Tag: milling

EXAIR Mini Cooler™: Overview 

Published on by johnball2014Leave a comment
EXAIR Mini Coolers

EXAIR offers a line of spot cooling devices to blow cold air to remove heat.  Heat can cause premature failures and shortened tool life.  We use the Vortex Tube phenomenon to make very cold air without any moving parts or Freon.  They only need compressed air as the “engine” to spin the air streams into two parts; hot air and cold air.  They are maintenance free and can supply cold air down to a temperature of -50oF (-46oC).  EXAIR “dresses up” a Vortex Tube to make a more functional device for spot cooling.  In this blog, I will cover the smallest of our spot coolers; the Mini Cooler™.   

The EXAIR Mini Cooler was designed for tight areas to cool small objects.  It has a cooling capacity of 550 BTU/hr (139Kcal/hr).  It only uses 8 SCFM (227 SLPM) at 100 PSIG (6.9 bar).  The system will come with a manual drain Filter Separator with mounting bracket, a Swivel Magnetic Base with 100 lb. (45.5Kg) pull magnet, and a flexible hose kit.  We offer two options for the flexible hose kit; a Single Point Hose Kit, model 3808, and a Dual Point Hose Kit, model 3308.  The Single Point Hose Kit will give you one flexible outlet to easily position the cold air stream near the target point.  It will also include a round point tip and a flat-fan tip.  The Dual Point Hose Kit adds a split to have two separate cold outlets; still including the round and flat-fan tips.  With these features, the Mini Cooler is easy to mount, use, and move for optimal cooling and blowing. 

Model 3308

When using the Mini Cooler, the flexible cold outlets can easily bend around fixtures, spindles, and welding horns.  The swivel magnetic base gives extra adjustment at the base of the cooler to aid in “hard to reach” places.   To further the benefits of the cooler, the operating pressure can be changed to lower or raise the cooling capacity to meet your demands.  At 100 PSIG (6.9 bar), the cold air flow can reach a temperature as low as 20oF (-7oC).

Some applications for the Mini Cooler would include small diameter milling and drilling where the cold air can keep the tool cool and remove the chips.  It can also be used for soldering, industrial sewing, ultrasonic welding, or even small punching applications to list a few.  With the dual point hose kit, it is ideal for targeting two sides of a cutter, aiming at multiple blades where material is being slit, or cooling multiple ultrasonic points for faster cycle times.

If you believe that you have an application where spot cooling could increase production rates and/or extend tool life, you can contact an Application Engineer at EXAIR.  We can offer the Mini Cooler for smaller targets; or, larger versions like the Adjustable Spot Cooler and Cold Gun Aircoolant System™.  We are looking forward to hearing from you.

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

Applications for Vortex Tube Spot Cooling

Published on by Brian FarnoLeave a comment

The EXAIR Mini Cooler family is one of the many vortex tube based Spot Cooler products that EXAIR offers.  This is the smallest of the group coming in at 550 BTU/hr of cooling capacity.  The Mini Cooler Systems  are available in two options.

minicoolerWFAM_500
EXAIR’s Mini Cooler is available with a single point hose kit or a dual point hose kit.

  • The Single Point Outlet option will give you ten inches of flexible cold outlet to easily position the cold air stream near the target point.
  • The Dual Point Outlet option gives ten inches of 1/4″ flexible outlet that then splits to two separate four inch lengths of 1/4″ flexible cold outlet hoses.
  • Both include point or flat fan tips for the cold air outlets
  • Both include a manual drain filter separator
  • both include the swivel magnetic base with 100 lb. pull magnet.

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The Single Point Mini Cooler with a Flat Fan Tip installed on a milling application where liquid coolant cannot be used due to material constraints.

The single point hose kit is ideal for small diameter milling or drilling applications where the cold air can cover the contact area of the cutter.  It can also be used on soldering, industrial sewing, ultrasonic welding, or even small punching applications to list just a few.

EXAIR’s Mini Cooler System w/ Dual Point Hose Kit keeping UHMW cool while being machined

The dual point hose kit is ideal for two separate small diameter cutters, one larger diameter cutter, rotary style knives where there material is being slit, or larger diameter multi-point ultrasonic welders/punches.

When using the Mini Cooler the adjustable cold outlet stays in place and can easily bend around fixtures, spindles, welding horns, or dye aligning pins.  The swivel magnetic base gives additional adjustment at the base of the cooler to aid in the versatility of this product.   To further the adjustability of the cooler the operating pressure can easily be adjusted to lower or raise the cooling capacity of the Mini Cooler to meet the demands of the precise application.

If you believe you have an application that would benefit from the use of a Mini Cooler, or you are unsure which product would be ideal for your application please contact an Application Engineer.  we are all here, willing to help however possible to get your application improved in both safety and efficiency.

Brian Farno
Application Engineer
BrianFarno@EXAIR.com
@EXAIR_BF

 

 

EXAIR’s Adjustable Spot Cooler: A Versatile Tool for Your Cooling Needs!

Published on by Tyler DanielLeave a comment

 

If you’re looking at replacing messy coolant mist systems, look no further than the Adjustable Spot Cooler. EXAIR’s Adjustable Spot Cooler incorporates Vortex Tube technology to produce temperatures ranging from -30°F – +70°F. A Vortex Tube works by imparting a rapid spinning motion to the supplied compressed air. This airflow makes its way to the end of the tube where it is forced to abruptly change directions. It is during this change of direction that energy is given off in the form of heat. The hot air then exits the tube from the hot end, while cold air exits the other end of the tube. As the valve is opened to allow more air to exhaust from the hot end, the temperature at the cold end will decrease. At a sound level of just 73 dBA when operated at 100 psig and stock generator installed, this compact cooler will keep your operation cool, clean and dry without causing unnecessarily high noise levels.

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Critical tolerances are maintained on plastic parts using the Adjustable Spot Cooler

 

When looking at a Vortex Tube based solution, the variety of options can sometimes be daunting. This is where the versatility of the Adjustable Spot Cooler shines. Through a simple turn of the control knob, you can easily adjust the temperature and cold fraction of the unit. Additionally, the kits come with (2) extra generators (15-H and 30-H) that can be swapped out for the stock generator for more/less cooling power and air consumption. The 15-H generator will deliver up to 1,000 Btu/hr of cooling capacity and the 30-H will provide up to 2,000 Btu/hr of cooling capacity. We have (2) different kits available, the Model 3825 Single Point and the Model 3925 Dual Point Kit. The 3825 is recommended for use in applications where you’re cooling a small surface such as solder joints, hot melts, or drilled plastics. The 3925 system is better served when heat is generated over a larger surface area such as saw blade cooling. The kits use flexible Loc-Line hose to allow you to precisely position the cold airflow onto your target. The Adjustable Spot Cooler provides easy mounting with a swivel magnetic base, allowing you to mount the cooler directly at the most critical point that heat is being generated.

3825_3925 adj spot cooler

If you’re tired of cleaning up your coolant or have an application that requires dry machining, get one of the Adjustable Spot Cooler systems on order today. They’re in stock ready to ship!

Tyler Daniel
Application Engineer
E-mail: TylerDaniel@exair.com
Twitter: @EXAIR_TD

Atomization Nozzles For Better Grain Processing

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I have been working with a customer from the grain milling industry.  They take a grain like corn, and mill it to sizes that range from coarse product like grits to fine product like flour. The customer had a special application where steam was injected into a mixing screw process to add moisture to the grain.  Steam can be expensive and dangerous to work with, due to the energy required to make, store, transport and use, along with the high temperatures and pressures involved.

The customer was aware of our products from previous work we had done involving Super Air Knives.  He approached me about the Atomizing Nozzles and whether they could be used to replace the steam injection system.  We reviewed the process details such as target flow rate, the spray pattern desired, and the available distance from the target we had to work with.   We determined that (3) of the EF1030SS – External Mix Flat Fan, each capable of delivering 14 Gallons Per Hour, were the solution.  The nozzles would be placed equidistant along the mixing screw, to provide an even delivery of water.

ef1030ss
EF1030SS

 

To operate the nozzles, all that is needed is a supply of water, and 3.5-15.1 SCFM of compressed air at 10-95 PSIG.  Varying the liquid and air pressure will change the flow rate and pattern size of the spray.  Charts are published to help with the set-up and tuning of the nozzles to match the process needs.

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The use of the Atomizing Nozzle allows for precise application of very fine droplets.  For the External Mix type, droplets sizes of 39 to 57 micron are possible.  Smallest droplet size is achieved by operating at higher air pressures and lower liquid pressures.

EXAIR also manufactures Internal Mix type nozzles and even a Siphon type, that can operate under siphon or gravity fed conditions  (no liquid pump/pressure is required.)  Nozzles are available with flow rates from 0.1 to 303 Gallons per Hour, in flow patterns such as Narrow Angle Round, Wide Angle Round, Flat Fan, and 360° Hollow Circular.

To discuss your application and how the EXAIR Atomizing Spray Nozzle can be a benefit at your facility, feel free to contact EXAIR and myself or one of our other Application Engineers can help you determine the best solution.

Brian Bergmann
Application Engineer

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