Tag: extruded shape

EXAIR Standard Air Wipe replaces a blower system to dry plastic pipes

Published on by John BallLeave a comment

A manufacturer of special pipes sent me a video of their operation.  After the pipes were extruded, they would run them through a wash system to cool and harden them.  After the wash system, they needed to remove the excess water from a 3” (76mm) diameter tube at a speed of 50 feet per minute (15 meters per minute).  They were using a blower system to blow the water off the pipe with a series of blower air knives.  The company was looking to increase the speed of the lines to be more productive and profitable.  As they did some trial runs, they were only getting around 75% dryness.  They needed a better way to get the pipes dry before ink printing.

This company makes plastic pipes ranging from 2” (51mm) to 8” (203mm) in diameter.  When they searched for pipe and tube blow-off devices, they came across EXAIR and our Air Wipe product line.  The design of the EXAIR Standard Air Wipe blows compressed air at a 30-degree angle toward the center in a 360-degree air pattern.  It uses a Coanda profile to maximize the entrainment of ambient air into the compressed air stream to produce a strong force.  As a non-contact wiping device, the Standard Air Wipe is very efficient and powerful. EXAIR also offers the Super Air Wipes for more stringent applications. You can read more about them here: What’s So Super About EXAIR’s Super Air Wipe?

Standard Air Wipe

For this application, I recommended the model 2484 4” Standard Air Wipe Kit.  This kit includes our Standard Air Wipe, a Filter Separator, a Regulator, and a Shim Set.  With a ½” or 13mm clearance, it gave ample room to allow the 3” (76mm) pipe to travel through without touching and to allow for ambient air to be entrained.  The Filter Separator will remove bulk liquids and debris from the compressed air to keep the unit performing optimally and to keep the pipe from getting dirty.  The Pressure Regulator is used to control the amount of force.  This helps to not overuse the amount of compressed air required for the cleaning.  With a Pressure Regulator, you can make fine adjustments to get the proper amount of force on your target, while the shims in the Shim Set will give you coarse adjustments.  With the Pressure Regulator and Shim Set together, you can “dial in” the correct amount of force required for the different speeds.  The Standard Air Wipe Kits will give you the most versatility in your system to optimize the 360-degree blow-off.

As the customer removed the original blower unit and attached the Standard Air Wipe to their compressed air system, they noticed some great things.  The speed of production was increased by about 10%, which matched the maximum speed of the machine.  The water removal from the surface was nearly 100%.  They also noticed that the Standard Air Wipe was much quieter – near 82 dBA at 80 PSIG (5.5 bar).  The nearby operators were very happy with this choice, as the blower-type system was very loud.  And, with no moving parts, the Air Wipe did not need the same maintenance requirements as the blower system did, and it used a much smaller footprint.  Also, we use a split design to mount the Standard Air Wipe around the outside of the pipe without cutting into the extruded lengths.

Here are some comparisons with the EXAIR Standard Air Wipes to a blower-type system. 

  1. Cost:
    1. Blower System: Blower-type air knives are expensive to set up.  They require a blower, knives, and large (3″ – 4″ diameter) ducting.  To have any flexibility, a control panel will be needed with a VFD to control the speed of the blower.
    1. Standard Air Wipe: It is a fraction of the cost.  With their system, we were roughly 1/10 the cost, even with the kit.  No capital expense report would be needed.    
  2. Installation:
    1. Blower System: The customer stated that it took them a week to install the entire system before they were able to operate.  They had to run electrical wires, controls, and ducting, and they even had to change their system design to accommodate the blower size. 
    1. Standard Air Wipe: They mounted the filter and the regulator on the conveyor and ran tubing to the Standard Air Wipe.  Even with a fabricator making a bracket to fit the Standard Air Wipe around the pipe, they had the system up and running in less than two hours.    
  3. Size:
    1. Blower System: The footprint of the blower is large, and it takes up floor space.  The 3” ducting had to be run to an oversized air knife.  With the congestion in the area, it was difficult to optimize the position and the blowing angle to adequately dry the pipes.      
    1. Standard Air Wipe: With its compact design, the Super Air Knife packs a large force in a small package.  It has a small footprint that fits around the pipe.  It only required a ¼” NPT compressed air line to supply the compressed air.  It opened up the floor space as well as the general area. 
  4. Maintenance:
    1. Blower System: The blower filter had to be changed regularly, and the system had to be checked for preventative maintenance.  Being that the blower motor is a mechanical device, the bearings will wear, and the motor will fail over time.  These items need to be checked quarterly as a PM, which increases the cost of running the system.    
    1. Standard Air Wipe: No moving parts to wear out.  The only maintenance would be to change the filter once a year. 
  5. Versatility:
    1. Blower System: They did have a VFD to control the blowing force.  But it was still very limited.  With the increase in pipe speed, it was beyond the maximum capacity of the blower. 
    1. Standard Air Wipe: With a regulator and the shim set, the blowing force can be controlled easily, from a breeze to a blast.  With their application, the customer only required 40 psig with a standard 0.002” shim to clean and dry the pipes.  They had the option to adjust the regulator or change the shim to get the appropriate amount of blowing force with the different line speeds. 
  6. Quiet:
    1. Blower System: With the blower and turbulent air flow, the units are very loud.  It had a sound level near 93 dBA, and with the operators working around the system, they needed PPE for hearing. 
    1. Standard Air Wipe: These units are very quiet.  As mentioned above, the decibel level is only 82 dBA at 80 PSIG (5.5 bar).  At 40 PSIG (2.8 bar), the sound level is much lower. This was very nice for the operators to work around as it wasn’t a constant noise nuisance, and it was below the OSHA limit for PPE. 

With the creation of the EXAIR Standard Air Wipes, uniform cleaning, cooling, and blowing around the outside of parts is a simple task.  You don’t have to worry about too many nozzles to target the circumference or fabricated blow-off air knives that will waste time and money.  At EXAIR, we offer a 30-day unconditional guarantee for U.S. and Canadian customers.  This customer used the 30-day trial to try the Standard Air Wipe.  After the testing, they purchased the model 2491 11” Standard Air Wipe Kit for their largest pipe.  You can order them from our website at http://www.EXAIR.com or call us at 800-903-9247.  If you need help selecting the proper size for your application, you can contact an Application Engineer at EXAIR for help.

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

EXAIR Super Air Wipes: Conical Blow-off for Cable, Pipe, Hose, Extrusions

Published on by John BallLeave a comment

EXAIR manufactures two types of Air Wipes; the Standard Air Wipe™ and the Super Air Wipe™.  They are designed to blow an airstream in a concentric pattern around the outside of pipes, cables, extruded shapes, hoses and much more.  In this blog, I will focus on the features and benefits of the Super Air Wipes.  Their unique design, variety of sizes, and construction definitely makes this product “Super”.

The Super Air Wipes are used to blow-off, cool, clean and dry products.  The air is blown in a conical 360o pattern completely around the outside of parts.  EXAIR engineered a Coanda profile to entrain large amounts of ambient air.  This will increase efficiency by using less compressed air and still generate a large force to perform the task.  The Coanda profile is set at a 30o angle to increase the contact area and keep debris away from the portion of the product that has already been cleaned.

Simply open the two halves, and clamp them around your product…no threading!

The construction of the Super Air Wipes is also unique.  It has a split design to allow for an opening to place around the part; so, you will not have to break or rethread the material.  They also use stainless-steel screws and stainless-steel shims.  For diameters up to 4” (102mm), they will come with a braided stainless-steel hose to supply compressed air to both halves.  The stainless-steel components give the units better corrosion resistance, higher temperature ratings, and more durability.

EXAIR manufactures the Super Air Wipes with two different body materials, aluminum and 303 stainless steel.  EXAIR stocks the aluminum models with inner diameters from 3/8” (10 mm) for wire and cables up to 11” (279mm) for large pipes and hoses.  The aluminum models have a temperature range good to 400oF (204oC).  We also stock the stainless-steel models from ½” (13mm) to 4” (102mm) inner diameters, and they have a temperature range up to 800oF (427oC).  If you require different diameters or materials, don’t be afraid to ask.  EXAIR also makes specials.

Super Air Wipe Kit

We also offer options with the Super Air Wipes.  We have kits to help get the most out of the Air Wipes.  A kit will include the Super Air Wipe, a filter, a regulator and a shim set.  The filter will remove bulk liquids and debris from the compressed air to keep the performance optimal.  The Regulator is used to control the force.  This helps to not over-use the amount of compressed air required for the job.  With a regulator, you can make fine adjustments to get the proper amount of air.  For coarse adjustments, you can add shims to increase the air flow and force.  They are easy to install on the Super Air Wipes to allow for applications to have more cooling, faster drying, and better removal for tough debris.  For cleanliness and control, the Super Air Wipe Kits would be recommended for your application.

Here are some additional advantages in using the EXAIR Super Air Wipes that I did not cover.  They are OSHA safe in dead-end pressure and noise exposure.  So, they are quiet.  We placed pre-tapped holes on each half of the bodies for easy mounting with brackets or attachments.  They do not have any moving parts or require any electricity to operate.  The non-contact wiping actions that the Super Air Wipe can provide helps to support cleaning items without affecting the surface finish.  Also, you won’t have to worry about replacing cloths or brushes that will slow production and wear over time.

With the creation of the EXAIR Super Air Wipes, uniform cleaning, cooling, and blowing around the outside of parts is a simple task.  You don’t have to worry about a variety of nozzles to target the circumference, or a fabricated blow-off device that will waste air and take much time out of your day.  A simple purchase of the Super Air Wipe is all you need.  You can order them from our website at www.EXAIR.com or call us at 800-903-9247.  If you need help in selecting the proper product for your application, you can contact an Application Engineer at EXAIR for help.

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

The Case For The EXAIR Super Air Wipe

Published on by Russ BowmanLeave a comment

If you’ve ever used an air gun to blow something off, you’re familiar with the cleaning ability of compressed air.  If you can get the whole object blown off from where you’re standing, there really is no substitute…but what if you need to get to the other side…or sides?

Even if your product is not on fire, you probably wouldn’t want to “limbo” under it with an air gun…

This is where the EXAIR Super Air Wipe comes in…they allow you to blow a continuous, uniform 360° air stream, all around your product.  Consider their benefits:

*Sizes: the Super Air Wipe’s compact ring design means it won’t take up a lot of room; you just need a few inches, in any direction, to install one.  We stock them in eleven sizes, from 11″, all the way down to our brand-new 3/8″ diameter.

*Durability:  All EXAIR Super Air Wipes are assembled with stainless steel shims and hardware.  Models up to 4″ come with a rugged, stainless steel wire braided hose, connecting the two halves for compressed air supply.

The aluminum Super Air Wipe is available in 11 sizes; the stainless steel Super Air Wipe comes in 5 sizes…all from stock.

*Ease of installation:  Smaller sizes can be supported by the compressed air supply line, if a pipe is used and threaded into the connector hose’s 1/4 NPT port.  Larger sizes can likewise be adequately supported with pipe to both halves. All models have a bolt circle of 1/4″-20 tapped holes for more permanent and rigid mounting.  The split ring design is another key feature:

Simply open the two halves, and clamp them around your product…no threading!

*Corrosion resistance: Depending on the environment in which the Super Air Wipe will be installed, we offer them with aluminum (3/8″ – 11″ sizes) or stainless steel (3/8″ – 4″ sizes) bodies.

*Temperature rating: Aluminum Super Air Wipes are good to 400°F (204°C) and stainless steel models are good to 800°F (427°C.)

*Range of operation: We install a 0.002″ thick shim in all stock Super Air Wipes; this is suitable for a wide range of typical industrial/commercial blow off applications…a Pressure Regulator can then be used to “dial in” the air flow precisely to meet specific needs.  If a job calls for higher force & flow, additional 0.002″ shims can be installed.  Shim Sets come with the Super Air Wipe Kits, or individual shims can be ordered separately.

*Performance: Before the Super Air Wipe, a ring of nozzles was commonly used.  In fact, they still are, but we’re trying to fix that, at every opportunity we come across.  Problem with those is, it’s hard to get an even air flow all around, which leads to inconsistent blow off.  They can also be loud & inefficient, as we’ve found in numerous Efficiency Lab tests and Case Studies, like this one…

These wasteful and loud modular plastic tube blow offs…

…were replaced with EXAIR Super Air Wipes. 24 such replacements netted the customer an annual compressed air cost savings of over $13,000.00.

…and this one…

Implementing a Super Air Wipe salvaged a $30,000 job for this customer. Click on the picture to read all about it in our Case Study Library (registration required.)

Do you have a challenging blow off application that you need help with?  Call us to find out how an EXAIR Super Air Wipe (or another one of our Intelligent Compressed Air Products) can be a simple, quick & easy solution.