Tag: engineered air nozzles

How One Customer Improved Safety and Reduced Noise with a Simple Retrofit

Published on by Brian FarnoLeave a comment

I recently had the opportunity to help a customer facing some serious concerns about their compressed air usage. They had just completed a safety audit conducted by a third-party firm, and one of the main issues identified was the use of handheld blow guns throughout their production floor.

“Thumb guns” are especially popular for blowoff because of their compact size, ergonomic design. and low price.

Even though the tools in question were commercially available and marketed as having “safety tips,” the auditors recorded noise levels exceeding 90 dBA—well above the acceptable threshold. The audit team explained that to maintain a safe work environment, noise levels needed to stay below 84 dBA, and the simplest way to get there was to address the blow guns being used.

That’s when the customer turned to us for help.

We discussed the application in detail, and it quickly became clear that EXAIR’s Model 1100 Super Air Nozzle would be a great fit. Not only does it significantly reduce noise levels—down to 74 dBA—but it also meets OSHA’s 30 PSI dead-end pressure requirement, ensuring operator safety in the event of a blocked nozzle.

This customer wasn’t focused on maximizing air output or performance—they simply wanted to make their environment safer for their team. What made this installation even better was the unexpected benefit: while addressing the safety concerns, it also reduced compressed air consumption. A win-win.

It’s always rewarding when we can help customers meet compliance goals and improve safety, but it’s even better when we can go beyond their expectations and help them uncover savings they weren’t even looking for.

Free testing. Verifiable data. EXAIR Efficiency Lab.

If you’re dealing with high noise levels or safety compliance issues around your compressed air applications, don’t hesitate to reach out. Our team is ready to help you find a solution that protects our people, meets regulations, and improves overall efficiency through the EXAIR Efficiency Lab.

Brian Farno, MBA – CCASS Application Engineer

BrianFarno@EXAIR.com
@EXAIR_BF

Efficient Compressed Air System Design with EasyCAS – Powered by Direktin

Published on by Tyler DanielLeave a comment

When it comes to designing an efficient compressed air system, we all know the details matter. From nozzle selection and pipe sizing to pressure drops and force calculation, it’s easy for small oversights to add up to big inefficiencies. That’s why I’m excited to share some news that will help make designing with EXAIR products easier than ever.

EXAIR has officially partnered with DirektIn, the company behind EasyCAS, a powerful design and simulation tool built specifically for industrial compressed air systems. What does that mean for you? It means that many of your favorite EXAIR products: Super Air Knives, Safety Air Guns, Air Nozzles, Air Amplifiers, and more, are now available directly in the software’s component library.

EasyCAS is a comprehensive tool designed to empower engineers, facilities, and suppliers to design, size, simulate, and validate the design and efficiency of a compressed air system with data-driven guidance. Not only can it help you create and maintain a compressed air system from scratch, but uses data and monitoring to pinpoint areas of inefficiency and highlight solutions or products to address the problems. 

EasyCAS offers a great deal of other advantages as well, including:

  • Simulating pressure drops
  • Highlighting helpful components
  • Prevent downtime by identifying problems
  • Calculating air savings and carbon credits
  • Validate performance of your current system

and much more!

You can define line routing, pressure settings, and consumption points, then drop in components like EXAIR Super Air Knives or Nozzles and see how they affect overall system performance in real time.

One of the things I love most about EasyCAS is how intuitive it is. You don’t need to be a CAD expert or software engineer to use it! Just drag, drop, and adjust. Want to compare how much air a homemade drilled pipe uses versus a properly sized Super Air Knife? You can do that. Curious about how much pressure drop you’ll see if multiple Air Nozzles are fed from a single line? EasyCAS has you covered. It’s a great way to visualize pressure loss, flow distribution, and performance impact before anything ever gets installed.

EXAIR is proud to be the only supplier of engineered point-of-use compressed air products currently integrated into the EasyCAS library. That means if you’re designing with EXAIR, you’re designing with confidence.

Visit direktin.com to learn more and for a limited time, you can use code “EXAIR2025” to get 10% off a yearly subscription! EasyCAS could be the answer to revolutionizing your processes.

Tyler Daniel, CCASS

Application Engineer/Intl Trade

E-mail: TylerDaniel@EXAIR.com

X: @EXAIR_TD

Compressed Air Safety Dos and Don’ts

Published on by Russ BowmanLeave a comment

In the Navy, it was a universally accepted fact that NOTHING onboard the ship was “sailorproof.” Regardless of how it was designed, what it was made of, how many interlocks, mechanical stops, automatic shutoffs, etc., something had, any & all of those features could be overridden (by accident or on purpose) and cause a wide range of chaos, and/or damage, and/or injury. That’s why training and procedures are so important.

It’s the same in any civilian/corporate industry too – any device, tool, instrument, machinery, etc., can be inherently dangerous if it’s not used properly. And “used properly” for a LOT of those includes personal protective equipment, commonly known as PPE.

In the United States, the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) publishes a couple of standards relevant to the safe use of compressed air:

Standard 1910.242(b) applies to the use of compressed air for cleaning. It states “Compressed air shall not be used for cleaning purposes except where reduced to less than 30 p.s.i. and then only with effective chip guarding and personal protective equipment.”

  • Do wear eye protection, at a bare minimum, in regard to the personal protective equipment, no matter what. If the debris you’re blowing off is sharp or jagged, a full face shield & long sleeves are likely called for as well.
  • Don’t operate a blowoff device in a manner where the static pressure at the outlet of the nozzle will reach or exceed 30 p.s.i. If you’re using an engineered product like an EXAIR Super Air Nozzle, it’s perfectly fine to use a higher air supply pressure than that. They’re designed so that the outlet pressure won’t exceed 30 p.s.i. no matter what the supply pressure is.
EXAIR engineered Air Nozzles, like the Model 1100 Zinc Aluminum Super Air Nozzle shown here, discharge the compressed air flow through a series of holes, recessed between an array of fins. This means that there’s always a relief path for the airflow, so the outlet pressure cannot reach a dangerous level.

Standard 1910.95(a) isn’t exclusive to the use of compressed air, but since the discharge of a high pressure gas to atmospheric pressure can create quite a racket, noise levels associated with the use of compressed air often exceed exposure limits published in this standard.

  • Do protect your ears, same as you do your eyes. This one is near & dear to me, because my Dad lost a significant amount of his hearing in his early 40’s as a result of occupational noise exposure, and I saw first-hand what an impact that has on quality of life…for him, and frankly, for us too. There are a number of ways to do this, and the National Institute of Safety & Health (NIOSH) ranks them in order of effectiveness in their Hierarchy of Controls.
  • Don’t make earplugs, earmuffs, headphones, etc., the first and only line of defense. Don’t get me wrong; they work GREAT when the right ones are used properly…”right” and “properly” being the key words there.
  • So, DO make selection, training, and enforcement of their usage a high priority if the source of the noise cannot be:
    • Eliminated – this can be a toughie, because whatever’s making the noise is very likely there for a reason.
    • Substituted – this is a much more common, and still highly effective method, as engineered products like EXAIR manufactures can dramatically lower noise levels while maintaining the effectiveness of compressed air usage.
Examples of some sound levels we’re all familiar with, and how some EXAIR products compare favorably.

In closing, my last dos & don’ts are: Do heed OSHA’s safety standards, so you don’t get a hefty fine for endangering yourself or the folks you work with. Frankly, if they catch you before anyone gets hurt, you got off light. If you’d like to find out more about how EXAIR Intelligent Compressed Air Products can improve safety with your compressed air usage, give me a call.

Russ Bowman, CCASS

Application Engineer
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Using EXAIR Products for “The Old One-Two Punch”

Published on by Russ BowmanLeave a comment

In boxing, there are five basic punches, and they’re commonly called out by numbers so that trainers can instruct boxers rapidly during the development of fundamentals. It’s also useful for them in real live bouts, where overly complicated plans can lead to defeat….former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson famously said, “everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.” Those five basic punches are:

  • #1: The jab. Just like it sounds, this is a punch thrown directly forward with the lead hand. In many combinations, it’s the first punch thrown (that’s why it’s #1).
  • #2: The cross. This is a more powerful punch thrown with the back, or dominant, hand, and gets its power from the torque & rotation of the boxer’s body, when thrown correctly.
  • #3: The lead hook. This is an even more powerful punch than the cross. Its power comes not only from rotating the torso (like the cross) but also by pivoting on the lead foot to get the hip & shoulder involved. Because of the unbalanced and relatively unguarded position it leaves the boxer in, it’s riskier than a jab or cross, and oftentimes reserved for situations where the boxer sees an opportunity to score a knockout blow. If that plan doesn’t work, Mike Tyson’s famous quote above may very well come to fruition.
  • #4: The right uppercut. This is another devastating punch, thrown by the boxer’s dominant hand (assuming they’re right-handed) in an upward motion to contact the opponent’s head or body. If it connects to the chin or solar plexus, there’s a good chance the opponent will end up on the mat. It has to be thrown while the boxer is in close with the opponent, which gives the opponent the option to deal a devastating blow as well.
  • #5: The left uppercut. Same as above, but thrown with the boxer’s lead, or less dominant hand (again, assuming they’re right-handed.)

Because it generally leaves the boxer in a better defense position, the “one-two” combination is by far one of the most used moves in the ring. The term has even found its way into the popular vernacular, meaning two things that happen in rapid succession that lead to the desired outcome.

For the purposes of today’s blog (as the title suggests), I’m going to use it to describe an application where a customer uses two EXAIR products: a Model 1006SS Back Blow Air Nozzle, and a Model 6082 1″ Aluminum Line Vac in conjunction with each other.

This particular customer uses the Back Blow Air Nozzle to blow out the injector bore of an engine cylinder head assembly.

EXAIR manufactures three sizes of Back Blow Nozzles: our Model 1008SS Atto Back Blow Air Nozzle (left) is 0.2″ in diameter and can be used in 1/4″ to 1″ inside diameter holes, channels, etc. Model 11006SS 1/4 NPT Back Blow Air Nozzle (center) is good for 7/8″ to 4″ inside diameters, and Model 1008SS 1 NPT Back Blow Air Nozzle (right) is used for 2″ to 16″ inside diameters.

Thing is, they don’t want the debris flying all over the place. We considered a Chip Shield on the 1/4″ pipe extension that the Back Blow Air Nozzle was threaded onto, but since they insert it vertically from above, that could allow for debris to fall back down onto the assembly, and possibly right back into the injector bore, or one of the other openings on top. Instead, they opted for a Line Vac to vacuum the debris away as the Back Blow Air Nozzle blew it out of the hole.

While Line Vacs are primarily used to convey bulk material from one place to another (left), or to remove scrap trim (center), they’re also well suited for this application. Compressed air (1) enters the annular plenum (2) and is ejected at a high velocity through a ring of jets (3). This draws a vacuum on the inlet (4), creating a conveyance flow of air to carry whatever’s entrained in that flow through the outlet (5).

Engineered compressed air products have a multitude of advantages in applications like this. They’re durable & reliable. They have no moving parts to wear, or electrical components to burn out. They can operate continuously if needed, or they can be cycled on & off rapidly with no ill effects. If you’d like to find out how EXAIR Intelligent Compressed Air Products can help your operation, give me a call.

Russ Bowman, CCASS

Application Engineer
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