Tag: FAQ

EXAIR: The Definition of Versatility

Published on by Russ BowmanLeave a comment

I’ve said before that one of the reasons I like this job is that I never know what the next technical assistance request is going to be. Yesterday was no exception, but curiously, the “great unknown” was a “remarkable similarity”: I got two calls, in a row, from customers who wanted to discuss E-Vac Vacuum Generators: Both had a pick-and-place application involving lightweight blister packaged commercial goods, and both expressed concern about getting enough vacuum to pick up the package by the irregularly shaped plastic blister, but not getting enough to deform the thin plastic. Both had even picked Vacuum Cups (they were different cups, so I knew the second caller wasn’t just duplicating the first’s efforts; they were indeed from different companies.)

While discussing the respective applications, we (go figure) even came up with the same size E-Vac. THAT’S where it – finally – got interesting. The first caller wanted to install the E-Vac directly to the suction cup, and his machinery could support the E-Vac independently. This made the In-Line E-Vac the obvious choice.

The second caller, however, wanted to mount the E-Vac to his framework, and run a hose to the vacuum cup. The Modular E-Vacs’ block design and series of mounting holes was ideally suited here.

Normally, when I think of versatility in a particular product line, I think of the variety of applications where we see a product used. Yesterday, I got a great new illustration of versatility. This is why we offer the In-Line, Modular (and while we’re on the subject, the Adjustable) E-Vac’s. A quick look through our catalog shows that we don’t really have a “one trick pony:”

*Super, Standard, and Full Flow Air Knives, available in a variety of materials.

*Aluminum, Stainless Steel, and Heavy Duty Line Vac’s come with smooth bores or threaded inlet/outlet, in sizes from 3/8” to 5”. And our Light Duty Line Vac is even available in a 6” size.

*Super Air Amplifiers come in sizes from ¾” to 8”, and Adjustable Air Amplifiers can be made of Aluminum or Stainless Steel.

*The Atto Super Air Nozzle uses just 2.5 SCFM and is popular for blowing dust from circuit boards. Our Large Super Air Nozzles generate up to 23 pounds of force, and can blow slag and chips from a 20 foot long pipe. And we’ve got 17 sizes/models in between.

Whatever your compressed air application is, I bet we have a product that will work for you, in stock, and available for immediate shipment. Try us.

Russ Bowman
Application Engineer
EXAIR Corporation
(513)671-3322 local
(800)923-9247 toll free
(513)671-3363 fax
Web: http://www.exair.com
Blog: http://blog.exair.com/
Twitter: twitter.com/exair_rb
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/exair

Have You Ever Had a Bad Hookup?

Published on by Brian FarnoLeave a comment

Now that I have your attention I can assure you I am only going to talk about compressed air.  At a compressed air seminar I attended yesterday, I saw many images of poorly connected air lines and fittings. The majority of the cases I saw all boiled down to one common denominator.  See if you can find anything wrong with the pictures below and then we’ll get into it.

The first picture shows the easy way to hook up a regulator and make it easy to take apart.   The issue is the quick disconnects may make it easy to hook something up or take the regulator out for maintenance but you are also restricting your flow considerably.  If you were to hook a Soft Grip Safety Air Gun up at the end of the line you would be limiting the amount of air you can flow to the gun before it even gets to the regulator.   The correct way to plumb this system would be to have a larger supply line and then have the regulator as close to the point of use as possible.  Also if you are setting all the regulators throughout your facility to the same point, i.e. 80 PSIG, then why pay to generate more at the source.  Reduce your compressor output to 80-90 PSIG.

The second picture has a lot going on and again the main problem here is all the leech hoses from the manifold are the same size, if not bigger than the supply line.  Not to mention the line that goes from one port on the manifold back to another port on it.  This means as soon as you turn on one leg of that manifold you might be at the capacity for that line and starving other processes.

The answer isn’t installing more compressors, the answer is to utilize the compressed air wisely making sure your system is plumbed properly.   We preach it every day here and can’t stress it enough.  If you have questions about your compressed air application or how to approach it, don’t hesitate to contact us.

Enjoy the weekend everybody!

Brian Farno
Application Engineer
BrianFarno@EXAIR.com
@EXAIR_BF

A Tale Of Two Days

Published on by Russ BowmanLeave a comment

Not too long ago, I was talking to someone who was having a bad day. It was a Tuesday, and he remarked, “It’s my second Monday of the week.” After our conversation, I got to thinking about that comment. I’m not ashamed to admit that I’m a bit of an optimist, and a bit more than that of a devil’s advocate. This comment engaged me on both…allowing me to simultaneously see the bright side, and flippantly contradict my friend’s opinion. Some say my friends need better friends…

Anyway, my contention was this: if Tuesday can be someone’s “second Monday” (traditionally the least popular day of the week), then couldn’t Monday be “the first Friday of my week?” Let’s face it; not all Mondays are bad: my youngest son was born on a Monday, so that was a good day. Conversely, my Mom passed away on a Friday. ‘nuff said.

I don’t want to disparage Friday afternoon at all…it’s certainly a popular time of a popular day; when a lot of us tend to feel like this:

So, if Monday is indeed the first Friday of my week, then I can feel like this every day, right? See; it really is all about how you look at things. Which presents another question about point-of-view: Are you glad that the workday is over, or that your free time has started? I feel blessed that I can say it’s the latter…I really like my job. And what’s not to like? I’m writing this at work, which means I just got paid to watch a Flintstones cartoon. And if you’re reading this at work, so did you.

I had the pleasure to assist a new customer with a performance issue they were having with a PVDF Super Air Knife yesterday.  It was a critical application, and time was of the essence.  AND, it was getting late in the day.  I enlisted the help of both our Design Engineer and Production Manager to get the answers that my customer needed, and, at the end of the day (literally), everything worked out fine.

The thing that stuck out in my mind about the whole evolution was that my customer was genuinely excited about learning how to do this. In spite of an impending deadline which could have meant lost production, he chose to look at the situation from the “solution” instead of the “problem” angle.

We don’t get to choose the situations we’re presented with, but we always have the choice in how we conduct our response. Negatively or positively, solution or problem, “Monday” or “Friday,” our actions may be the same, but our attitudes can make all the difference in the world as to how we feel about it when the task is done. Are you slinking out the door, or are you sliding down the dinosaur tail?  In closing, I leave you with “Yabba Dabba Doo,” my friends.

Russ Bowman
Application Engineer
EXAIR Corporation
(513)671-3322 local
(800)923-9247 toll free
(513)671-3363 fax
Web: http://www.exair.com
Blog: http://blog.exair.com/
Twitter: twitter.com/exair_rb
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/exair

Video Blog: Introducing the EXAIR Mobile website.

Published on by Brian FarnoLeave a comment

That’s right folks, we’ve done it again.  We have launched our mobile platform for our website.   The video below is just a brief overview of what can be found on our new mobile site, m.EXAIR.com.  It’s not the same as our full site and is the perfect tool for when you are away from your desk, on the shop floor or even on site with a customer trying to figure out how to save compressed air.   If you have any questions feel free to contact us.

Brian Farno
Application Engineer
BrianFarno@EXAIR.com
@EXAIR_BF