Tag: Line Vac

Videos for Everyone!!!

Published on by jasonkirbyLeave a comment

EXAIR offers a comprehensive video library that includes everything from brief product introductions to detailed, step-by-step maintenance tutorials. If you are tackling a specific application, it is highly probable that we have a relevant video available. I regularly utilize these videos to clarify or showcase specific features of EXAIR products to customers. They serve as an essential resource in my daily activities, and the most advantageous aspect is that they are freely accessible at any time.

Numerous videos are available under the ‘Resources’ tab on our website, www.EXAIR.com. By selecting a product category from this section, you can access a variety of instructional content. Whether you are looking to learn how to change the shim in a Super Air Knife or enhance the conveyance of a Line Vac, you will find these videos and many others systematically arranged for your convenience.

Our blogs feature video demonstrations that make learning enjoyable and straightforward. If you have a topic you’re curious about, you can simply search our blog. Chances are, you’ll find a video that matches what you’re looking for. These videos break down complex ideas and show you step-by-step processes. They are great for visual learners who understand better when they see things in action. Our goal is to provide helpful resources, ensuring that everyone has access to easy, informative content.

If you would like to discuss our video library, or any of our EXAIR products, please do not hesitate to contact an Application Engineer. We are always happy to help!

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

Finding the Right Intelligent Compressed Air Product

Published on by Russ BowmanLeave a comment

I had the pleasure of talking with a customer who had purchased a Model 6063 1-1/2″ Stainless Steel Line Vac the other day. They were building chemical processing machinery, and needed to move vapor into a condenser for reclamation of the fluid. The Line Vac was doing exactly what they needed it to do, and with a supply pressure regulated down to 12psig, at that. Their question was, how do they quantify the flow rate?

Because the Line Vac generates a moderate level of vacuum head with a moderate vacuum flow, they’re ideal for drawing in bulk solid material and conveying it from one place to another. They’ll do the same with airborne dust, vapors, and gases, but…

Because they’re made for conveying bulk solids, our published performance data for the Line Vacs doesn’t address total developed airflow. However, because our Air Amplifiers are made for moving air (and anything that might be suspended in the air or already airborne), we DO publish airflow performance data for them. And it provides a GREAT segue for situations like this, when the only thing that can do a better job than one EXAIR product is another EXAIR product!

…Air Amplifiers, while similar in function to the Line Vacs, generate a high vacuum flow with a low vacuum head. This makes them the better choice for moving air & airborne dust, vapors, gases, etc.

In this case, the machine designer replaced the 1-1/2″ Stainless Steel Line Vac with a Model 6040 3/4″ Stainless Steel Adjustable Air Amplifier. It’s got a 1-1/2″ OD inlet plenum, so it was a ‘drop-in’ replacement for the 1-1/2″ Line Vac, which was plumbed in with a 1-1/2″ ID hose. When they regulated the supply pressure to 25psig, they were able to replicate the vapor carryover to the condenser at the specified rate, and even cut the already low compressed air consumption from 9.3 SCFM @12psig (for the Line Vac) to 3.7 SCFM @25psig (for the Air Amplifier).

As an EXAIR Application Engineer and a Certified Compressed Air Systems Specialist, I’m here to make sure you get the most out of your compressed air system. If that involves using a product other than the EXAIR Intelligent Compressed Air Product that you may have initially selected, I’m not going to be shy about telling you that. But, there’s a good chance that the more ideal solution is going to be another EXAIR Intelligent Compressed Air Product. If you want to talk about compressed air…so do I! Give me a call.

Russ Bowman, CCASS

Application Engineer
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So, You Want To Calculate Line Vac Flow… Or Do You?

Published on by Russ BowmanLeave a comment

As an EXAIR Application Engineer (and one with almost 14 years under my belt, to boot), I’m well versed in all the standard calculations regarding compressed air, including: converting ACFM or ICFM to SCFM, determining compressed air consumption rates at different inlet pressures, return on investment from using more efficient products, receiver tank sizing, and cost of compressed air generation. I know many formulas, by heart, that relate to certain applications involving our products, like how to calculate the heat load for Cabinet Cooler Systems, the amount of air flow from a Super Air Nozzle, Super Air Knife, Air Amplifier, etc., to cool an object from a starting to a desired temperature (and how long it’ll take to do it), and humidity formulas for Atomizing Spray Nozzle applications.

I’ve loved math all my life, so all that stuff above is one of my favorite parts of this job. There are, however, things we can’t do the math on…and calculating the flow through a Line Vac is one of them. Maybe two. I say “Maybe two” because there are two common questions we get regarding Line Vacs, and neither have answers that can be calculated:

  • How fast can I move [insert description of bulk material here] with a Line Vac?
  • How much air flow is generated by a Line Vac?

There are a LOT of variables that can affect conveyance rate, so the first question is difficult to put a number on, unless it’s something we’ve tested here before, or if a customer has provided reliable data from their Line Vac conveyor setup. For our latest Catalog, #35, we compiled this into a Conveyance Data table. You can access it here (registration required), request your very own print copy, or just contact me, and I’ll email it to you.

Likewise, the second question doesn’t have a mathematical formula to give us an answer either. When we get questions about a Line Vac’s total developed air flow, we’ll say that, very generally speaking, a Line Vac will entrain 2-3 times its compressed air consumption in vacuum flow. That’s based on some informal testing we’ve done in the shop on a few specific Line Vacs. And that’s ALWAYS followed up with some questions of our own:

  • Are you looking for a specific amount of air flow? And,
  • What is the nature of the application?

Oftentimes, we find out that the customer just needs to move air – as opposed to conveying bulk product – and THAT’S a job for our Air Amplifiers. We DO publish formal performance data on those, and if air movement is all that’s needed, the Air Amplifiers are going to do that WAY more efficiently than a Line Vac. They’re capable of entraining air at rates of up to 25:1.

Air Amplifiers use the Coanda Effect to generate high flow with low consumption.

If you have questions about a potential application, or about a specific product, give me a call. I’m here to make sure you get the most out of our products, and that starts right at the beginning, with finding the best one to suit your needs.

Russ Bowman, CCASS

Application Engineer
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Special Line Vacs for Special Applications

Published on by Al WooffittLeave a comment

EXAIR’s Line Vacs are a great option for replacing your ‘bucket and ladder‘ operation. There are many factors that need to be considered when selecting the best option – how far are you looking to convey? What conveyance rate are you looking to achieve? Is your material abrasive? – to name a few.
Using data we have gathered from our controlled in-house testing, we can almost always recommend a stock-option Line Vac that will meet your application’s needs.

There are some instances however, when your needs will be better met with a custom solution. In this blog I wanted to highlight a few custom Line Vacs that we have produced for customers in the past:

This Special Mini Line Vac was designed with barbed fittings (unlike the hose or threaded fittings) for easier installation for a manufacturer of integrated circuit chips. It was used to remove microscopic debris. The small body and high vacuum flow made it a perfect fit for the confined working space.


This 1 ½” Flanged Line Vac was designed using PVDF to provide a superior chemical resistance. In this case, the unit was going to be exposed to a chloride wash which would corrode all versions of steel, including stainless steel. The QF Flanges were also added to provide easy disassembly when the Line Vac was scheduled for cleaning.

This Special Flanged Line Vac was used to convey a measured granulated material into a pouch. The funnel side was loaded with the pre-measured material and pushed into a mesh pouch when the air was activated.


This Special Flanged Refumigation Line Vac was used to retrofit existing machinery to remove acidic vapors resulting from surface etching of a silicon wafer. Where this would typically be a nice fit for a Stainless Steel Air Amplifier, the existing exhaust piping was lengthy with many bends that would have caused back pressure on any Air Amplifiers. In this case, they needed additional force from the Line Vac to overcome this downstream resistance.

This Special Threaded 1″ Aluminum Line Vac was used to remove fumes from a welding application, and needed to be threaded into a flame retardant filter bag. The custom threads allowed them to screw the filter bag directly onto the line vac with the added insurance of a threaded connection to prevent sparks from escaping the bag.

As you can see, we have many examples of non-stock Line Vacs (as well as special items from other product lines). If you have an application you would like to discuss, feel free to give me a call!

Al Wooffitt
Application Engineer

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