Stop Waiting for Spring: Solve Low Humidity Static Problems Now w/ EXAIR’s Ion Air Cannon

Gen4 Ion Air Cannon

Winter’s arrival means a sharp drop in relative humidity, which directly translates to an uptick in static-related service calls. When the air gets dry, materials like paper, plastic, and textiles lose their natural ionic balance. Friction during the manufacturing process strips electrons from atoms, creating a static charge that wreaks havoc on your production line.

This isn’t just a minor annoyance. Static charges exert a physical force on nearby charged objects and grounded conductors, including your operators. You see the results in real-time: dust clinging to finished products, materials jamming in machine beds, or sheets sticking together during feeding. Our Gen4 Static Eliminators are engineered to solve these issues across a wide range of industries. To ensure they meet your facility’s safety requirements, these tools have undergone independent laboratory testing to certify they meet the rigorous standards for CE and UL marks in the USA, Canada, and the European Union.

One of the most effective tools in our lineup is the Gen4 Ion Air Cannon. It is designed to neutralize static charges at distances up to 15 feet without the need for moving parts. By utilizing an EXAIR 2-inch Super Air Amplifier, the unit maximizes ionized airflow while keeping compressed air consumption to a minimum. The performance is quantifiable: the Ion Air Cannon produces a concentrated, quiet stream of air capable of eliminating a 5kV charge in only 0.37 seconds.

Ion Air Cannon removes static during the car painting process to prevent dust clinging and other particulate that lead to imperfections.

The Ion Air Cannon also features a compact footprint that saves valuable bench space and allows for mounting in confined areas where larger ionizers won’t fit. Each unit comes with a pre-drilled swivel stand that allows you to precisely aim the airflow at your problem area. We see this product solve diverse application problems daily, such as removing static from motorcycle bodies before painting to prevent debris from ruining the finish, or static removal on PCB boards to protect sensitive components during assembly. It is also a staple in high-speed packaging environments, like disposable diaper manufacturing, where static can stop a line cold.

We keep a wide variety of static elimination products in stock and ready to ship. There is no reason to struggle through the winter waiting for humidity levels to rise in the spring. Get a Gen4 Static Eliminator on your line now and keep your operations running static-free for the rest of the year.

Tyler Daniel, CCASS

Application Engineer

E-mail: TylerDaniel@EXAIR.com

On Demand Ionization with the Gen4 Ion Air Jet

Static can be a big issue, whether it is shocking operators, causing jamming of machines, or collection of dirt and debris. This is especially true in the colder months. At EXAIR we have a wide range of Static Eliminators that can handle just about every static problem. However, sometimes the issue can be concentrated in smaller areas, and the solution needs to be more precise. For these types of situations, our Gen4 Ion Air Jet is perfect.

The Gen4 Ion Air Jet is a combination of our High Velocity Air Jet, and our Gen4 Ionizing Point. The Air Jet generates a high-speed air stream using a specially designed Coanda profile. This design creates a low pressure at the Air Jet’s entrance, allowing it to pull in surrounding air at a ratio of 5:1. As a result, the Air Jet operates efficiently, producing more ambient air in its output than compressed air. Additionally, thanks to the engineered design, they produce a smooth laminar air stream that can treat a surface up to 15 feet away.

Due to the laminar nature of the airflow, the ions generated by the Ionizing Point will be carried by the air stream all the way to the targeted area. When operated at a pressure of 80psig, the Ion Air Jet is capable of dissipating a 5kV charge in under 0.18 seconds. Although for more sensitive applications, the pressure can be regulated down to adjust the airflow from a blast to a breeze.

Ion Air Jet

In addition to being efficient in its use of compressed air, the Ion Air Jet boasts several other advantages. Due to the engineered design of the High Velocity Air Jet, and the laminar airflow produced, the Ion Air Jet is very quiet compared to other compressed air blow off options. At 82dBA (when operated at 80psig), the Ion Air Jet is well below OSHA’s allowable noise level. It also meets OSHA’s dead-end pressure requirements.

The Ionizing Point used in the Ion Air Jet takes advantage of a shockless design, so it is safe to handle while in operation. As it utilizes the corona discharge method, there are no radioactive materials needed to produce the static neutralizing ions.

In addition to our standard Ion Air Jet Kits, we also have systems that combine our Ion Air Jet with our Stay Set Hoses, making hands-free operation even easier. Whether you are looking for a new solution, or looking to upgrade an existing process, give us a call and see if our efficient, low-cost Ion Air Jets can help solve your static issues.

Al Wooffitt
Application Engineer

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Intellistat® Ion Air Gun™: Features and Benefits

A technician using the Intellistat Ion Air Gun in a controlled environment to eliminate static and particulates during sensitive processes.

The Gen4® Static Eliminators were designed for rugged areas to remove static in industrial environments.  EXAIR decided to take the next step in eliminating static in more “sensitive” areas, like labs, clean rooms, electronics, medical items, glass etc. In this blog, I will cover the features and benefits of the Intellistat Ion Air Gun.

The EXAIR Intellistat Ion Air Gun is a patented handheld air gun for static elimination in sterile environments and clean rooms.  We have earned an ISO 14644-1 Class 5 Clean room Rating, making it ideal for static elimination in clean rooms with delicate processes.  There are some processes that require certain cleanliness standards for operation, such as scientific research, solar panel manufacturing and biotechnology industries. This means that any tool or material that they use in this process has to meet a certain standard. EXAIR’s Intellistat was engineered to do just that.

The polycarbonate construction makes the unit very lightweight and ergonomically safe for extended periods of use without fatigue.  This lightweight tool provides rapid static decay with a simple squeeze of a short-throw trigger, reducing 5,000 volts to 500 volts in under one second.  It comes complete with a low voltage power supply and compressed air tubing.  The power supply is a 24Vdc output that connects to 110Vac or 220Vac primary voltage with universal plug-ins.  The 6mm tubing has a standard length of 3 meters with an option to go to 6 meters.  The Intellistat comes packed in its own box for fast delivery.     

IntelliStat Ion Air Gun 8500 with power supply, multiple plug adapters, and connection cable.

A feature that I really like is the red and green LED lights to signify ionized air production.  It gives feedback that ions are being created.  It has a voltage balance of +/- 30 volts, and the ion point is interchangeable.  It comes standard with a hangable hook for easy storage; and, for safety, we use an OSHA safe nozzle to provide low noise levels and remove dead-end pressure. 

Here are some benefits of the Intellistat.  They are useful in applications that require non-conductive materials such as circuit boards or electronic manufacturing.  They provide ionized airflow useful for removing dust, static, and particulate contaminants in sterile environments within clean rooms, laboratories, and scientific testing.  For certification, they are UL listed, CE and RoHS compliant; and it uses only 5.8 SCFM (164.2 SLPM) of compressed air at 80 PSIG (5.5 bar).    

Some applications would include precision parts assembly, printed circuit boards, preserving cleanliness in electronic manufacturing, removing debris from medical products, and neutralizing glass containers, slides and lenses.  The Intellistat Ion Air Gun is also a great tool for Quality Control to manually clean parts before checking. 

EXAIR continues to expand solutions for our customers.  If static removal is needed in “sensitive” types of areas, the Intellistat Ion Air Gun can be a solution for you.  EXAIR manufactures a large line of Static Eliminators.  From now until March 31st, 2026, EXAIR will be giving a free AC Sensor, a $77.50 value, as a promotional item with a qualified purchase of any Static Eliminator.  If you would like to discuss your application and potential static issues, you can contact an Application Engineer at EXAIR.  We will be happy to help.

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

Super Ion Air Knife Overview

A collection of industrial electronic components including a sensor, cables, mounting brackets, a pressure gauge, and a control box.
Gen4 Super Ion Air Knife Kit

Static electricity is a prevalent issue in various manufacturing settings, manifesting in several ways, such as shocking workers, causing materials to adhere, tear, or jam, and interfering with sensitive electronic devices. If you have experienced static problems in your workplace or home, you may have observed that these issues are more pronounced in colder, drier conditions. This phenomenon occurs because lower humidity levels reduce the amount of water vapor in the air, which is essential for dissipating electrical charges. Consequently, with diminished moisture, the potential for higher electrical charges increases.

Our Gen4 Super Ion Air Knives are a central element of this promotion, engineered to effectively remove static electricity from a variety of surfaces, such as plastics, webs, and sheet materials. By employing a laminar airflow, these air knives efficiently eliminate static, dust, and other contaminants from surfaces.

EXAIR Super Ion Air Knife

This cutting-edge technology not only accelerates production rates but also enhances product quality and guarantees exceptional surface cleanliness. The integration of these air knives into your processes can lead to significant improvements in operational efficiency.

The Gen4 Super Ion Air Knife effectively disperses static-eliminating ions over a distance of up to 20 feet, with adjustable airflow that ranges from a powerful blast to a gentle breeze. This device operates without shock and features no moving parts, ensuring reliability and ease of maintenance. It requires only 3.7 SCFM of compressed air per foot at a pressure of 5 PSIG, making it an efficient choice for various applications.

A Super Ion Air Knife used for static control in various applications, featuring a long, flat design with a control panel at the top and a book or printed material positioned in the front.
Available in lengths from 3″ to 108″, the Super Ion Air Knife dissipates even high static charges quickly.

In addition to its functional benefits, the Gen4 Super Ion Air Knife operates at a remarkably low sound level of 50 dBA, which is suitable for most environments. This combination of performance and quiet operation makes it an ideal solution for effectively managing static electricity in diverse settings.

If you have any questions about Gen4 Super Ion Air Knives, or anything regarding EXAIR and our products, please do not hesitate to reach out. We would love to hear from you!

Jason Kirby
Application Engineer
Email: jasonkirby@exair.com
Twitter: @EXAIR_jk