Tag: Line Vac

Application Spotlight! – Conveying Products Through a Metal Detector

Published on by Jordan T ShouseLeave a comment

 I started doing an application spotlight to really break down the process of selecting the right product for a customer. This was an interesting application to pass vitamin capsules through a metal detector from a feed funnel.

One of the quality processes for these capsules is passing them through a metal detector to verify the product is metal free prior to packaging. Up until this point, they were filling buckets then manually dumping them into the detector. This was causing the detector to get overwhelmed and required work hours. So, instead, they are going to use a 2″ sanitary flange line vac to convey the pills through the detector as they fall off the line.

One of the largest hurdles to this kind of application was if the funnel filled up, this could cause the ambient air supply to the line vac to be cut off, really hurting the performance. To help with this, they added an open vent to the right, so the line vac could pull in ambient air!

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 products 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 to allow 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 them to their system.  With requests for opportunities similar to this, EXAIR was able to develop this new product line. 

If you need to move a product where cleanliness is a requirement, the Sanitary Flange Line Vacs may work for your application.  They work well 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, an Application Engineer will be happy to assist you.   

Jordan Shouse
Application Engineer

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EXAIR’s Line Vac Promotion: Upgrade Conveyance, Get Free Nozzles!

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 are absolutely no moving parts to wear out and no maintenance at all. Adjusting the flow of material is extremely simple and can be fine-tuned by regulating the air pressure just upstream of the Line Vac.

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 to 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 and 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 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 none of these stock Line Vacs suit your process, we still have more options!! Custom units are available with varying styles of flange connections, hybrid NPT threaded/smooth units can be done with stock components, we’ll even manufacture in special materials. At EXAIR, we take pride in offering custom solutions for customers that may require something just a little different from what is readily available on the shelf.

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 Nozzle 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

EXAIR Starter Guide: Line Vacs™

Published on by John BallLeave a comment

With the purchase of your new Line Vac, you may have some questions about how to properly use this item.  This video guide will share a few instructions about how to prepare and set up your Line Vac, or Air-Operated Conveyor. In the video I cover the operation and maintenance to optimize the function of your new Line Vac. 

If you have any questions about moving dry bulk material from point A to point B, please contact an Application Engineer.  We will be happy to assist you. 

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

Adjustable E-Vacs For All Kinds Of Vacuum Applications

Published on by Russ BowmanLeave a comment

EXAIR makes three different engineered compressed air products that are capable of pulling vacuum:

  • Air Amplifiers generate a very high vacuum flow (up to 25 times the compressed air flow rate) but not very much vacuum head. This makes them great for fumes, smoke, and airborne dust.
  • Line Vacs generate a moderate vacuum flow and head so they can easily convey bulk solids.
  • E-Vac Vacuum Generators generate a high vacuum head, but not a lot of vacuum flow. They’re commonly used with Vacuum Cups in pick-and-place applications, or a number of other applications where you measure the required vacuum in inches of mercury (the Air Amplifiers’ and Line Vacs’ vacuum heads are measured in inches of water.)

Our Adjustable E-Vac Vacuum Generators are the ones that typically fall into the “number of other applications” category above. While the In-Line E-Vacs are compact and reliably generate rated vacuum on demand, the Adjustable E-Vacs have some distinct advantages in certain cases:

Larger throat diameter. In-Line E-Vacs have a very tight throat, which generally doesn’t matter if they’re just hooked to Vacuum Cups that’ll be placed on a relatively clean surface. The wider throat of the Adjustable E-Vacs means that they can pass small debris from less-than-pristine surfaces that a Vacuum Cup might lift, or shavings that might fall into a work holding fixture on a machine tool. They can even pass liquids, so they’re sometimes used for small spill cleanup.

Adjustability. It’s right in the name, of course, but it IS a big deal. While you can regulate the supply pressure of almost any compressed air operated device to vary the performance level, you can thread the plug into, or out of, the body of an Adjustable E-Vac to literally put it in a whole new performance band. This is beneficial if you’re picking up, or holding down, pieces of different sizes, shapes, and weights. Just loosen the locking collar, make the adjustment, tighten it back up, and it’s ready for use.

With four distinct models to choose from, we can specify one with the vacuum performance and adjustability of range needed for your application. If you’d like to find out more, give me a call.

Russ Bowman, CCASS

Application Engineer
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