Tag: manufacturing

Dude, Where’s My Safety Air Gun?

Published on by Russ BowmanLeave a comment

I am the poster child for misplaced items. A couple of years back, I lost the key to my truck. I looked for it for WEEKS (it’s not my daily driver) — and finally admitted defeat. A local locksmith offered mobile service, which was kind of expensive but not as bad as I thought, and made me a new key in about a half hour. He actually made two (my wife insisted) and having my truck back just in time for that spring’s mulch was well worth it. Knowing the location of the spare key is nice & comforting too.

Just last fall, I lost my glasses one fine Friday afternoon. I’m only moderately nearsighted, so it was just a mild-to-moderate inconvenience. After a quick trip to the eye doctor and a local business that makes glasses on the same day, I had two new pairs of glasses (my wife, again, insisted on the 2nd pair.) When I got home, my “lost” glasses were on the counter…she’d found them between the arm of the couch and the end table. Ironically, if I’d had a pair of glasses, I’d have found them easily since that’s one of the first places I looked, but was unable to see them with my compromised vision.

Last month, both of those incidents came to mind when the Press Release dropped for a new EXAIR product: our Model 5920 Air Cradle.

EXAIR’s new Air Cradle is a simple but innovative accessory designed to keep safety air guns and similarly sized tools within easy reach at workstations and machine centers.

It’ll hold up to 10lbs, so you can even leave the air supply hose hooked up. Using the Air Cradle means you won’t have to search for your Safety Air Gun, worry about it getting damaged or dropped, and you’ll be one step closer to having a well-organized work space.

Now, I’m not saying that if I had a “truck key cradle” or an “eyeglasses cradle” I wouldn’t have lost my keys or glasses…it’s important to note that one has to actually USE handy organizational tools to be organized…but it would’ve definitely lowered the chances of losing them.

I think it’s also important to note that the Air Cradle came about as a direct result of a customer or two asking about properly stowing their Safety Air Gun. We have regularly scheduled meetings where we discuss calls like that, and the Air Cradle was the direct result of such a conversation. If you have questions about compressed air in general, or EXAIR engineered compressed air products specifically, we’d love to hear from you…whether your call leads to a new product’s development or not!

Russ Bowman, CCASS

Application Engineer
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EXAIR Announces Brand Refresh and Commitment to Service and Innovation

Published on by Jason FoxLeave a comment

EXAIR, a leader in engineering solutions, today announced the launch of a new brand identity as it enters its next chapter of growth. With this fresh approach, EXAIR has a clear perspective and a focus on what’s ahead. The commitment to forward momentum is backed by years of serving this industry and the promise to continue providing the best compressed air solutions on the market. The new look reflects the same innovation and attention to detail that have defined our approach to engineering and product design since our inception.

For 43 years, EXAIR has built its reputation on engineering excellence, product reliability, and long-term customer partnerships. The new identity reflects the company’s continued investment in innovation and forward-looking strategy, while reinforcing our foundation.

That commitment remains unchanged. The logo is new. EXAIR standards are not. The refreshed brand signals continued growth, expanded capabilities, and a long-term commitment to serving industrial customers with the same quality and responsiveness that built the company’s legacy.

            From Kirk Edwards, President of EXAIR: “I, for one, have been staring at the current EXAIR logo for 26 years – it represents where we came from and the hard work it took to get here. We have gained a lot of trust through performance, reliability, and our customer relationships under that logo. That trust earned will remain because it is, after all, the result of our people, customers, and commitment to doing things the right way. This brand refresh represents our strong and successful past while embracing new customer demands, emerging markets, and changing industries.”

The refreshed brand identity aligns with EXAIR’s forward trajectory and commitment to engineering solutions that deliver measurable outcomes. Customers and partners can expect the same approachable expertise and dependable support that have defined EXAIR’s reputation, now paired with a visual and messaging framework that reflects momentum and innovation. EXAIR will begin implementing the new identity across digital platforms, marketing materials, and product packaging in the coming months and will debut the branding publicly at the upcoming Grainger Trade Show. For more information, visitEXAIR.com or contact the applications engineering team for support and product guidance.

Care and Feeding Of Your Reversible Drum Vac

Published on by Russ BowmanLeave a comment

EXAIR’s Reversible Drum Vac couldn’t be easier to operate. Thread it in to the 3/4 NPT vent connection on your drum lid, install the Standpipe & Hose on the 2 NPT bung, hook up a compressed air line to it, and you’re in business. As long as your compressed air is clean & moisture free, your Reversible Drum Vac will run like new for a long, long time.

Should you start to see a decrease in performance, though, the first thing you’ll want to do is verify the compressed air supply, especially if something’s changed:

  • Did you get a new hose? The Reversible Drum Vac uses 19 SCFM @80psig for rated performance. That’ll require a 3/8″ ID hose, assuming a length of no more than about 20ft.
  • Are there any restrictions in the line? The usual suspects are clogged filters, partially closed valves, or push-to-connect quick-connect fittings.
  • Are there any vacuum leaks in the hose, its cuffs, the drum, or either threaded connection? If the lid’s removable, is that gasket intact?
Pro tip: a pressure gauge, right at the inlet, will give you instant indication of an air supply issue with your RDV (or any compressed air-operated product.)

If you’ve eliminated all of those potential problems, it’s time to take a look at the Reversible Drum Vac itself. The Reversible Drum Vac has tight internal passages that contamination from even the cleanest compressed air systems can build up in, over time. Good news is, we made it super easy to disassemble & clean, and better news: this almost always restores it to as-new performance. We even have a video that walks you through it:

You may be surprised not at how much, but how little contamination you find inside the Reversible Drum Vac. We offer factory refurbishment service for them as well…the procedure in the video is step-by-step what that service consists of, except we also replace the Shim, O-Rings, & Float, and when we reassemble it, we verify performance on the same fixture that every single new Reversible Drum Vac that we build gets tested on. Recently, a customer sent a Reversible Drum Vac in for refurbishment services after we’d spent some time talking on the phone, exchanging emails, and even a brief Engineering Consultation web meeting, troubleshooting their loss of vacuum. I was particularly curious about this one, so when it came in, I tested it (on our calibrated test fixture) for performance, and found it was only generating about 22% of rated vacuum, and only 17% of rated flow. I figured it was clogged (with a capital CLOGGED) so I match marked the body & plug (just like we show in the video) and took it apart:

I was frankly surprised at how little contamination (which appeared to be rust from the customer’s compressed air piping system) caused such a dramatic loss of vacuum.

We then completed the Refurbishment Service and tested it again. Performance was verified to be within specification for a new High Lift Reversible Drum Vac.

I offer to share the Cleaning & Refurbishing video with just about anyone who calls to discuss performance (or lack thereof) of their Reversible Drum Vac. Some still want to send theirs in for Refurbishment Service, and that’s fine. If you have a Reversible Drum Vac that’s not working properly, I’m here to help you get the most out of our products — any of them — give me a call.

Russ Bowman, CCASS

Application Engineer
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Founder’s Day 2026

Published on by Kirk EdwardsLeave a comment

Today, we paused our operations and took a moment to celebrate a legacy that goes beyond the products we build. February 22nd (or the nearest business day) marks Founder’s Day at EXAIR—a day dedicated to the memory of our founder, Roy Sweeney, on what would have been his 92nd birthday.

Roy founded EXAIR in 1983, leading us with a steady hand and an innovative spirit for 33 years. While he has been gone for nearly ten years, his presence is still felt in our hallways. For those of us who had the privilege of working side-by-side with him, he wasn’t just a leader; he was a mentor who redefined success. To Roy, achievement wasn’t measured by growth charts, but by the depth of one’s service to others.

In honor of Roy and his wife, Jackie, we treat this day as a renewal of our commitment to the world beyond our walls. The Sweeneys were pillars of the Cincinnati community, tirelessly supporting social causes and teaching us that a company’s greatest output should be kindness.

Living the Legacy of Service

We believe that to truly honor the past, we must be active participants in a better future. To turn Roy’s altruistic values into action, we are proud to highlight our Employee Volunteer Program. This initiative empowers every full-time employee to volunteer with an organization of their choice during the work week—with full pay from EXAIR.

Whether it is feeding the hungry, mentoring youth, or supporting local shelters, we want our team to follow their hearts. By providing the time and resources to research these opportunities, we aim to be a catalyst for change in the lives of those who need it most.

A Celebration of Community

Our Founder’s Day tradition includes:

  • Reflecting on our Roots: A company-wide meeting to recognize Roy’s generosity and the spark that started it all.
  • Honoring a Veteran: As a veteran himself, Roy held a deep respect for those who serve. We continue to honor that bond by providing lunch from Mission BBQ, who supports our military and first responders.
  • Investing in Others: We are proud to direct donations to local organizations that provide vital lifelines to our neighbors.

This year we have selected these organizations, who help our local communities, to receive donations as part of our Founder’s Day celebration:

DAV
Supporting disabled American veterans and their families.

Freestore Foodbank
Supplies 33 million meals per year to those in need and living in greater Cincinnati.

Lighthouse Youth and Family Services
Supporting their Safe and Supported program for LGBTQ youth.

Cincinnati Works
Partners with all willing and capable people living in poverty to assist them in advancing to economic self-sufficiency through employment.

Wave Pool
Wave Pool is a contemporary art fulfillment center where experimental art connects the community and creates change.

Bethany House
Helps homeless and at-risk families with solutions to achieve housing stability and long-term self-sufficiency.

Roy, happy birthday and thanks for the influence you continue to have in our lives. We remember everything you and Jackie have done for this company and for countless others. Today, we pledge to keep looking outside ourselves, reaching out our hands, and working collectively to improve the world around us.

Happy Founder’s Day 2026 from the entire EXAIR family.

Kirk Edwards, President
EXAIR LLC