC

6 STEPS: [Step Four] Turn it off when not in use.

Published on by Jordan T ShouseLeave a comment

Turning off compressed air when itโ€™s not in use is one of the fastest ways to reduce energy costs, extend equipment life, and improve overall efficiency. When paired with efficient air products and proper controls, the savings can be substantial and immediate.

Compressed air is valuable. Treat it that way. Here are some helpful ways to use it when you need it!

Start by walking the plant floor and identifying applications that run continuously, especially during breaks, shift changes, or downtime. Common culprits include open blow offs, cooling air left running, or vacuum systems operating without parts present. If air is flowing without adding value, itโ€™s costing you money. So let’s find ways to turn it off.

  1. Tie Air Use to Production Activity
    • Compressed air should only be used when production is active. Connecting air supply to machine cycles, sensors, or PLC controls ensures air flows only when parts are present or a process is occurring. Automating on/off control not only reduces waste but also improves consistency and repeatability.
  2. Use Solenoid Valves for Automatic Shutoff
    • Solenoid valves are an effective way to shut off air when equipment is idle. When integrated into machine logic or timers, they prevent air from flowing during downtime, nights, and weekends. This is especially effective for blow off and cooling applications that donโ€™t require constant air.
  3. Replace Open Blow offs with Efficient Nozzles
    • Open pipes and tubing waste enormous amounts of compressed air. High-efficiency air nozzles and air knives are engineered to amplify airflow while consuming significantly less compressed air. Upgrading these devices not only lowers air consumption but also improves safety by reducing noise levels.
  4. Monitor, Audit, and Reinforce
    • Turning the air off once isnโ€™t enough, it needs to become part of the culture. Regular air audits, flow monitoring, and team accountability help ensure improvements stick. Encouraging operators and maintenance teams to report unnecessary air usage creates long-term savings and reinforces best practices.

Turning compressed air off when itโ€™s not in use is a powerful first stepโ€”but real, lasting savings come from pairing good habits with the right technology. Thatโ€™s where EXAIR solutions make the difference.

EXAIR Engineered Air Nozzles replace inefficient open pipes and tubing, delivering the force you need while dramatically reducing air consumption and noise. EXAIR Air Knives provide uniform, high-velocity airflow for drying, cooling, and cleaningโ€”using far less compressed air than homemade blow offs. When higher airflow or vacuum is required, EXAIR Air Amplifiers generate powerful output without additional energy input.

To ensure those savings are measured and maintained, EXAIR Flow Meters give you real-time visibility into compressed air usage, helping you identify waste, verify improvements, and build accountability into your process.

Compressed air doesnโ€™t have to be a hidden cost. With smart shutdown practices and proven EXAIR products, you can turn wasted air into measurable savingsโ€”every shift, every day.

Jordan Shouse, CCASS

Application Engineer / Sales Operations Engineer

Send me an email
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Back to Basics: 6 Week Recap

Published on by Brian FarnoLeave a comment

When I kicked off this blog series a few weeks ago, my goal was simple: break down compressed air optimization into clear, actionable steps. Over the years, Iโ€™ve seen countless facilities struggle with the same challengesโ€”air leaks, wasted energy, oversized compressors running nonstopโ€”and Iโ€™ve also seen how small, deliberate changes can transform an operation.

Walking through these six steps has been a chance to not just share tools and techniques, but to reflect on the conversations Iโ€™ve had with customers who put them into practice. In some cases, it was the first time they truly measured their air use. In others, the turning point was when a simple changeโ€”like installing a regulatorโ€”let them turn off a secondary compressor altogether. Those are the moments that make optimization โ€œclick.โ€

Hereโ€™s a quick recap of the journey weโ€™ve taken:

Step 1 โ€“ Measure Usage
You canโ€™t improve what you donโ€™t measure. Using the EXAIR Digital Flowmeter, we establish a baseline to see where the air is going and how much is being consumed.

Step 2 โ€“ Find and Fix Leaks
Leaks are like the silent thieves of a compressed air system. With the Ultrasonic Leak Detector, you can hear what your ears normally canโ€™t and start reclaiming wasted energy.

Step 3 โ€“ Implement Engineered Solutions
Replacing open pipes and homemade blow offs with EXAIR Air Knives, Super Air Nozzles, and other engineered solutions is often where customers first see the savingsโ€”not just on the utility bill, but in quieter, safer operations.

Step 4 โ€“ Turn Air Off When Not Needed
Why run air if the process isnโ€™t calling for it? The Electronic Flow Control (EFC) makes sure compressed air only flows when itโ€™s truly needed.

Step 5 โ€“ Use Intermediate Storage
Like a capacitor in an electrical circuit, receiver tanks help buffer demand spikes. This keeps systems balanced and compressors from overworking.

Step 6 โ€“ Regulate Pressure at the Point of Use
Sometimes the simplest fix is the most powerful. A small reduction in pressure can equal double-digit energy savingsโ€”without affecting performance. Pressure regulators are the perfect point of use method to achieve this.

Wrapping It All Up

Looking back, these six steps arenโ€™t just a checklistโ€”theyโ€™re a roadmap. Each one builds momentum for the next, and together they can change how you think about compressed air entirely. For me, the most rewarding part of this series is knowing that these are the same strategies Iโ€™ve watched customers apply successfully in real-world situations.

At EXAIR, we want to make optimization practical, approachable, and sustainable. Whether youโ€™re measuring, fixing, upgrading, or just looking for ways to cut waste, weโ€™re here to help guide the process.

If youโ€™d like to talk about where your system stands today, or which step might make the biggest impact for you, feel free to reach out.

Brian Farno, MBA – CCASS
National Business Development Manager

BrianFarno@EXAIR.com
@EXAIR_BF

Why Engineered Air Nozzles Outperform Open Pipes (And Cut Air Use by Up to 70%)

Published on by Jordan T ShouseLeave a comment

Compressed air is one of the most expensive utilities in any manufacturing facilityโ€”yet itโ€™s often treated as โ€œfree.โ€ One of the biggest contributors to wasted compressed air is the continued use of open pipes, drilled pipes, or homemade blowoffs for cleaning, drying, and cooling applications.

While these methods may seem simple and inexpensive, they are inefficient, unsafe, noisy, and costly over time. EXAIR Engineered Air Nozzles are designed to solve these exact problems. Often reducing compressed air consumption by up to 70% while improving performance.

Open pipes release compressed air directly to atmosphere with no control, no amplification, and no optimization. This creates several major issues:

Excessive Air Consumption

An open 1/4″ pipe at 80 PSIG can consume 25+ SCFM continuously. Multiply that across shifts, days, and multiple stations, and the cost quickly adds up.

Poor Performance

Open pipes create turbulent airflow that dissipates rapidly, requiring higher pressure and more air to achieve acceptable results.

High Noise Levels

Uncontrolled air release produces noise levels that can exceed OSHA limits, creating safety and compliance concerns.

Safety Risks

Open pipes can generate dangerous dead-end pressures and flying debris, posing serious injury risks to operators. Creating real situations where

What Makes EXAIR Engineered Air Nozzles Different?

EXAIR Engineered Air Nozzles are precision-designed to maximize force while minimizing air consumption. Instead of wasting compressed air, they use advanced airflow geometry to do more with less.

Air Amplification

EXAIR nozzles use the Coandฤƒ effect to entrain surrounding ambient air. For every unit of compressed air used, multiple units of free air are pulled into the flowโ€”creating higher output force without increased air usage.

Optimized Flow Patterns

Rather than chaotic turbulence, engineered nozzles produce laminar, focused airflow that delivers better cleaning, drying, and cooling results at lower pressure.

Significant Air Savings

Itโ€™s common to see 30โ€“70% reductions in air consumption when replacing open pipes with EXAIR air nozzlesโ€”often with improved performance.

Eleminate Safety Risks

Air nozzles and jets are designed to operate well above 30 PSIG while creating dead end pressures well below the OSHA limits. Giving you better performance safley.

EXAIR Model 1100 Super Air Nozzle Replaces Open Copper Pipe Blow Off

Replacing open pipes with EXAIR Engineered Air Nozzles is one of the simplest and most cost-effective improvements you can make to a compressed air system.

If youโ€™re serious about:

  • Reducing energy costs
  • Improving safety
  • Lowering noise levels
  • Getting more from your compressed air

โ€ฆitโ€™s time to stop blowing money into the air.

EXAIR Engineered Air Nozzles prove that better design beats brute forceโ€”every time.

Jordan Shouse, CCASS

Application Engineer / Sales Operations Engineer

Send me an email
Find us on the Web 

Compressed Air Savings Made Easy: Turn Off Air When Idle

Published on by Tyler DanielLeave a comment

Compressed air is often the most expensive utility in an industrial facility. The energy required to generate compressed air makes it a significant operational cost. That is why EXAIR focuses on providing products that help reduce overall compressed air consumption and improve efficiency throughout your processes.

The simplest way to save compressed air is to turn it off when it is not needed. While that sounds straightforward, many operations cannot rely on manually opening and closing a valve. For example, if parts move along a conveyor and need to be cooled, dried, or blown off, there are usually gaps between parts. Running a blowoff continuously during those gaps results in wasted compressed air. Reducing that unnecessary usage can significantly lower the load on your air compressor.

EXAIRโ€™s Electronic Flow Control, or EFC, provides an easy way to automate these savings. The system uses a photoelectric sensor to detect when a part is present. When no part is in place, the EFC closes a solenoid valve to stop the compressed air. When the next part arrives, the air turns back on automatically. This ensures air is supplied only when it is actually needed.

To demonstrate the impact an EFC can have, here is a real example. A manufacturer of car bumpers was using a Model 112060 60 inch Super Ion Air Knife at 40 PSIG to remove dust before painting. The dust was clinging to the bumpers due to a residual static charge. They traveled at roughly 10 feet per minute and had one foot of spacing between each part. Each bumper was under the air knife for 10 seconds, followed by 6 seconds with no part present. Because the operation ran three shifts, the system used compressed air for a total of 1,440 minutes per day.

A 60-inch Super Ion Air Knife consumes 102 SCFM at 40 PSIG. Without any control system, its total usage was:

102 scfm x 1,440 minutes = 146,880 SCF

After installing the EFC, the air turned off during the 6-second gap. This reduced airflow by 37.5 percent. The new daily consumption was:

146,880 SCF x .625 = 91,800 SCF

Using the common estimate that compressed air costs $0.25 per 1,000 SCF, the daily savings from reducing 55,080 SCF of use came to $13.77:

55,080 SCF x ($0.25/1,000 SCF) = $13.77

Because this facility operated 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, the yearly savings reached $5,012.28:

$13.77 x 7 days/week x 52 weeks/year = $5,012.28

These savings easily paid for the EFC in less than six months. After that point, the system continued saving money every day with no additional effort.

EXAIR has EFC models in stock for applications using up to 350 SCFM. For higher flow rates, models with dual solenoids are available as well. If any of your processes involve intermittent compressed air use, we would be happy to evaluate the application and help you determine how quickly an EFC could begin saving you money.

Tyler Daniel, CCASS

Application Engineer

E-mail: TylerDaniel@EXAIR.com