Tag: evacuation

Necessity Is The Mother of Invention

Published on by Brian FarnoLeave a comment

Necessity is the mother of invention, or something like that. My garage is riddled with “tools” that have come from necessity at any specific point in time.

Things like a socket that has been ground down around the outer wall to fit into a space that was too tight for anything else. Maybe it is a combination line wrench that has been torch-heated and bent to go around another hard line. Eventually, it will need to be reheated and bent back to near straight. I even have some special ground screwdrivers and punches that have been used on various projects. At the moment, I can’t remember whether one was for installing a retaining ring in a master cylinder on a brake system or for removing a key from a shaft. The unique purpose eventually fades from memory after you do it so many times.

The one that I have used most recently is a mason jar that has some fittings attached to the lid and has some tubing coiled up inside. If you have ever worked on car or motorcycle brakes with me, then there is a very good chance we have used this tool at some point.

This tool started as it was purchased, with a hand pump and a small fluid container. After starting at EXAIR and bleeding several motorcycle brake systems, I recognized the need for something easier and less back-and-forth than the hand pump. So I placed a small E-Vac onto the system instead of the hand pump. I blogged about this back in April 2010. That was one of my first blogs here at EXAIR as an Application and ever for that matter. After the addition of the E-Vac, and working on some larger systems, I realized the small container was not sufficient and needed to be emptied too frequently. I needed a chamber that would handle vacuum and not degrade with brake fluid exposure. I just happened to have been canning some tomatoes and saw an extra mason jar sitting there. A couple of fittings later and I now have a 1-qt capacity pneumatic brake bleeder system.

Fast-forward to last week, and I was using the same mason jar vacuum system to draw all the power steering fluid out of two vehicles and perform a fluid change on them. This system has been loaned out to many of my friends over the past decade and always comes back to sit on the shelf until it is needed again. I may even be using it this weekend to help with a new clutch install with a friend.

At EXAIR we have a fairly extensive listing of products available in stock configurations. However, we also love to talk about how we can modify them to suit special circumstances. Please let us know if you want to discuss how we can help you create a purpose-built system or tool to suit your needs.

    

Brian Farno, MBA – CCASS
National Business Development Manager

BrianFarno@EXAIR.com
@EXAIR_BF

Super Air Amplifier Increases Airflow In Vaccum Hood For Fume Extraction

Published on by exaircorpLeave a comment

A couple days ago I  took a call from an extrusion company who was looking to increase the airflow in their plating operation. They manufacture several different shapes and styles of aluminum extrusions by the way of 8 large extrusion presses. On one of the presses they make a specialty line of products that are sent to a finishing operation to be anodized.

Above the anodizing process tanks they use a vacuum hood to capture fumes and send them to a scrubber system so the air can be cleaned before being exhausted. They were starting to see an increase in the level of VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) gases in the area and, after some internal testing, determined the existing system wasn’t moving enough air through the system for the gases to be adequately delivered to the scrubber tank.

Example of a scrubber system

After further discussion, the customer ordered our Model # 120022 2″ Super Air Amplifier to test under our Unconditional 30 Day Guarantee.  Air Amplifiers are one of the most efficient products in the EXAIR catalog. Using a patented internal shim, they use a small amount of compressed air that passes through an internal chamber where it is exhausted through a thin gap at high velocity. This directed airflow creates a lower pressure at the intake side which draws in a large amount of free air. The 2 combining air flows result in a large volume of “amplified”, high velocity exhausting airflow, making them ideal for increased air movement.

Air Amplifiers entrain enormous amounts of “free” air, at ratios of up to 25:1!

If you have an application where you need to increase airflow or if you’re looking to vent or exhaust noxious fumes, an Air Amplifier is the ideal choice. For help selecting the best Model or to discuss a particular process, please contact an application engineer for assistance.

Justin Nicholl
Application Engineer
justinnicholl@exair.com
@EXAIR_JN

 

Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant Agent Processing Building courtesy of PEO ACWA via creative common license.

 

High Vacuum (Non-porous) and Low Vacuum (Porous) E-Vacs: Vacuum Generator Overview

Published on by John BallLeave a comment

In-Line E-Vac

With the amount of energy in compressed air, EXAIR can manipulate it by design for a variety of applications. One way that we can do this is by creating a vacuum pressure by the Venturi effect. By increasing the velocity of air through a constricted area, a low pressure, or vacuum, is created. Unlike a mechanical vacuum pump, the E-Vac does not have any moving parts or motors to wear. This maintenance free device uses only compressed air to generate a powerful vacuum pressure in a very compact and lightweight design. They can create vacuum levels up to 27” Hg (91 kPa) where complete vacuum is at 29.92” Hg (101.4 kPa). With our single stage systems, we can generate different vacuum levels and flows to create the optimal vacuum generation for your application.

Have you ever placed your hand over the hose of a vacuum? You can feel the maximum amount of vacuum pressure on your hand. The maximum vacuum pressure value is only at the condition of zero air flow. When you remove your hand from the hose, you change the vacuum pressure to a much lower value, but now you have the maximum amount of air flow. Like the E-Vacs, EXAIR has designed the product to either give you the maximum vacuum pressure or the maximum vacuum air flow. EXAIR separates these two vacuum generators as High Vacuum and Low Vacuum.

The high vacuum style is designed for non-porous products like glass, marble, and steel sheets. The low vacuum style is for porous products like cardboard, fabric, and plywood. Both types of vacuum generators are commonly used to pick and place parts, open bags, evacuate molds, and vacuum forming. They are easily adjusted by a regulator and a solenoid valve making the E-Vac very versatile. Even with no moving parts, these vacuum generators are quick to respond with very long cycle rates. The inline design makes them easy to install, so, you can begin using this vacuum product without much setup time. With the single stage design, it eliminates any vacuum fluctuation. I will go through both types of E-Vacs to explain the advantages in using these kinds of vacuum generators for different applications.

The High Vacuum Generator is used for non-porous products in pick and place applications as well as vacuum forming, clamping, and evacuation. This type of generator can create a vacuum pressure up to 27” Hg (91 kPa). In conjunction with the EXAIR vacuum cups, it allows for maximum holding capacity for heavy materials. We offer 7 different sizes ranging from 2 SCFM (65 SLPM) to 31 SCFM (872 SLPM) at 80 PSIG (5.5 Bar). They can be matched to the size and quantity of vacuum cups for increased efficiency as well as for improved cycle rates. If the surface of a rigid sheet is smooth or the application requires a high vacuum pressure, the High Vacuum E-Vac Generator would be the best product to use.

The Low Vacuum Generator is used for porous products as well as more delicate surfaces. This generator has a maximum vacuum pressure of 21” Hg (71 kPa). The design is such to allow for maximum air flow to make up any losses through the material or sealing area. With a regulator, you can control the maximum vacuum level to eliminate dimpling or disfiguring of the surface. Even with fabrics and rough surfaces, the Low Vacuum Generator can still pick up and hold the material. We offer 7 different sizes ranging from 1.5 SCFM (42.5 SLPM) to 17 SCFM (476 SLPM) at 80 PSIG (5.5 Bar). They can also be matched to the size and quantity of vacuum cups as well as to overcome any leakage. If the surface of the product being moved is rough or the surface is very delicate, the Low Vacuum E-Vac Generator would be the best product to use.

EXAIR created a video to show the difference between the E-Vacs as well as a demonstration.

Click Video

For experimentation with the E-Vacs and the vacuum cups, EXAIR offers kits for both types of generators. The standard kit includes four pairs of vacuum cups (matched to the size of the E-Vac), 10 feet (3 m) of poly line, and an assortment of fittings. For the Deluxe kit, it will include the same items in the standard kit, plus an automatic drain filter and a regulator. The E-Vacs are made of a durable 6061 aluminum, but if a different material is required for your application, EXAIR can review this request.

The EXAIR E-Vac offers an efficient, simple, and maintenance free solution to create vacuum. Whether lifting product horizontally or vertically, opening bags, aligning sheets or leak checking, the E-Vac ensures a flexible and reliable way to continuously keep your operation moving. As compared to an electric vacuum pump, these vacuum generators are much smaller, less expensive and much quieter. If you need help in sizing and selecting the correct model, you can contact an Application Engineer at EXAIR.

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

Custom, Flanged Air Amplifier Solves a Fume Evacuation Problem

Published on by Brian FarnoLeave a comment

We blog about this topic quite a bit, and almost every section of our catalog has a page set aside just for special / custom product configurations that have been created by request from many of our customers.

This is the latest and greatest special that I have seen roll through the production area here at EXAIR.   This is a special 4″ 303 Stainless Steel Adjustable Air Amplifier with a 4″ Tri-Clamp flange on the discharge side and a 6″ Tri-Clamp flange on the suction side of the amplifier.

 

This had been an ongoing project with the customer that started with them testing a stock Adjustable Air Amplifier in the application to ensure that the performance would meet their needs.  The application was to boost a low flowing fume exhaust that was causing slow downs in their production line.  Fans and other traditional methods would require maintenance and would wear out.  The stock Adj. Air Amplifiers exceeded their performance needs but did not easily mount into their duct work because they used all standard size tri-clamp fitting in the ducting, so the next step was to see if we could manufacture a Special Adjustable Air Amplifier just for their needs.  The dimensions of the existing Adjustable Air Amplifier came close enough we were able to easily create a Flanged Adjsutable Air Amplifier that would clamp straight into their existing duct work, exceed their performance expectations, help their process, and be ready to ship within a very reasonable lead time.

Like we have said before, if a stock, cataloged, product doesn’t fit your application exactly, contact us and let us find a way to customize and fit the need.

Brian Farno
Application Engineer Manager
BrianFarno@EXAIR.com
@EXAIR_BF