The muffler for the EasySwitch Wet-Dry Vac is a replaceable item; model 902176. The material can capture residual dust material from vacuuming liquid as well as dirty compressed air. In this video, I will show you how to change the muffler material. Watch it here:
If you have any questions about the maintenance process or the various spare parts we have available for the EasySwitch Wet Dry Vacuum System, please let us know. We are quite happy to help you keep your products working at peak effectiveness.
Hearing loss is the best known, but not the only, ill effect of harmful noise exposure. It can also cause physical and psychological stress, impair concentration, and contribute to workplace accidents or injuries.
Many manufacturing plants have a strong focus on safety for their workers. One major safety concern that is overlooked is noise. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has a directive, 29 CFR 1910.95a, that defines noise exposure levels over time. For an eight-hour day, the maximum noise level is 90 dBA. Hearing loss is irreversible, but it can be prevented. The CDC, Center for Disease Control, and NIOSH, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, report that “approximately 18% of all manufacturing workers have hearing difficulty”1.
EXAIR manufactures intelligent compressed air® products to reduce noise levels in the work environment with our Super Air Nozzles, Super Air Knives, and Safety Air Guns for blow-off applications. But there is another culprit that can be heard; discharge exhaust. In this blog, I will cover the different types of mufflers that we offer to help reduce these sound levels.
Reclassifying Mufflers are designed to have two functions. They can cut noise levels by 35 dB and remove oil mist from the exhaust air. Cylinders and valves that exhaust pressurized air may have oil in the line to keep the seals from sticking. When exhausted, it can create a fine mist, which is dangerous for operators. Reclassifying mufflers can reduce loud noise while also collecting any contaminants in the exhaust air.
Sintered Bronze Mufflers are simple in design, cost-effective, and easy to install. They have minimal back pressure to not restrict the operations of the pneumatic device. They come in sizes from #10-32 thread to 1-1/2” NPT. For a quick and simple way to reduce noise, the Sintered Bronze Mufflers are in stock for fast delivery.
Straight-Through Mufflers offer a way to reduce noise levels without worrying about clogging. They have an aluminum shell lined with sound-absorbing foam, and they can reduce the noise level by 20 dB. EXAIR offers them with ports of ¼” NPT, 3/8” NPT, and ¾” NPT. One side has a female thread, while the opposite side will have a male thread. This can allow you to connect other items like hose kits to reduce noise.
In harsh environments, Heavy Duty Mufflers are used. They have an outer aluminum shell with an internal stainless-steel screen. They protect components like valves and cylinders from contamination entering the part. And, the Heavy Duty Muffler can keep contaminants like rust from being ejected at high speed into the work area. They have a typical noise reduction of 14 dB.
Here is a test for you. If you go and stand in your plant, you can probably hear loud noises coming from your pneumatic system. EXAIR has engineered products to solve most of them. In the Hierarchy of Controls from NIOSH, Personal Protection Equipment, or PPE, is the least effective. A better control from this chart would be to isolate your operators from the hazard with an engineered product. EXAIR can offer these solutions for many of your blow-off and pneumatic discharge applications. If you wish to discuss in further details about the safety improvements that EXAIR can provide, you can contact an Application Engineer. We will be happy to help.
Noise, we all hate it to some extent. From the hustle and bustle of crowed streets to the whine of a jet engine noise has plagued the world for eons leaving people to search for a way to escape into a moment of peace and quiet. The majority of people that I know pack their massive over sized backpacks and head deep into the mountains for days on end to escape the noise sometimes traveling for 10+ miles at a time. But how can we help eliminate this monstrosity that we have created in our manufacturing environments? The answer is mufflers, and no I don’t mean your car muffler (although they do the same thing) I mean compressed air mufflers. Compressed air can be a loud utility inside of a plant environment and exceed the OSHA guidelines for personnel noise exposure. But this noise can easily be mitigated with the use of Intelligent compressed air products and mufflers.
Big Sandy Lake Trail – Wind River Range State Park, WY
OSHA Standard 29 CFR 1910.95(a) outlines the total noise exposure to a particular noise level per day and dictates that noise exposure at or above 85 decibels require ear protection. By placing a muffler on the end of the pipe one can reduce the sound level significantly to the point it could be the difference between having to wear ear protection and not having to. With that being said EXAIR offers four different types of mufflers to choose from and they are Reclassifying, Sintered Bronze, Straight-Through, and Heavy Duty.
Reclassifying mufflers offer the best noise reduction at 35 dB and have the added benefit of removing oil mist from the air line. This means that the Reclassifying mufflers are ideal for pneumatic cylinders. Per OSHA Standard 29 CFR 1910.1000 worker shall not be exposed to more than 5mg/m3 of oil by volume in a 40-hour work week. The patented design of the removable element separates oil from the exhausted air and meets or exceeds the OSHA Standard.
The quick pick chart for easily choosing which muffler you need
Sintered Bronze Mufflers are an excellent low-cost solution which can be easily installed into your current existing ports. These mufflers also come in the largest variety of different sizes ranging from thread sizes of #10-32 to 1.5” NPT. Also, the Sintered Bronze Mufflers are specifically designed to provide the minimal amount of back pressure and restriction. The main difference between these mufflers and the reclassifying is that the Sintered Bronze Mufflers cannot collect oil out of the exhaust.
The quick pick chart for easily choosing which muffler you need
If the process air needs to be directly plumbed away from personnel, then the Straight-Through Muffler is the way to go. Straight-Through Mufflers are ideal for situations that require both a threaded inlet and exhaust. In most applications you will see the Straight-Through Muffler pair with our E-Vac vacuum generators or Vortex Tubes to provide noise reduction of the unit. All in all, the Straight-Through Muffler can reduce noise levels up to 20 dB.
Model 3913 Straight-Through Muffler
Lastly, the Heavy Duty Muffler provides a corrosion resistant aluminum outer shell with a stainless steel inner screen. This design allows the muffler to catch any contaminants such as rust from being ejected potentially causing harm or quality defects. Typically, this muffle will reduce noise levels up to 14 dB.
Model 3903 Heavy Duty Muffler
If you have any questions or want more information on EXAIR’s E-Vacs and their Accessories. Give us a call, we have a team of application engineers ready to answer your questions and recommend a solution for your applications.
Cody Biehle Application Engineer EXAIR Corporation Visit us on the Web Follow me on Twitter Like us on Facebook
Vacuum systems are becoming more and more prevalent within manufacturing day by day. Vacuum powered lifts can make it easy to lift and move small objects like tiny coins to heavy steel plates. Vacuum chucks hold work pieces that could be marred by jaws or vises. And sealed vessels can be pressure tested or tested for leaks by pulling a vacuum on them. It’s pretty simple to pick out which vacuum generator that you need, but what about the accessories? There are so many different accessories to choose from such as mufflers, suction cups, hose, valves, and connections. The following is a quick overview of the different accessories that you can get from EXAIR along with your E-Vac vacuum generator.
Vacuum cups for E-Vac generators
Suction cups are a very common accessory that you need when using a vacuum system. Vacuum cups allow one to create a seal on the surface of the object that you wish to pick up and is what allows the system to lift objects. We offer four different kinds of vacuum cups to choose from stock; available are small and large Round, Oval, and Bellow styles. Round cups are more suited to being used on smooth, flat surfaces. Oval cups provide the most vacuum due to the larger surface area making them ideal for lifting heavy loads. The Bellows style is best suited for textured or uneven surfaces; the folds provide a collapsible area that allows the cup to compress and seal on an uneven surface.
EXAIR’s Standard and Straight Through Muffler
Next up is the mufflers; they muffle the sound generated by the E-Vac and quiet a working vacuum generator. There are two different types of mufflers from EXAIR that are available; these are the Standard and the straight through mufflers. The Standard muffler is designed to be attached to the discharge end of an in-line E-Vac and has a closed end. These are best suited for applications that are free from dust and debris. The straight through muffler is open all the way through and are more suited to applications were dirt, dust and debris is present. The straight through style also offers the best sound level reduction, up to 26 dBA.
Lastly the E-Vacs have an NPT threaded connection that will allow for a suitable connector to be properly installed. From here different connectors can be used to attach the various amounts of vacuum cups. The connectors provided are Push-In Connector Type Fittings of assorted styles available with our polyurethane tubing to make the installation and plumbing a cinch.
If you have any questions or want more information on EXAIR’s E-Vacs and their Accessories. Give us a call, we have a team of application engineers ready to answer your questions and recommend a solution for your applications.
Cody Biehle Application Engineer EXAIR Corporation Visit us on the Web Follow me on Twitter Like us on Facebook
