Tag: extension pipe

Exploring the Versatility of EXAIR’s Vac-u-Gun

Published on by Jordan T ShouseLeave a comment

In industrial settings, maintaining a clean, efficient, and safe workspace is a constant challenge. Whether it’s removing debris, transferring materials, or blowing off surfaces, the tools used need to be reliable, cost-effective, and adaptable. Enter EXAIR’s Vac-u-Gun—a compressed air-powered, multi-functional device designed to tackle a variety of industrial housekeeping tasks. In this blog, we’ll dive into the technical details of the Vac-u-Gun, how it operates, and the applications where it shines.

Constructed from durable die-cast aluminum, the Vac-u-Gun has no moving parts, ensuring minimal maintenance and a long operational life. Switching between vacuum and blow-off modes is simple—just unscrew the threaded cap, reverse the orientation of the internal generator, and reassemble. This versatility, combined with its ergonomic trigger operation, makes it an indispensable tool for industrial environments.

How Does It Work?

The Vac-u-Gun’s functionality hinges on its reversible generator:

  • Vacuum Mode: When configured for vacuuming, compressed air (typically 80-100 PSIG) flows into an annular plenum chamber and exits through directed nozzles, creating a low-pressure zone that draws in surrounding air and debris. The material is then directed into a reusable bag or hose for collection.
  • Blow-Off Mode: In blow-off mode, the generator is flipped, and the compressed air is expelled through a large 1-1/4″ (32 mm) diameter outlet, providing a powerful stream for cleaning or drying surfaces.
  • Transfer Mode: By attaching a smooth-bore vacuum hose, the Vac-u-Gun can move lightweight materials over short distances, making it ideal for material handling tasks.

Applications Best Suited for the Vac-u-Gun

The Vac-u-Gun’s adaptability makes it a go-to solution for a wide range of industrial tasks. Here are some of its standout applications:

  1. Small-Scale Debris Cleanup – The Vac-u-Gun excels at vacuuming up sawdust, shavings, chips, or spills in workshops and manufacturing facilities. For example, a woodworking shop can use the Collection System to quickly clean up sawdust from workbenches, capturing it in the reusable bag without spreading it around the floor.
  2. Surface Cleaning and Blow-Off – In blow-off mode, the Vac-u-Gun is perfect for drying or clearing dust and dirty surfaces like electrical panels or machinery parts. Its large-diameter output ensures rapid coverage, making it a time-saver in fast-paced production lines.
  3. Material Transfer – When paired with a vacuum hose (as in the Transfer System), the Vac-u-Gun can move lightweight materials like polystyrene pellets or plastic granules over short distances. A bean bag chair manufacturer, for instance, could use it to transfer filling material from a bag to the product, eliminating the mess and tedium of manual scooping.
  4. Specialized Cleaning with the Deep Hole Vac-u-Gun Variant – For applications requiring the removal of chips from drilled holes or grooves—like in automotive part machining—the Deep Hole Vac-u-Gun variant offers a targeted solution. A small blow tube dislodges debris while the suction tube vacuums it away, all while containing flying particles for operator safety.

EXAIR’s Vac-u-Gun is more than just a tool—it’s a problem-solver. Whether you’re cleaning up a mess, transferring materials, or clearing surfaces, its technical design delivers efficiency and reliability in a compact package. For industries looking to boost productivity while keeping costs and maintenance low, the Vac-u-Gun is a worthy investment.

If you’re curious about how the Vac-u-Gun can fit into your operations, reach out to an EXAIR Application Engineer. With same-day shipping on stock items (orders by 2:00 PM ET), you could have it in hand by tomorrow—ready to tackle your toughest housekeeping challenges.

Jordan Shouse
Application Engineer

Send me an Email
Find us on the Web 
Like us on Facebook
Twitter: @EXAIR_JS

Vac-u-Gun: Overview!

Published on by John BallLeave a comment

The Vac-U-Gun is capable of both vacuuming materials, as well as operating as a blow gun.  It has a unique design that has a reversible generator to allow modes to change simply and easily.  In this blog, I will go over the Vac-u-Gun and the packages that we offer. 

EXAIR’s Vac-U-Gun is a low-cost solution to a wide variety of smaller industrial housekeeping problems. The Vac-U-Gun is made from a durable die-cast construction and has no moving parts to replace or wear out. In addition to being easy to use, the Vac-U-Gun is also more efficient than the commonly found blowguns. By injecting a small amount of compressed air, a vacuum is then produced by a Venturi on one end and a high output flow on the other.  Switching from vacuum mode to blow-off mode can be achieved in just a matter of seconds. To change the direction of flow, simply remove the threaded cap at the end and change the orientation of the generator inside.

The Vac-U-Gun is available by itself, or as a system in one of three different kits. The model 6192 Collection System has the Vac-u-Gun, a reusable bag, a crevice tool, a brush tool, a skimmer tool, and two extension wands.  The model 6292 Transfer System has the items in model 6192 plus a 10-Foot (3 meter) vacuum hose.  Model 6392 All Purpose System has all the items in both systems. 

The extension wands are 19” (48 cm) long and can be used to help to reach the floor or into tough areas.  The tools and extensions are made from plastic to help clean electrical panels safely.  The vacuum hose can reach refuse containers to collect recyclable debris.  As a blow-off tool, the Vac-u-Gun uses very little compressed air and has an amplified output of 12 times that of the compressed air usage.  So, a large volume of air can help clean quickly. 

If you’re looking for a versatile gun that can help boost productivity in a number of applications within your facility, look no further than the Vac-U-Gun.  EXAIR offers a 30-day unconditional guarantee on our cataloged items to try.  You can see for yourself how effective the Vac-u-Gun systems are.  If you have any questions, an Application Engineer will be able to assist you. 

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

1004SS Back Blow Air Nozzle Clean Inside Small Diameters

Published on by John BallLeave a comment

Model: 1004SS

A metal fabricator made stainless steel tubes with a ½” (13mm) inner diameter.  Their process started by cutting the tubes into 8” (203mm) lengths.  The tubes would go through a wash system, then to a honing machine.   Once the inner diameter was honed to the specific diameter and concentricity, the tubes would be washed again for packaging.  The honing machine used oil to accurately grind the inner diameter.  Since oil and water does not mix, they had to dry the I.D. before honing.  They contacted EXAIR to see if we could find a solution.

Back Blow Air Nozzle Family

For cleaning the I.D. of parts, EXAIR manufactures three different sizes of Back Blow Air Nozzles that are designed to clean inside tubing, pipes, hoses, and channels.  They can range from internal diameters from ¼” (6.3mm) up to 16” (406mm).  The 360o rear airflow pattern can “wipe” the entire internal surface without contacting the surface to remove water, coolant, chips, and debris.  In reviewing the inner diameter above, I was able to recommend a model 1004SS Back Blow Air Nozzle.  This 316SS robust designed nozzle can fit inside and clean tubes with internal dimensions ranging from ¼” (6.3mm) to 1” (25mm); perfect for the ½” (13mm) diameter tube.

Model: 1604SS-12-CS

The customer indicated to me that there was a rush to start this project.  EXAIR stocks thousands of cataloged items for same day shipping.  He asked if EXAIR had any other components to help them to expedite their drying process.  Well, of course we do!  Since the tube was 8” (203mm) long, EXAIR has extension tubes that are used with our VariBlast Compact Back Blow Safety Air Gun.  We have them ranging from 6” (152mm) to 72” (1829mm) in incremental lengths.  For this customer, I recommended the 12” (305mm) extension to reach through the tube.  And, since it was a manual operation, I also recommended the model 9040 Foot Valve.

Model 9040 Foot Valve

Their operator could place the tube over the model 1004SS Back Blow Nozzle and with the Foot Valve, turn on the compressed air to dry the tubes.  With the powerful air stream, the entire internal surface was dry for the honing process to follow.

If you need to clean the inside of tubes, hoses, pipes, etc., EXAIR has the perfect nozzles for you, the Back Blow Air Nozzles.  EXAIR can attach these nozzles to our VariBlast Compact, Soft Grip and Heavy Duty Safety Air Guns for easy-to-use operations.  For this customer above, they were able to use components to get the operation running the next day.  If you need more information, you can share your application with an Application Engineer at EXAIR.  We will be happy to help.

John Ball
Application Engineer

Email: johnball@exair.com
Twitter: @EXAIR_jb

EXAIR Safety Air Gun Accessories Improve Effectiveness and Safety

Published on by John BallLeave a comment

Safety Air Gun with accessories

EXAIR offers 5 different styles of Safety Air Guns; Precision, VariBlast, Soft Grip, Heavy Duty and Super Blast.   You can read more about the different styles of Safety Air Guns from a previous EXAIR blog “Not All Compressed Air Guns Are The Same” written by Justin Nichol. I will be targeting the accessories that can enhance the features of the EXAIR Safety Air Guns. These additions will make the Safety Air Guns more dynamic without sacrificing safety, efficiency, or durability.

Precision Safety Air Gun with Chip Shield
eg. 1408SS-CS

Chip Shields:

OSHA 1910.242(b) requires chip guarding when compressed air is used for cleaning. EXAIR offers Chip Shields with our Safety Air Guns to meet this requirement. They are made from a polycarbonate disc which is practically unbreakable and protects the operator from any blow back of metal shavings or coolant. They come with a durable rubber grommet that squeezes onto the extensions and can be adjusted to maximize protection. We offer Chip Shields for the Precision, VariBlast, Soft Grip, and Heavy Duty Safety Air Guns with or without aluminum extensions.

Heavy Duty Safety Air Gun with extension.
eg. 1350-72

Extension Pipes:

For those far away targets and hard-to-reach areas, EXAIR offers aluminum extension pipes to attach to the Safety Air Guns. They can range from 6” (15 cm) to 72” (183 cm) in length. This light-weight and durable material allows for easy handling to reach high above your head or to span across unsafe areas. With the EXAIR air nozzles at the end, the blowing force is not sacrificed as the back pressure will generate a high velocity air stream. The aluminum extensions are offered with the Variblast, Soft Grip, and Heavy Duty Safety Air Guns. The Super Blast Safety Air Guns has the option for two different lengths of extensions, 3 feet (91cm) and 6 feet (183 cm).

Soft Grip Safety Air Gun with Stay Set Hose.
eg. 1210-6SSH

Stay Set Hose:

In certain situations, you may need a way to blow air around a corner or in a tight space. The Stay Set Hose gives you that possibility of manually adjusting or re-adjusting the nozzles to target the correct areas. The hose has a “memory” function, and it will not creep or droop until you physically move it again. They come in lengths from 6” (15cm) to 36” (91cm), and they are offered with the Soft Grip and the Heavy Duty Safety Air Guns.

Coiled Hose

Coiled Hoses:

To get the proper amount of compressed air from the piping system to the Safety Air Guns, EXAIR offers a series of Coiled Hoses. They are made of a durable abrasion-resistant nylon material that is 12 feet long (3.6 meters). They have swivel fittings to allow for easy uncoiling, and a spring strain relief to keep the hose from kinking at the ends. The coiled design makes it easy to reach around the work area and retract back to the substation. This will help to keep the hose off the ground where potential dangers could occur. We offer 3 different connection sizes of 1/8” NPT, ¼” NPT, and 3/8” NPT. They can be used with our Precision, VariBlast, Soft Grip, and Heavy Duty Safety Air Guns. With the proper size, the Coiled Hoses can connect easily to the Safety Air Guns and supply the required amount of air with a minimal amount of pressure drop.

Regulator and Filter

Filter Separators/Regulators:

To improve the use of the Safety Air Guns, EXAIR offers a series of filters and regulators. The filters will remove dirty particles and liquid water from the compressed air that can affect the performance of the Safety Air Gun as well as contaminate the surface that you are cleaning. The regulators can control the amount of air pressure used for the Safety Air Gun; making them even more efficient. The idea for compressed air savings is to use the least amount of compressed air to do the job. If you only need 40 PSIG (2.8 Bar) to blow off an area, then you can save almost 40% of your compressed air as compared to doing that same job at 80 PSIG (5.5 Bar). The combination of a filter and regulator will allow you to control the proper amount of clean dry air to be used.

 

All of our Safety Air Guns are fitted with our engineered Air Nozzles  which make them OSHA compliant for noise and dead-end pressure. With the accessories, you can optimize the use of the Safety Air Guns to better fit your application. If you need help in determine the correct Safety Air Guns and accessory items, you can contact an Application Engineer for help. If you are within the U.S. or Canada, you can take advantage of our 30-day unconditional guarantee to trial any of our stocked Safety Air Guns.

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