Tag: environmental

Environmental Impacts: Be Efficient. 

Published on by John BallLeave a comment

Since the establishment of EXAIR in 1983, customer satisfaction has always been the cornerstone of our business model.   This may seem like common practice, but here at EXAIR, we like to go the extra mile.  We have over a 99.9% on-time delivery with thousands of products in stock.  We offer free expert technical help from our Application Engineers, as well as within EXAIR Blog writings and application search library.  We have an Efficiency Lab to report on comparison results with safety and compressed air saving.  We also offer a 30-day unconditional guarantee on our cataloged products for you to try.   So, what more can EXAIR do for you?

Compressors use large amounts of electricity to produce compressed air and are considered the fourth utility in most manufacturing plants.  EXAIR manufactures engineered products that can save compressed air and increase energy savings.  With that, EXAIR was able to partner with Energy Star.  “Energy Star is a government-backed symbol of energy efficiency, helping to save money and to protect the environment through energy-efficient products and practices.” This commitment by EXAIR to reducing energy, increasing safety for workers, and protecting the environment for future generations are effective ways to sustain a business value.

When large amounts of energy can be saved, electricity-producing companies take notice.  Electrical suppliers started a rebate program for using engineered nozzles in their facilities.  Similar to other energy-saving rebates, like LED light bulbs and high-efficiency furnaces, the EXAIR engineered nozzles now fall into that same category.  If your electrical provider supports this program, the total cost to purchase and implement the EXAIR Super Air Nozzles is greatly reduced.  Even if a rebate program has not yet been implemented in your area, the idea of saving energy makes it very practical and environmentally sound.

The NC Clean Energy Technology Center created a website to consolidate all the electrical companies that offer rebates for efficient products and programs.  The website is www.dsireusa.org.  “DSIRE is the most comprehensive source of information on incentives and policies that support renewable and energy efficiency in the United States.”  EXAIR engineered products fall into this category, so if a rebate can be applied to our products, it will be located on that site.

Another energy-saving tip from Energy Star refers to waste from leaks.  They recommend a leak prevention program to help improve energy savings.  As part of that program, EXAIR does offer an Ultrasonic Leak Detector.  To tell a common success story about the Ultrasonic Leak Detector, an EXAIR customer had a 50-horsepower air compressor.  It started to overwork, overheat, and occasionally shut down.  They thought that they would need to buy a larger air compressor to keep the plant running.  In discussing that a company without a leak prevention program could have as much as 30% waste, they decided to purchase an Ultrasonic Leak Detector.  They checked every fitting and connection in the facility.  When they finished checking the compressed air system, they found a total of 91 leaks.  Not only did this save on energy waste, but it also saved money by fixing the leaks and not expanding the capital expenses in the company.

With EXAIR being backed by Energy Star, EPA, and rebate programs, together, we can save energy, improve the environment, and reduce compressed air usage.  If you would like to discuss how EXAIR can work for you, you can contact an EXAIR Application Engineer.

John Ball
Application Engineer
Email: johnball@exair.com
Twitter: @EXAIR_jb

Photo: Lightbulb by TheDigitalArtist.  Pixabay Content License

EXAIR Leads the Industry in Standards Compliance and Regulations

Published on by Tyler DanielLeave a comment

EXAIR prides itself on offering products with high-performance and peak efficiency. All EXAIR products are manufactured to meet the strict requirements of a variety of different standards, ensuring that you receive a reliable, high quality product that WILL perform to the specifications we publish.

Safety is a top priority for most companies, EXAIR’s line of Intelligent Compressed Air Products meet or exceed the strict safety standards set forth by both OSHA and the European Union. EXAIR products comply with OSHA 29 CFR 1910.242(b), the standard implemented to ensure safe operation of compressed air blowoff devices, and the EU General Product Safety Directive (2001/95/EC).

Additionally, they comply with the noise limitation requirements set forth under 29 CFR 1910.95(a) and the EU Machinery Directive (2006/42/EC). From the Optimization product line, EXAIR’s Electronic Flow Control and the Electronic Temperature Control meet the low voltage standards of the EU Low Voltage Directive (2006/95/EC). A CE label is placed on all products that comply with applicable directives.

UL

UL, or Underwriters Laboratories, is a third-party safety and consulting organization that certifies products after thorough testing and evaluation. EXAIR’s Cabinet Coolers are UL Listed to US and Canadian safety standards. Static Eliminators are also UL Component Recognized. Within our line of Cabinet Coolers is the Hazardous Location Cabinet Cooler and ATEX Cabinet Cooler, bearing the Classified UL mark for use in classified areas, and ATEX Zones 2 and 22.

In the assembly of electrical products there can be hazardous materials used during production. The Restriction of Hazardous Substances, also known as RoHS or (2002/95/EC), restricts the use of materials such as: lead (Pb), mercury (Hg), cadmium (Cd), hexavalent chromium (CrVI), Polybrominated biphenyls (PBB), Polybrominated diphenyl Ethers (PBDE), and four different phthalates. The electrical portions of EXAIR’s Static Eliminators, Electronic Flow Control, Electronic Temperature Control, Digital Flowmeter, solenoid valves, and thermostats all comply with the amendment outlined in the European Commission decision L 214/65.

In addition to RoHS, EXAIR is also committed to providing products that are conflict-mineral free. In support of Section 1502 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer protection Act, EXAIR complies with the conflict minerals rule to curb illicit trade of tin, tantalum, tungsten and gold in the DRC region. Using the CMRT 4.20 template, we’re able to document our supply chain to ensure our materials are not being sourced from places that could finance conflict in the DRC and surrounding countries.

Finally, per Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 Title I, Article 3, paragraph 3, the European Union enacted legislation requiring substances and chemicals imported into the EU to be registered to ensure a high level of protection for human health and the environment. Per Title II, Article 7, paragraph 1, articles must be registered when a substance is intended to be released during normal conditions of use that would exceed 1 metric ton per producer per year. Since EXAIR products do not contain substances that are intentionally released, registration is not required.

If you’re looking to maintain compliance in your industry, EXAIR products have you covered. If you have any questions about these standards of compliance, feel free to reach out to us. Our team of Application Engineers who have years of experience in the industry are waiting to take your call.

Tyler Daniel, CCASS

Application Engineer

E-mail: TylerDaniel@EXAIR.com

Twitter: @EXAIR_TD

Three Ways Your Company is Wasting Money on Compressed Air

Published on by Dave WoernerLeave a comment

Compressed air is an expensive utility for most industrial applications.  The cost of generating a 1,000 Standard Cubic Feet is $0.25.  A typical 25 HP screw compressor will generate 52.5 million cubic feet per year. To generate 52.5 million cubic feet will cost $13,140 in electricity costs. Running this compressor more than necessary will lead to higher maintenance costs and higher electricity costs. Also, decreasing your compressor load will delay or avoid a capital expenditure, as your plant expands and production grows.  Anything you can do today to limit wasted compressed air will pay for years to come.  Here are 3 ways you are currently wasting compressed air.

ONE> Open Ended Blow Offs – The benefits of eliminating open ended blow offs in your plant are numerous and drastic. Saving air by outfitting open ended blow offs with an engineered solution (EXAIR air nozzle, air knife, air amplifier) is a significant portion of compressed air conservation. It is an easy install and can save a great deal of compressed air.  The situation always starts innocent enough: Five years ago Company X installed a new production line, but found that they needed a compressed air blow off to move, clean, dry or cool a part.  The blow off may not have been planned in the original specification, or the engineering company that specified the line did not take into account the compressed air cost of the line. The maintenance department is under pressure from the management to get the line running, and an open pipe works to get the line running. Since the compressed air already existed in the plant, it is free, cheap, or easy … for them. But what will it cost your company?

A Super Air Nozzle will use 14 standard cubic feet per minute (SCFM) at 80 PSIG of inlet pressure. A 1/4″ inside diameter 18″ long tube will use 50.5 SCFM. Now the compressor system in your facility is working harder by 36.5 SCFM.  This means your next compressor will be 10 HP larger than it needs to be to keep up with excessive demand. In addition, 36.5 SCFM running 24 hours a day is 52,560 Standard Cubic Feet, which costs $13.14 to generate.  Over a year that is $3,285, because the knowledge and time to install an engineered compressed air nozzle does not always present itself. Just imagine the cost, if you have 5 open blow offs, or 50?

Open blow offs can also violate OSHA requirements for using compressed air for cleaning, when pressurized above 30 PSIG. Not to mention they generally are louder than 90 dBA, which is the maximum allowable noise exposure without hearing protection under OSHA standard 29 CFR – 1910.95 (a). A nozzle is a simple way to avoid a OSHA fine. If the money didn’t convince you to use an engineered nozzle, the cost to your employees health and hearing should.

TWO> Leaky Distribution System – Second, we come to the most simplistic way of wasting compressed air: Leaky pipes. It seems impossible that the small air leaks that occur in almost any compressed air system would amount to a large cost that would be significant in any way, but as we discuss here. It can happen to the best of us. It is estimated that over 30% of compressed air generated is lost to leaks in a compressed air system, before it is used at its intended point.  Do not let this happen in your facility.  Have an auditor come into your facility to check your system, or conduct your own air leak survey using our Ultrasonic Leak Detector.

THREE> Leaving Compressed Air on All the Time – Lets say that your part only crosses in front of the blow off every 15 seconds, and the part takes 5 seconds to cross in front of the that blow off.  That means that there are ten seconds in every cycle where compressed air is wasted. Let’s continue our example of the 1/4″ inner diameter copper tube that is 18″ long above.  How much are those 10 seconds costing you? 10 seconds times 4 cycles per minute is 40 seconds of wasted air every minute. In 40 seconds 24.3 SCFM air is wasted. 24.3 SCFM of wasted air will cost $2,187 per year with a 24 hour work day and 250 working days in a year.

Even after lowering your total consumption by installing an engineered air nozzle on your open blow off, there is more opportunity to reduce compressed air. If you have Super Air Nozzle already installed and have realized some very good air savings, you can still turn off your compressed air flow for 10 seconds every cycle in our example. In the case of the Super Air Nozzle that will be 9.33 SCFM, which will still cost $837 per year. If you are looking for an easy way to turn your air on and off only as needed during your process, the EXAIR Electronic Flow Control is a great system to further fine tune your compressed air use. To do your own calculation, EXAIR’s Air Savings calculator is a great tool for calculating the cost of compressed air.

Most of these items require some type of expenditure to complete, but paying for a nozzle, an air survey or a control system will lower your compressor load everyday you work. EXAIR’s Application Engineers are available everyday to access your compressed air systems. We would be happy to help you determine the ROI for any compressed air system upgrade. You can read about our success stories on our website at Case Studies (we do ask you to register before viewing our case study successes).

Dave Woerner
Application Engineer
Davewoerner@EXAIR.com
@EXAIR_DW

Super Air Knives Used To Deflect Fumes and Smoke from Furnace

Published on by Neal Raker1 Comment

One of our overseas distributors had an interesting application in a foundry. Their customer has a large furnace that opens at various times for a variety of reasons. When the furnace doors open, smoke and fumes come rolling out of the furnace. The customer has a large vent hood type system to aid in removal of these fumes and smoke. Unfortunately the vent does not capture all the smoke when released. So, the customer devised a plan to mount (4) model 110042SS 42” Stainless Steel Super Air knives onto large masts to get them up high enough to create a “ceiling” of air that would deflect the smoke into the vent hood for removal. Following are a couple of photos of the set up.

SAK2 sak1

Below is a photo of the control cabinet housing the filter and regulator equipment.

SAK3

Previously, the customer had nothing in place to assist the vent hood. Now they do and are quite happy with the result.  There were some small system adjustments that needed to be made, but once fully operational, the Super Air Knifes performed well to help reduce the overall pollution seen within the area.

Neal Raker, Application Engineer
nealraker@exair.com