Tag: engineered air nozzles

Safety Is Everyone’s Responsibility

Published on by Russ BowmanLeave a comment

That’s a direct quote that everyone at EXAIR hears at our regularly scheduled safety training meetings. While our machine tool operators & assembly technicians spend a lot more time “up close and personal” with devices that can hurt you if not used properly, we all work in the same building with them. That’s why EVERYONE is required to attend those meetings. I like the people I work with, so I REALLY like the level of confidence we all have that the company is looking out for us like that.

The confidence in safety that we have in working at EXAIR is built into our engineered Compressed Air Products as well. Compressed air is downright dangerous, so it’s imperative that you use it safely.

I spent 6 years & 23 days in the United States Navy, so I know full well that you can’t make anything “sailor proof” (no offense to you veterans of other branches, but I once got a letter of commendation from my Commanding Officer for fixing something that I’d broken myself) but I cannot figure out, for the life of me, how to violate OSHA’s Standard on using compressed air for cleaning, with an EXAIR Super Air Nozzle:

OSHA Standard 1910.242(b) says that if you use a compressed air device for cleaning, the static air pressure at the nozzle or opening must not exceed 30 PSI when dead-ended (blocked). Since the air from a Super Air Nozzle comes out of those holes recessed between those fins, there’s a (dare I say it?) sailor proof relief path to make sure that can’t happen.

In fact, all of our blowoff products comply with that standard:

The same design feature (the cap overhanging the body) makes our Flat Super Air Nozzle (left) and our Super Air Knife (right) OSHA Compliant.

Another danger associated with the use of compressed air is the noise level associated with introducing a high pressure gas to atmospheric pressure. If you use airguns or other blow offs without engineered nozzles, you likely know this already. EXAIR engineered Compressed Air Products solve this safety issue as well. Each of the products in the photos above has a very specific feature that causes the primary flow of compressed airflow to entrain a secondary airflow, which results in a much higher total developed airflow. That makes them EXTREMELY efficient — but it also forms a low velocity boundary layer around the hard-hitting air stream in the center, which attenuates the sound level.

In each of these EXAIR engineered compressed air products, the primary air stream following the curved surface causes entrainment. And efficiency. And sound attenuation.

The effectiveness of that low velocity boundary layer is so good that all of our Super Air Nozzles except the very largest ones are compliant with OSHA Standard 1910.95(a) for maximum allowable noise exposure (that limit is 90dBA, so you know.)

In closing, let me reiterate: compressed air is dangerous, so use it safely, and that starts with using safe compressed air products. Like EXAIR’s…we’re all about safety. If you’d like to find out more, I can talk about it all day, and sometimes I do…give me a call.

Russ Bowman, CCASS

Application Engineer
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Revolutionize Your Internal Pipe Cleaning with EXAIR Back Blow Nozzles

Published on by Al WooffittLeave a comment

In industrial manufacturing, cleaning the inside of pipes, tubes, and blind holes has traditionally been a challenge. Standard forward-blowing nozzles often push debris deeper or create safety hazards by ejecting material out the far end. EXAIR solved this problem with their innovative Back Blow Air Nozzles, designed specifically to “wipe” internal surfaces clean by directing airflow backwards toward the operator.

How They Work

These nozzles utilize the Coanda effect to amplify compressed air, entraining surrounding ambient air to create a high-velocity 360-degree cone of air. Because the air is directed back toward the inlet, it pulls coolant, chips, and debris out of the opening rather than forcing them further in.

See the “Back Blow Magic” in Action

Watch this EXAIR video demonstration to see a Back Blow Nozzle clear debris from a plugged pipe in a single pass.

Common Applications

Manufacturers across various industries use these nozzles to improve efficiency and safety. Typical uses include:

  • Machined Part Cleaning: Removing coolant and metal chips from blind holes or internal threads.
  • Hydraulic Cylinder Repair: Cleaning honed bores ranging from 2″ to 16″ in diameter.
  • Tube & Pipe Manufacturing: Clearing debris from long lengths of pipe where forward blowing is impractical.
  • CNC Machining: Quickly cleaning out spindles between tool changes.
  • Electronics Recycling: Removing residual powder from spent toner cartridges.

Key Product Features

  • Material: Manufactured from durable Type 316 Stainless Steel for superior corrosion and wear resistance.
  • Size Range: Available in three sizes—M4, 1/4 NPT, and 1 NPT—covering internal diameters from 1/4″ to 16″.
  • Safety & Compliance: Meets OSHA standards for noise and dead-end pressure.
  • Configurations: Can be mounted on VariBlast, Soft Grip, or Heavy Duty Safety Air Guns with extensions up to 72″ and optional chip shields for operator protection.

Would you like to know which Safety Air Gun model or extension length is best suited for your specific pipe diameter? Give us a call!

Al Wooffitt
Application Engineer

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The ROI of Engineered Air: Why Your Compressed Air Setup Is Costing You More Than It Should

Published on by Tyler DanielLeave a comment

The electrical costs associated with generating compressed air make it the most expensive utility in any industrial facility. In order to help offset these costs, it’s imperative that the system is operating as efficiently as possible. Taking a holistic look at your system, from the distribution piping down to the individual nozzle, reveals several opportunities to reduce your energy footprint without sacrificing performance.

The first and most impactful step is to identify and fix leaks within the distribution piping. According to the Compressed Air Challenge, up to 30% of all compressed air generated is lost through leaks, which can account for nearly 10% of your overall energy costs. These leaks do more than just waste money; they cause a drop in system pressure that forces equipment to cycle on and off more frequently. This leads to rejected products, increased maintenance, and unscheduled downtime. You can perform a professional audit using an EXAIR Model 9207 Ultrasonic Leak Detector to pinpoint these losses or hire an energy audit service to lead the process.

Pressure Regulators “dial in” performance to get the job done without using more air than necessary.

While fixing leaks addresses the distribution side, you must also look at how that air is managed at the point of use. Regulating the supply pressure for individual devices is a massive opportunity for savings. Most shop air runs at a default 80-90 PSIG or higher, but many general blowoff applications can be accomplished with the same level of efficiency at 50 or 60 PSIG. By installing pressure regulators at each device, you reduce consumption immediately. For every 2 PSIG you reduce at the compressor, you save approximately 1% in energy costs.

Drilled and soldered copper pipe.

The hardware you choose for these applications is equally critical. Inefficient, homemade solutions like crimped copper tubes are often thought to be cheap, but the cost to supply them with air far outweighs the price of an engineered solution. An engineered nozzle, such as EXAIR’s line of Super Air Nozzles, utilizes the Coanda effect to entrain free ambient air into the stream. This maximizes force while keeping compressed air usage to an absolute minimum.

Finally, the overall health and operation of the system rely on consistent maintenance and simple human intervention. Inadequate compressor maintenance leads to lower efficiency and higher heat, so a regular preventative schedule for heat exchangers, lubricants, and filters is non-negotiable. Beyond mechanical upkeep, the simplest method to save is to shut off the air when it isn’t in use. Whether operators are on lunch or a shift has ended, simply turning a valve to stop the supply of air is a no-brainer that prevents leaks from wasting power during downtime. Each of these steps, while minute on their own, works together to significantly reduce your overall air consumption and energy costs.

Tyler Daniel, CCASS

Assistant Application Engineering Manager

E-mail: TylerDaniel@EXAIR.com

Efficiency: Air Tools That Pay for Themselves

Published on by Jordan T ShouseLeave a comment

In manufacturing, compressed air is often called the “fourth utility.” Like electricity, water, and gas, it’s essential for keeping production running. But unlike the others, compressed air is frequently misapplied, or wasted, making it one of the most expensive utilities in a plant.

The good news is that the right tools can dramatically improve compressed air efficiency. In many cases, they pay for themselves quickly through energy savings, reduced downtime, and improved productivity. That’s where EXAIR engineered compressed air products come in.

Let’s look at a few examples of air-powered tools that deliver measurable ROI.

Air Amplifiers: Move More Air with Less Energy

Moving large volumes of air is a common requirement in industrial environments—whether for ventilation, drying, cooling, or removing fumes. Traditional compressed air nozzles can consume a lot of air while producing relatively small airflow.

Model 120024 4″ Super Air Amplifiers are commonly used to exhaust welding smoke and fumes.

Air Amplifiers use the Coandă effect to entrain large volumes of surrounding air, dramatically increasing airflow while minimizing compressed air consumption. In many cases, they can increase airflow up to 25 times the supplied compressed air.

This means you can:

  • Move more air with less compressed air input
  • Reduce overall compressor load
  • Lower energy costs

For applications like ventilating enclosures, exhausting smoke or fumes, and cooling parts, air amplifiers can often replace inefficient open pipe blow offs or multiple air jets.

Super Air Knives: Efficient Blowoff for Drying and Cleaning

Blow off is one of the most common—and most wasteful—uses of compressed air. Many facilities still rely on drilled pipe or open copper tubing, which wastes enormous amounts of compressed air while generating excessive noise.

Super Air Knives create a laminar sheet of high-velocity air across the entire length of the knife. This provides powerful and uniform blow off while using significantly less compressed air than traditional methods.

Benefits include:

  • Reduced compressed air consumption
  • Uniform drying and cleaning
  • Low noise operation
  • No moving parts and minimal maintenance

Applications range from removing water after washing processes to blowing debris off conveyors, sheets, or molded parts.

Efficiency in compressed air usage isn’t just about saving energy—it’s about improving productivity, reliability, and process performance. When you replace inefficient air practices with engineered solutions, you often gain benefits across the entire operation.

If you’re looking to reduce compressed air waste or improve a blow off, cooling, or static problem, the right air tool may be a small investment with a big return.

And in many cases, it’s an investment that pays for itself.

Jordan Shouse, CCASS

Application Engineer / Sales Operations Engineer

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