Tag: manufacturing

The Importance Of Planned Maintenance

Published on by Russ BowmanLeave a comment

“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” is a common phase that we’ve all heard. It’s also a recipe for disaster. Think about it:

  • Corrective maintenance is ALWAYS more expensive. An oil change in your car might set you back $50 and an hour or so, but when (not if) emulsified, contaminated oil causes your engine to seize, that’s a four (if not five) figure repair bill.
  • Corrective maintenance is also ALWAYS more inconvenient. “If you don’t schedule time for maintenance, your equipment will schedule it for you.” ’nuff said.

Anything with moving parts is going to live its best life if you maintain it properly, and your air compressor has a LOT of moving parts that are CONSTANTLY under a good deal of mechanical stress. Your compressor’s manufacturer almost certainly has a published list of recommended maintenance items, with a schedule of when they should be performed. While that list is going to vary, depending on the type of compressor you have, some of the more common items include:

  • Intake Filter: This is what removes environmental contamination from the air that the compressor is drawing in. When (not if) it gets dirty, your compressor works harder. That means higher power consumption, which means higher operating costs. It also means more heat is generated, which can wear machinery out WAY faster than it should.
  • Lubricating Oil: If your compressor is oil lubed, that oil needs to be changed periodically. The schedule for this is always going to be a certain number of hours of operation, or a certain period of time, whichever comes first. That first one is because the amount of particulate contamination is going to be roughly proportional to the amount of time the lubricated parts spend in motion. The latter is because oil just loses some of its critical lubricating properties over time.
  • Drive Equipment: The two main methods of connecting a motor to a compressor are direct drive shaft coupling, or a system of pulleys and belts. Making sure they stay aligned is critical to their operation. Depending on the nature of the drive, lubrication, tension, and physical condition are all important maintenance points as well.
  • Safety (Pressure Relief) Valve: This valve releases excess pressure if the pressure switch fails and the compressor keeps running. At the very least, this keeps your operating costs in line — the higher the discharge pressure, the higher the power consumption. And, worst case, it makes sure you don’t over pressurize the system. If your receiver tank blows up, that’s a bad day.
  • Receiver Tank Condensate Drain: While there are a number of automatic condensate drains available for industrial air compressors, many owners choose to manually drain condensate from the wet receiver. This should be done AT LEAST once a day, with some manufacturers recommending it more frequently than that. This is critical because standing water can corrode the tank from the inside over time. It can also lead to moisture carryover into the header, and it reduces the volume of available air storage in the tank.
  • Keep Clean To Keep Cool: Air compressors generate heat, both from the friction between the moving parts, and the compression itself (Gay-Lussac’s Law states that the pressure of a given mass of gas is directly proportional to its temperature as long as the volume is constant.) Some compressors are air cooled; others are water cooled. Whichever yours is, keep the heat transfer surfaces — like the fins on the air end housing (air cooled) or fins of the heat exchanger (water cooled) — clean & free of debris to maximize the heat transfer, keeping your compressor as cool as possible.

Again, these are just some of the more common maintenance items for an air compressor. If you want yours to live its best life, keep up with the manufacturer’s recommendations. Oftentimes, maintenance records are required for warranty consideration, should something fail. If you have questions about getting the most out of your compressed air system, give me a call.

Russ Bowman, CCASS

Application Engineer
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Compressed Air Problems? Ask An Application Engineer If An EXAIR Super Air Nozzle Is Right For You.

Published on by Russ BowmanLeave a comment

A few years back, I had the pleasure of working with a machine shop manager who wanted to reduce the compressed air consumption in their facility. They had ten lathes, machining high-tech plastic products, and used crimped copper tubing to blow off chips and shavings as the parts were turned. They ran continuously — as did the air compressor — which occasionally caused header pressure to drop below the level required for operation of the pneumatic chucks & tool changers.

These cheap and easy blow offs were making things expensive and difficult for the company.

After some discussion and an Efficiency Lab test of one of their crimped tubes, I recommended our Model 1100 1/4 NPT Zinc Aluminum Super Air Nozzles. They’re our most popular engineered Air Nozzle for typical industrial blow-off applications. They generate a forceful, focused blast of air that’s ideal for chip removal on machine tools, and they’re ideally suited for a number of other uses as well. They bought ten (one for each machine) and installed them one afternoon, right before close of business, by cutting the crimps off the copper tubes and fitting them with simple compression fittings. The whole operation took about five minutes. When the machine shop manager arrived the next morning, he was at first alarmed because there was so little noise coming from the shop (he thought something was wrong with the machines) and then impressed when he found all the lathes were running, and the Super Air Nozzles were so much quieter than the crimped tubes.

The copper tube used to have a crimped end that was aimed at the part in the chuck. They simply cut it off and used a compression fitting to install the Super Air Nozzle.

While our Model 1100 Super Air Nozzle is our most popular one, EXAIR makes a wide range of engineered Air Nozzles to meet the needs of almost any blow-off application. If you’re replacing something else, we can test your current device(s) in our Efficiency Lab (like we did the crimped copper tubing here) and determine the Air Nozzle that most closely matches the performance required for your application.

If it’s a new application, we have tools at our disposal for proper product selection too:

  • The Catalog: Our Air Nozzles & Jets catalog section lists them all, from smallest to largest, with performance data, dimensions, and airflow patterns. I actually like to start with the airflow pattern: once we know the size & shape of the needed/desired flow, we can narrow down our selection.
  • Application Database: At last count, we had over 200 blow-off applications written up. Now, that includes Air Nozzles as well as Air Knives, Air Amplifiers, and Safety Air Guns (which have Air Nozzles on them), but keep in mind what I said about picking the size & shape of the airflow.
  • Engineering Assistance: If you’re short on time, find yourself completely stumped, or just want a 2nd opinion on the best product for your application, we’re here from 7am to 4pm Eastern Time to help you over the phone, in a Live Chat, or at an Engineering Consultation web meeting. You can also email techelp@exair.com, 24/7, with details about what you’re after.

At EXAIR, we want to help you get the most out of your compressed air use. If you want to find out more, give me a call.

Russ Bowman, CCASS

Application Engineer
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The Legend of Rudolf Hilsch

Published on by jasonkirbyLeave a comment

It is thought that Georges Ranque, a French inventor, inadvertently discovered a key principle while developing early prototypes during the German occupation of France. These prototypes later attracted the interest of Rudolf Hilsch, a German physicist who was working on low-temperature refrigeration systems for military applications. Although Hilsch improved upon Ranque’s original design, he found that it did not surpass conventional refrigeration methods in achieving lower temperatures. Ultimately, the device became known as the Hilsch tube.

The Hilsch tube was constructed using a pair of modified nuts along with several other components. The horizontal section of the T-shaped fitting contains a specially machined element that fits tightly within the arm, featuring a spiral cross-section on the inside that differs from its external shape. At the spiral’s “step,” a small opening connects to the T’s leg, allowing air to enter through the leg and exit via this opening, creating a spiraling flow. The “hot” pipe measures approximately 14 inches in length with a half-inch internal diameter, and its far end is fitted with a stopcock to control the system’s pressure. In contrast, the “cold” pipe is about four inches long, also with a half-inch internal diameter, and its end that connects to the spiral piece includes a washer with a central hole of roughly a quarter of an inch in diameter. Various washers with different hole sizes can be utilized to adjust the system’s performance.

EXAIR’s Vortex Tube operates by channeling compressed air into a tube where it flows through nozzles positioned tangentially to an internal counter-bore. This innovative nozzle design induces the air to rotate in a vortex at speeds reaching up to 1,000,000 RPM. As the air spins, it makes a 90° turn, allowing a valve at one end to release some of the heated air. The remaining air continues down the tube, losing heat in the process, and ultimately exits through the opposite end as cold air.

Both streams in a Vortex Tube rotate in the same direction and at the same angular velocity, which would typically suggest that the rotational speed of the inner vortex should increase due to the conservation of angular momentum. However, this is not observed in practice. A useful analogy can be drawn from Olympic Figure Skating: when a skater extends her arms, her spinning slows down, but as she pulls them in, her rotational speed increases significantly. In the case of the Vortex Tube, the inner vortex maintains a constant speed because it has lost angular momentum. This loss manifests as heat, which is expelled from the hot side of the tube. Consequently, the inner vortex cools down, allowing the cooled air to be channeled for various industrial applications.

How the EXAIR Cabinet Cooler System Works

The theory behind the Vortex Tube is applied to standard Vortex Tubes and a range of other products designed with specific features tailored to your needs. EXAIR offers a variety of solutions, including Cabinet Coolers, Cold Guns, Adjustable Spot Coolers, Mini Coolers, and Vortex Tubes, all of which function based on this fundamental principle.

If you have questions about Rudolf Hilsch, or anything regarding EXAIR and our products, please do not hesitate to reach out.

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

4 Mistakes Plants Might Be Making with Compressed Air (and How to Avoid Them)

Published on by Jordan T ShouseLeave a comment

Compressed air is one of the most versatile and expensive utilities in any plant. It powers tools, moves products, cools processes, and keeps production running smoothly. But it’s also one of the most commonly misused resources on the floor.

Small inefficiencies add up quickly, and many facilities are losing thousands of dollars a year without realizing it. The good news? Most of these issues are easy to fix once you know where to look, especially with engineered solutions from EXAIR.

Here are four of the most common mistakes plants make with compressed air, and how to avoid them.

1. Using Open Pipes Instead of Engineered Nozzles

The Mistake:
Blowing with open pipes or drilled tubes is still surprisingly common. It “kinda works,” but it’s incredibly inefficient, noisy, and unsafe.

Why It Matters:
Open pipes consume a massive amount of compressed air and can create dangerous dead-end pressure situations. They also produce high noise levels that can exceed OSHA limits.

How to Avoid It:
Switch to engineered air nozzles and knives like EXAIR’s Super Air Nozzles or the Super Air knife. These are designed to:

  • Reduce air consumption by up to 80%
  • Meet safety standards for dead-end pressure
  • Dramatically lower noise levels

The Result:
Immediate air savings, safer operation, and a quieter plant floor.

EXAIR Intelligent Compressed Air Products such as (left to right) the Air Wipe, Super Air Knife, Super Air Nozzle, and Air Amplifier are engineered to entrain enormous amounts of air from the surrounding environment.

2. Running at Higher Pressure Than Necessary

The Mistake:
Many plants run their systems at higher pressure “just in case.” It feels safer—but it’s costing you.

Why It Matters:
Every 2 PSI increase in pressure can increase energy consumption by roughly 1%. Multiply that across your entire system, and the cost adds up fast.

How to Avoid It:
Use EXAIR’s pressure regulators to optimize pressure at the point of use instead of over-pressurizing the entire system.

The Result:
Lower energy bills and better control over your applications—without sacrificing performance.

EXAIR offers a range of Pressure Regulators capable of handling air flow of up to 700 SCFM.

3. Ignoring Compressed Air Leaks

The Mistake:
Leaks are often treated as “minor” issues and left unresolved.

Why It Matters:
Leaks can waste 20–30% of your compressed air output. That’s essentially money leaking out of your system 24/7.

How to Avoid It:

  • Conduct routine leak audits using the Model 9207 Ultrasonic Leak Detector
  • Fix worn fittings, hoses, and connections
  • Use efficient components that minimize unnecessary air use

Pairing leak reduction with efficient products from EXAIR ensures you’re not just fixing losses, you’re preventing new ones.

The Result:
Reduced compressor load, lower maintenance costs, and immediate energy savings.

4. Not Optimizing Airflow for the Application

The Mistake:
Using too much air—or the wrong type of airflow—for blowing, drying, or conveying applications.

Why It Matters:
Inefficient airflow leads to higher consumption, inconsistent performance, and unnecessary wear on equipment.

How to Avoid It:
Adopt engineered air amplification products like EXAIR’s Air Knives, Air Amplifiers, and Air Wipes. These devices entrain the surrounding air to:

  • Maximize output while minimizing compressed air use
  • Provide uniform, high-performance airflow
  • Improve drying, cleaning, and conveying efficiency

The Result:
Better process performance with significantly lower air usage.

EXAIR Intelligent Compressed Air Products such as (left to right) the Air Wipe, Super Air Knife, Super Air Nozzle, and Air Amplifier are engineered to entrain enormous amounts of air from the surrounding environment.

Compressed air is too valuable to waste. The difference between an optimized system and an inefficient one often comes down to a few overlooked decisions.

By avoiding these common mistakes—and implementing engineered solutions from EXAIR—plants can:

  • Cut energy costs
  • Improve safety
  • Boost productivity
  • Extend equipment life

If your facility hasn’t evaluated its compressed air usage recently, now is the time. Even small changes can deliver fast, measurable results.

Jordan Shouse
Application Engineer
E: JordanShouse@exair.com
O: (513) 671‑3322
F: (513) 671‑3363
A: 11510 Goldcoast Dr Cincinnati OH 45249
www.exair.com

Find time on my calendar by scheduling a meeting here.