Tag: high pressure nozzle

What’s So Great About EXAIR Air Jets?

Published on by Russ BowmanLeave a comment

For over 40 years now, EXAIR has been making engineered Air Nozzles and Air Jets for a wide range of industrial and commercial applications. Basically, if you need to blow air onto, into, towards, or through something, we’ve got something for that.

Our Super Air Nozzles seem to “get all the press” (based on an unscientific survey of the EXAIR Blog), and maybe they should, with their ease of installation onto the end of a pipe or tube that someone who’s never thought about the cost of compressed air has been using as a cheap to make but expensive to operate blowoff.

Compression fittings and Model 1100 Super Air Nozzles transformed the part ejection from “loud and wasteful” to “quiet and efficient.”

Like our engineered Super Air Nozzles, our Air Jet products use the Coanda effect to entrain enormous amounts of free air from the surrounding environment. While the Super Air Nozzles do this via an array of small holes recessed between a series of fins, the Air Jet uses an internal annular ring nozzle to draw the free air through its throat. There are a number of applications where either a Super Air Nozzle or an Air Jet can be used efficiently, safely, and quietly. Some jobs, however, benefit from the specific design of one or the other. Since this is an Air Jets blog, I’m going to focus on them:

  • Powerful, directed air stream. This makes EXAIR Air Jets ideal for part ejection, chip removal, and part drying.
Model 6013 Brass High Velocity Air Jet (left) blows rinse water off beverage cans on a high speed conveyor. An array of Model 6013SS SS High Velocity Air Jets (right) dries a finned component after washing.
  • Reliable and efficient blowoff. With no moving parts, as long as you supply them with clean compressed air, they’ll operate darn near indefinitely, maintenance free. And they’ll use a LOT less of that compressed air than similarly sized open-ended blowoff devices too, thanks to engineering:
Compressed air enters through the 1/8 MNPT fitting and discharges into the throat via an annular ring gap, where the Coanda profile of the plug directs the air towards the jet outlet (1). This primary, high velocity flow pulls in air from the entrainment plenum (2), creating a total developed flow up to 25 times the compressed air flow (3).
  • Safe to use. EXAIR Air Jets, like the rest of our Intelligent Compressed Air Products, are compliant with OSHA Standard 1910.242(b) which limits the downstream pressure at the nozzle or opening of a compressed air device used for cleaning purposes to 30psi. If you cover the entire outlet opening, the air simply flows out the entrainment plenum.
  • Remote positioning. Since both the inlet and outlet can be ducted, you can fit a 1″ ID hose over the entrainment plenum and run the other end to the location where you want to draw airflow from. This is beneficial if, for example, you want to position the Air Jet in a contaminated area, but want to eliminate any of that contamination from the Air Jet’s developed airflow. You can also fit a 1/2″ ID hose over the outlet to direct the airflow elsewhere.
  • Adjustability. For the Adjustable Air Jet, it’s right there in the name: the Plug can be threaded into, or out of, the body to reduce, or increase the annular ring nozzle’s gap, and hence, the airflow and force applied. There’s a micrometer gap indicator so you can set – and reset – the performance to different levels, as required. The High Velocity Air Jet’s annular ring nozzle gap is fixed with a shim (they come with a 0.015″ thick shim installed) but Shim Sets, containing one each of a 0.006″ and 0.009″ thick shim, can be used to make gross adjustments to the airflow and force applied. You can regulate the air supply pressure to either the Adjustable or High Velocity Air Jets to very precisely “dial in” the performance.
A 0.006″ or 0.009″ thick shim from the 6313 Air Jet Shim Set (top left) can be installed in a High Velocity Air Jet (bottom left) to put the Air Jet in a whole new performance band. You can do this to an Adjustable Air Jet (right) by turning the knurled ring on the plug to set (and reset) the air gap and hence the performance.
  • Materials of construction. Both the Adjustable and High Velocity Air Jets come in brass for general purpose applications, or 303SS for use in areas with high heat or corrosive elements in the environment.
The brass Air Jets (top) are rated for installation in areas with ambient temperatures up to 275°F, while the 303SS models (bottom) are good to 400°F.

If you’d like to find out more about EXAIR Air Jets, or how any of our Intelligent Compressed Air Products can help you get the most out of your compressed air system, give me a call.

Russ Bowman, CCASS

Application Engineer
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5S + Constant Evolution = 6S

Published on by Brian FarnoLeave a comment
A sticker on my dad’s old lunch box. I still use the lunchbox today. He worked for a steel mill in maintenance for more than 35 years. This was from one of their many safety program pushes.

6S is a standard in many facilities. This standard spawns from the Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma standards of 5S. Of course, it adds one more characteristic to it: the sixth S, Safety. Back in 2006, I achieved a Green Belt in Six Sigma and Safety was mentioned a good amount as a driver for several of the processes. The fact Safety was not one of the fives shows two things, I’m getting older and getting closer to that age where I have been out of school longer than I was in; and Safety is and should be a top priority, maybe it always should have been.

In case you have never been introduced to Lean Manufacturing or Six Sigma, this principle focuses on a single piece flow and optimizing a work process to minimize the amount of time it takes. This increases efficiency in the manufacturing process and ultimately puts money back into the bottom line of the business.

The first S is Sort, you should remove anything that is not needed for the production process, this could be additional tooling or resources that are not needed for the specific work station or task. This prevents any kind of clutter or confusion on what is needed.

The second S is Set In Order, just like the photo above, every tool and bin should have it’s place at the work station. This helps operators find what they need when they need it. The outlines also give a visual indicator to any tool or device that may be missing and or in use. Again, it helps with the operators time efficiency and reduces risk of leaving a tool in a process.

Third is SHINE, every aspect of a work area should be cleaned up, sometimes this needs to be done throughout the shift and other times just at the end of the shift to put everything back in place and prepare for the next operator or day. When I worked in retail I would hear managers tell people, “You have time to lean, you have time to clean.” and while it isn’t the best approach, it is a true statement. This does contribute to keeping production running at high efficiency, being able to spot leaks or wear issues on equipment that aren’t caked in chips, grease, and used fluids. It can also aid with safety by preventing slips or falls from a leak or debris building up from a process.

Fourth, Standardize, this means all work areas should look the same, maybe not the exact same tools, or process, but any operator should be able to walk into a work station, read the documentation, and be able to function sufficiently. This also helps to keep the old ways of tribal knowledge from happening which will prevent changes and adjustments from not being documented and will help to reduce learning curves when changes happen.

Fifth, Sustain, this is one of the hardest. This means the standards that have been set in place are kept. Repetition is key in a scenario where 5S or 6S are being implemented and even where they have been set in place for a while. Revisiting the standards and ensuring they are aligned to production and operator needs is always good.

A Safety Sticker from my dad’s 1988 lunchbox that I still use to this day. They were running safety programs before it was cool.

Sixth, Safety, this should always be at the forefront of any process. Being able to keep operators safe during a work day is always a high priority and one of the many ways to do that is to use the other five Ss to make sure that they can efficiently and safely work throughout their day.

Whether it is replacing open pipe blowoffs with engineered nozzles, cross drilled blowguns with Safety Air Guns, installing Line Vacs to help evacuate trim or debris, Super Air Amplifiers to cool down a part before it is being handled. I’ve even helped customers with custom length air hoses to ensure their operators can’t reach the air hose into a process too far in order to ensure operator safety. EXAIR is always focused on safety and ensuring our products help increase process efficiency. If you want to see how we can help you and your team, contact an Application Engineer today.

Brian Farno, MBA – CCASS Application Engineer

BrianFarno@EXAIR.com
@EXAIR_BF

EXAIR Safety Air Gun Promotion is Here!

Published on by Al WooffittLeave a comment

Through the months of August and September, EXAIR is running our Safety Air Gun Promotion. End-users throughout the United States and Canada will receive a free Model 1126, 1″ Flat Super Air Nozzle when they purchase a Safety Air Gun direct through us. This includes our VariBlast Precision, VariBlast Compact, Soft Grip, Heavy Duty, and TurboBlast Safety Air Guns.

For in depth information about our line of Safety Air Guns and this promotion, head on over to EXAIR.com to learn more. But for a brief summary of our Safety Air Guns, stick around in this blog!

All of our Safety Air Guns are durable and comfortable to use. Every model is designed to use an engineered Air Nozzle that will entrain large volumes of air, enabling them to be quiet and efficient. This allows them to be OSHA compliant to OSHA standard 1910.242 (b); the airflow cannot be blocked or dead ended.

Our VariBlast Precision Safety Air Gun is extremely lightweight and the most comfortable to operate during long periods of extended use. It features a variable trigger valve which produces varying force levels depending on how much the trigger is activated. The small diameter nozzle and extension will fit into tight spaces while providing a strong blowing force.

The VariBlast Compact Safety Air Gun is a uniquely powerful gun which produces variable force depending on trigger activation. This cast aluminum gun is equipped with any of our 1/8 NPT engineered air nozzles. The VariBlast Compact Safety Air Gun is small, comfortable and powerful while remaining light and ergonomic. It has two inlets for flexible air supply options and a large loop at the top for hanging when not in use.

The Soft Grip Safety Air Gun has a durable cast aluminum body suitable for rugged industrial use. The large trigger makes for easy operation and a convenient hook at the top allows the gun to be easily stored. Chip Shields for worker safety and extensions for hard to reach areas are available, up to 72” long.

The Heavy Duty style of safety air gun is powerful with a durable aluminum cast body and ergonomic composite rubber grip, best suited for rugged industrial environments. Hours of fatigue-free operation are possible. The 3/8 NPT inlet also allows for greater compressed air flow, resulting in higher force and flow than other air guns.

Features & benefits of the new TurboBlast Safety Air Gun

Finally, our TurboBlast Safety Air Gun is designed for extended use without fatigue during the most demanding applications, which require a huge amount of force to solve. These air guns produce up to 23 pounds of force onto a target! The rugged cast aluminum handle is covered with a soft, durable elastomer grip. The low profile trigger button will disengage if released. 3′ and 6′ extensions are available.

If you would like to take advantage of this promotion, or if you would like to discuss any other point-of-use compressed air application, give us a call!

Al Wooffitt
Application Engineer

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Mag Bases and Stay Set Hoses

Published on by Al WooffittLeave a comment

When considering your blowoff solution, the angle at which you direct the airflow is very important. This is often found through testing and trying. Once you have found the sweet spot for your engineered, compressed air nozzle, you want to be sure that it won’t move. This is where our Stay Set Hoses and Mag Bases come in.

Flexible and durable, EXAIR Stay Set Hoses come in lengths from 6″ to 36″.


Our Stay Set Hoses have a memory function, so they won’t creep or droop until you physically move them. They are perfect for directing the air flow in a particular direction, or at a specific target. Just be sure you are adjusting them properly to keep them operating for years to come. The Stay Set Hoses come in lengths from 6″ (15cm) to 36″ (91cm), and they have threaded connections with either 1/4″ NPT male on both ends or with a 1/8″ NPT female X 1/4″ NPT male thread. The hoses are made from reinforced synthetic rubber and have a maximum pressure rating of 250 PSIG, and can withstand temperatures of up to 158°F (70°C).

Our Mag Bases can quickly be mounted to any solid steel surface. With 100lb (45.5kg) of pulling force, they will keep your blowoff device firmly in place, whether mounted horizontally, or vertically. They can also be easily moved when a different position is needed. With three different options; a 1-outlet, 2-outlet and a 1-outlet swivel. The 1/4 turn shut off valve allows for easy control to ensure you’re not wasting compressed air when it’s not needed.

If you have a blowoff application that you would like to discuss, don’t hesitate to give us a call. We’d love to discuss the best solution for you!

Al Wooffitt
Application Engineer

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