Tag: Line Vac

Custom Pneumatic Conveyors for Unique Applications

Published on by John BallLeave a comment

EXAIR’s Air Operated Conveyors, or Line Vacs™, provide an efficient method of converting ordinary pipe, hose, or tubes into powerful in-line conveyors.  To accommodate the wide variety of unique problems, EXAIR has the ability to customize and tailor-make Line Vacs with different specifications.  Certain processes may require customizations like unique sizes, shapes, and materials in order for the product to be a perfect fit for their system.  EXAIR will work in collaboration with our customer to fabricate the best possible Line Vac solution for easy and efficient conveyance.

I worked with a customer to design a special Line Vac.  They needed 3” ANSI 150# flanges on a 3” PVDF Line Vac.  So, we had a special material with special ends to fit their specific needs.  The PVDF with Hastelloy hardware was for chemical resistance, and the flanges would mount into their piping system.  As with many of our Line Vacs, we can turn a normal piping system into a conveyance system for waste, parts, evacuation, or bulk materials.  For this customer, they needed a backup system for a fume hood.  With electrical vacuums and blowers, loss of power or motor failures can cause a momentary lapse in fume removal.  Since the chemical material that was used in the hood was dangerous, they needed a reliable source to extract the fumes.  The Line Vac does not have any moving parts or require electricity.  Line Vacs only use compressed air or gas to make them operate.  For this customer, they attached nitrogen to the special Line Vac to operate when there was a power failure to protect the workers in the area. 

With the EXAIR design, we can alternate connection types.  For example, we can add a threaded end to connect to pipes on one side while having a slip-on end for hose connection.  In situations where the Line Vac requires a specific flange mounting option, EXAIR can accommodate.  EXAIR stocks 316SS Sanitary Flange Line Vacs, but we have done ANSI or DIN flanges as well.  For applications where stock aluminum, 303, or 316 stainless steel won’t work, alternate materials like PVDF, PVC, or PTFE can be utilized.  Even in extreme environments, EXAIR can produce both heavy duty and high-temperature iterations to handle even the toughest materials or conditions.  Other details, like particular hose sizes or pipe threading, can be specified to us.

Stock Line Vac models include standard, heavy duty, light duty, and sanitary flange.  All versions can be customized to meet customers specific needs.  All Line Vacs are CE-compliant and OSHA-safe.  For help solving any specific conveyance problems that you may have, please contact an Application Engineer at EXAIR.  We look forward to your challenge.    

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

Hot Off The Press (Release): EXAIR Catalog #35

Published on by Russ BowmanLeave a comment

If you’re a registered user on our website, you likely got word of this already through our August 15, 2023 Press Release. If not – or even if you did and want some more details – read on, and I’ll tell you all about it.

Like all of our previous catalogs, Catalog #35 provides specification, dimensional, and performance data on all of our stock products. Many of them include detailed descriptions of “textbook” applications for those products. You’ll also find:

  • Efficiency Lab (page 6): If you want a full performance report on a compressed air device you’re using right now, this is a free service we offer. Contact an Application Engineer and arrange to have it sent in. We’ll test it for compressed air consumption, force applied, and sound level, and send you a report on it. It’ll include, of course, the EXAIR engineered product(s) that we’ll recommend, along with performance data on them, as a comparison.
  • Our Six Steps (page 7): The first page of our Optimization section details the Six Steps To Optimizing Your Compressed Air System. It’s not necessary to follow them in order, and not all of them are applicable to every single compressed air system. But if you’re serious about reducing your compressed air costs, this is a comprehensive plan on how to do it for sure.
  • OSHA Maximum Allowable Noise Exposure table & typical Air Consumption values of common “homemade” blow offs (page 53): We put this here so you can turn the next few pages and see what a difference engineered products like EXAIR Super Air Nozzles can make.
  • Droplet Size data (page 98): Use this to determine the suitability of our Atomizing Spray Nozzles for liquid spraying applications.
  • Vortex Tube Specification and Performance tables (pages 201-202): If you know how much cold air flow you need, and at what temperature you need it, you can use these tables to determine which EXAIR Vortex Tube (or other Spot Cooling Product) to use.
  • Cabinet Cooler System Sizing Guide (page 220): Just fill in the blanks & send this in, and we’ll quickly & accurately calculate the heat load of your electrical/electronic enclosure, and specify the right Cabinet Cooler System for you.

Now, if you’ve ever had any of our previous catalogs, you might have noticed that those were already in there, and that’s all pretty great. What’s REALLY great about Catalog #35, though, is some of the new features:

  • Line Vac Conveyance Data (pages 176-177): While there’s WAY too many variables in bulk conveyance applications to accurately calculate conveyance rates. We’ve done some controlled, in-house testing with several different materials, several different Line Vacs, at several different lengths & heights, though, and we’re proud to publish that in the new catalog. This shouldn’t be considered a guarantee of performance, but if you’re wondering how much of a particular bulk material you can convey, this table will certainly get you in the right ballpark.
  • Best Practice for Using EXAIR Intelligent Compressed Air Products (pages 239-240): This information has always been in the Air Data files on our website, along with an ABUNDANCE of data that’ll help you get the most out of your compressed air system. Now, it’s at your fingers.

Of course, I’d be remiss if I wrote a whole blog on the new catalog without mentioning the new products:

  • Model 9207 Ultrasonic Leak Detector (pages 18-19): This serves the same function as the now-obsolete Model 9061, but with some handy upgrades like a LED display, a sleek new body, and high quality ear buds.
Use the Model 9207 Ultrasonic Leak Detector’s parabola to find the vicinity of the leak, and the tubular extension to identify its exact location.
  • 1/2 NPT HollowStream Cone Atomizing Nozzles (page 105): With five new distinct models at the high-flow end of our already comprehensive line of Liquid Atomizing Spray Nozzles, these provide up to 53 gallons per minute of liquid flow, and are capable of passing particulate up to 0.344″ in diameter.
The Hollow Cone spray pattern is ideal for cooling, cleaning, foam breaking, rinsing, and dust suppression. It also uses considerably less liquid than the OmniStream models, when higher flow rate isn’t necessary.
EXAIR’s ATEX Cabinet Cooler Systems provide heat protection for electrical enclosures in potentially explosive atmospheres, like those found on offshore drilling platforms, petrochemical plants, mines, flour mills, etc.

Like our previous catalogs, Catalog 35 is now available for download (in product line sections due to file size) from the PDF Library at EXAIR.com. You can also request a copy to be mailed to you, or you can contact an Application Engineer to have individual product line sections (again, because of file size) email to you right away.

As always, if you’d like to talk about how to get the most out of your compressed air system, our team of Application Engineers are here Monday to Friday, 7am to 4pm Eastern, to help with that. Give me a call.

Russ Bowman, CCASS

Application Engineer
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316SS Sanitary Flange Line Vacs™

Published on by John BallLeave a comment

The Sanitary Flange Line Vacs™ are an excellent way to convert pipe systems into conveying systems for moving “sensitive” materials.  This would include materials in the medical, food, and pharmaceutical industries that require frequent and mandatory washing.  The Sanitary Flange Line Vacs allow for easy disassembly and reassembly for hygienic and bacterial-free cleaning, as well as being made from 316L stainless steel for aggressive cleansers.  As a part of EXAIR history, this product line came from a frequent special that we produced specifically for a variety of customers.  And as a manufacturer, we decided to help other customers in this market by adding it to our product line in a variety of sizes.

Model 161200-316 – 316 Stainless Steel Sanitary Flange Line Vac

The Sanitary Flange Line Vac uses ISO 2852-compatible flanges on both the intake and outlet of the Line Vac.  EXAIR offers them in four different sizes, from 1 ½” (38mm) up to 3” (76mm) in stock.  The performance is the same as our standard Line Vacs, which move product without any moving parts or motors.  This provides a compact and easy-to-use design that will last for a long time.  We can upgrade the generator to a high-power version for increased conveyance rates as well as allowing for moving material over longer distances. 

I wrote a blog about a Line Vac application to remove bones from the surface of salmon fillets: “Let’s go fishing with EXAIR Sanitary Flange Line Vac”.  They had pipes and hoses fitted with sanitary flanges already installed.  Since this application was before EXAIR started manufacturing the Sanitary Flanged Line Vacs, this customer actually welded the flanges on to a 316SS Line Vac and attached it to their system.  With requests for opportunities similar to this, EXAIR was able to develop this new product line. 

If you need to move product where cleanliness is a requirement, the Sanitary Flange Line Vacs may work for your application.  They work great for transferring bulk materials within the food, medical, and pharmaceutical industries.  For U.S. and Canadian customers, EXAIR has a 30-day unconditional guarantee to try these out.  If you have any questions, a Application Engineer will be happy to assist you.   

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

Line Vac Promo: FREE Super Air Nozzle with the Purchase of an EXAIR Line Vac!

Published on by Tyler DanielLeave a comment

If you’re performing any type of manual transfer of raw material in your processes, it might be time to take a closer look at an EXAIR Line Vac. The Line Vac is designed as an ideal solution for the transfer of bulk materials from one point to another. The best part about the Line Vac is there’s absolutely no moving parts to wear out, no maintenance at all, and the flow of material can be fine-tuned by regulating the air pressure to the device just upstream.

The Line Vac is capable of moving large volumes of material over long distances with just a small amount of compressed air. The compressed air is injected through directed nozzles that produce a vacuum on one end and high-volume output flows on the other instantaneously. The Line Vac is offered in several different materials, sizes, and with a few different options for connection style.

Standard Line Vacs are offered with a smooth inlet/outlet designed to be used with any smooth-bore conveyance hose. Clear PVC hose in 10’ increments up to 50’ is available direct from stock for sizes 3/8”-3” ID. These Line Vacs are offered in aluminum sizes up to 5”, and in 303 and 316 stainless steel up to 3”.

If you’d rather use rigid pipe for the material conveyance, Threaded Line Vacs are also available directly from stock. With identical performance as the standard Line Vac, the Threaded Line Vacs are offered with NPT threads on both the inlet/outlet in sizes ranging from 3/8” NPT to 3” NPT in aluminum, 303, or 316 stainless steel.

Heavy Duty Line Vacs operate in the same manner as our standard or threaded units, but are constructed of a hardened alloy steel engineered for use with abrasive media. The Heavy Duty Line Vacs are offered with both smooth or threaded connection styles and also provide a boost in conveyance when compared with our other Line Vacs. The Heavy Duty Line Vacs are ideal for any media that is abrasive in nature or for applications requiring higher conveyance rates over longer distances.

For applications where you only need to convey small volumes over short distances or particularly lightweight materials, our Light Duty Line Vac would be an ideal solution. The Light Duty Line Vac is available in sizes ranging from ¾”-6” and consumes a bit less compressed air than the standard and heavy-duty versions. This style of Line Vac is only offered in aluminum construction and for use with smooth-bore hose.

Last, but certainly not least, is the Sanitary Flange Line Vac. The Sanitary Flange Line Vac is the best method for conveying materials in systems that require frequent or mandatory cleaning. Utilizing ISO 2852 compatible clamp-style sanitary flanges, they can be easily removed from the system for periodic sanitization. These are offered in sizes ranging from 1-1/2”-3” from stock and are ideal for applications in the food and pharmaceutical industries.

If there’s a process in your facility that could benefit from a product like the EXAIR Line Vac act fast! Now through October 31st you’ll receive a FREE 1122 2” Flat Super Air Nozzles with the purchase of any EXAIR Line Vac, Threaded Line Vac, Heavy Duty Line Vac, Sanitary Flange Line Vac, or Light Duty Line Vac.

Tyler Daniel, CCASS

Application Engineer

E-mail: TylerDaniel@EXAIR.com

Twitter: @EXAIR_TD