Tag: lifting

EXAIR’s Turboblast Safety Air Gun – As Powerful as Olympic Weightlifters?

Published on by Tyler DanielLeave a comment

As a competitive powerlifter, I’m always excited to watch Weightlifting during the Summer Olympics. While the lifts themselves differ from power lifting competitions, it never ceases to amaze me how powerful some of the lifters are. Regardless of which style of lifting you participate in, one thing always rings true – consistency is key! That’s why here at EXAIR we’re committed to providing high-quality products that are shipped from stock the sameday. If there’s one thing you know you can always count on with EXAIR, it’s consistency. In every year of my tenure here (over 14 years), we’ve achieved a 99.8% or better on-time shipping rate, with the lone exception being during the COVID pandemic in 2020.

Olympic weightlifters aren’t the only ones generating power this week. EXAIR’s Turboblast Safety Air Guns are helping customers in facilities all over the world handle tough applications. When power is of the utmost concern regarding a blowoff, the Turboblast Safety Air Gun is the ideal fit – offering up to 23lbs of force with our largest nozzle.

See for yourself on video as the gun easily blows a large adjustable crescent wrench across the shop floor with ease:

Each Turboblast gun is also available with an optional adjustable gate valve. If the application requires a bit more “fine-tuning” than just a standard on/off, the adjustable gate valve can allow the operator to make finite adjustments on-the-fly without having to adjust the air pressure supplied upstream.

Now through the end of September, we’re running our Safety Air Gun Promotion. Order any Turboblast (or other air gun) and receive a free 1” Flat Super Air Nozzle. Get in touch with an Application Engineer today to discuss how we can help improve the efficiency in your blowoff processes.

Tyler Daniel, CCASS

Application Engineer

E-mail: TylerDaniel@EXAIR.com

X: @EXAIR_TD

Image courtesy of TheDigitalArtist via Pixabay Creative Commons License

I Pick Things Up & I Put Them Down

Published on by Brian FarnoLeave a comment

This past weekend in Columbus, OH was a sporting event hosted by Arnold Schwarzenegger.  This event has many aspects of it and this past weekend was the first year where spectators were not permitted due to the COVID-19 risks and scares.  The caterer for the event had already prepped all of the food to prepare for thousands of people so instead of donating locally, they connected with head chefs in Nashville, TN to create a “tailgate extravaganza” to try and lift the community up after the recent tornado and storms ravaged the area and demolished homes as well as communities.  The Arnold still happened, with participants only, they were all, “Picking Things Up and Putting Them Down.”

Arnold Sport’s World Record Lift

Seeing these giant athletes perform deadlifts always reminds me of the EXAIR Adjustable E-Vacs and how they are used frequently to pick things up and put them down.  When determining the correct Adjustable E-Vac I always like to start with the shape, weight, and surface of the part.  This is how I determine which vacuum cup can be utilized.  The good news is as a customer, the choice doesn’t have to be made alone, that is why the Application Engineering team is here, we’ll help you determine which vacuum cup will suit the given application.

These are all examples of how an E-Vac pick-and-place system is just a solenoid valve away from automation.

Some of the factors we use to determine the suction cup is listed out below.

Is the lift going to be a vertical cup lift or a horizontal cup lift?  This means is the face of the cup vertical, picking up a box from the ground by the sides, or is it going to be horizontal where the face of the cup sits horizontally over the part.

For a vertical cup face, if lifting the part up vertically then a bellows cup will not be suitable and something with a cleat will be needed due to the rigidity of the cup to help keep the cup and part stable.  The bellows may collapse due to the weight of the product, where the cleats will interface with the part and create a solid connection to aid in the lift.

For a horizontal cup face, if lifting the part up vertically then a bellows cup would work ideal in the event the surface is uneven.  Maybe one end is slightly taller, in this scenario, a bellows cup would help the cups to all seal to the surface and still be able to pick up the item.  These cups are also thinner to help adapt to an irregular surface on the part or to help keep suction if the part deforms upon being picked up. The bellows is not recommended for rather heavy objects as the bellows may collapse under extensive load and cause the cup to lose suction.

Talking about the weight of the item, this also becomes a major factor as each cup has a maximum lifting weight and that is determined by the surface area of the cup as well as whether it has cleats, bellows, or just a plain cup.  Our goal when sizing the cups to the parts is to ensure they are going to engage the surface in a solid secure manner that makes the lifting rig safe and stable to use.

For example, take a look at this solar lens manufacturer who utilizes many EXAIR products in this pick and place operation.

If you would like to discuss your Adjustable E-Vac, Vacuum Cup, or heavy lifting, please contact me.

Brian Farno
Application Engineer
@EXAIR_BF
BrianFarno@EXAIR.com

 

The 2020 ASF Media Room – Arnold Sports Festival, 2020 – https://www.arnoldsportsfestival.com/visitor-info/media/