Tag: nozzle

How to Reduce Blowoff Noise and Stay OSHA-Compliant

Published on by Al WooffittLeave a comment

Walk onto almost any factory floor, and you will hear a familiar, high-pitched hiss. Compressed air blow offs are essential for clearing chips, drying parts, and moving materials. However, standard open pipes, copper tubes, and cheap commercial air guns create an incredibly loud, turbulent environment.

If your facility is looking to lower its decibel levels, improve operator safety, and slash energy bills, the solution lies in upgrading to an engineered system like EXAIR Safety Air Guns.

Traditional blow offs—such as a crimped copper pipe or a basic thumb trigger gun—rely on forcing raw compressed air through a large, unrestricted opening. This design creates severe air shear and chaotic turbulence as the fast-moving air slams into the stagnant ambient air.

This turbulence results in two major consequences:

  1. Extreme Decibel Levels: Standard open-ended blow offs easily generate noise levels between 87 dBA to over 104 dBA. Under OSHA Standard 29 CFR 1910.95(a), exposure to these levels without hearing protection can quickly lead to permanent hearing damage or steep regulatory fines.
  2. Energy Inefficiency: Open pipes cause a severe pressure drop across the line, requiring massive amounts of compressed air (often 30 to 50 SCFM) just to maintain basic blowing force.
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.

EXAIR Safety Air Guns solve the noise problem by replacing this chaotic turbulence with engineered, laminar airflow. Instead of dumping raw compressed air directly into the environment, our guns utilize our specialized Super Air Nozzles. These nozzles eject a small amount of compressed air through a series of precise, engineered slots. This primary airstream creates a powerful vacuum effect that entrains large volumes of the surrounding ambient air.

The entrained ambient air forms a protective boundary layer that cushions the high-velocity core stream. By smoothing out the air shear, the noise level drops dramatically—often down to a whisper-quiet 68 to 82 dBA, well below OSHA’s strict 90 dBA threshold.

To put this into perspective, a decibel scale is logarithmic, meaning every 10 dBA increase represents a perceived doubling of loudness.

In a recent industrial case study, written about here on our blog, a manufacturing plant switched their open-ended blow off guns to the EXAIR Model 1250-12 Safety Air Gun. The results were immediate:

  • Before: Noise levels sat at a deafening 104 dBA while consuming 49 SCFM of compressed air.
  • After: Noise levels plummeted to 82 dBA (a 22 dBA reduction), and compressed air consumption dropped to 35 SCFM.

By making the switch, the factory successfully protected its workers’ hearing and significantly reduced its energy footprint.

In addition to reducing noise, upgrading to engineered guns provides total compliance with multiple other safety regulations:

  • OSHA Dead-End Pressure Compliance (29 CFR 1910.242(b)): If a worker accidentally blocks a standard open pipe against their hand or body, the air pressure can breach the skin and inject into the bloodstream, creating a fatal embolism. EXAIR nozzles are engineered with open aerodynamic profiles that cannot be dead-ended. If blocked, the air safely vents out of the sides, keeping dead-end pressure far below the 30 PSI limit.
  • Flying Debris Protection: When clearing chips from a CNC machine, debris can fly backward at the operator. These guns can be outfitted with clear EXAIR Chip Shields to form a physical protective barrier without blocking the line of sight.

Investing in engineered compressed air tools is a straightforward way to eliminate industrial noise pollution, protect your team, and improve your bottom line. If you would like to discuss how an engineered safety air gun from EXAIR can make a difference in your facility, then give me a call!

Al Wooffitt
Application Engineer

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Compressed Air Pipe

5 Compressed Air Myths Engineers Still Believe (And the Truth Behind Them)

Published on by Jordan T ShouseLeave a comment

Compressed air is often called the “fourth utility” because it’s essential to modern manufacturing. Yet despite decades of innovation, many misconceptions about compressed air systems continue to circulate on plant floors.

These myths can lead to higher operating costs, unnecessary equipment failures, excessive compressed air consumption, and reduced productivity.

Let’s separate fact from fiction.

Myth #1: More Pressure Means Better Performance

This is one of the most expensive misconceptions in manufacturing.

When an application doesn’t perform as expected, many people simply increase the regulator pressure. While this may temporarily solve the problem, it often creates new issues:

  • Increased compressed air consumption
  • Higher energy costs
  • Excessive wear on components
  • More system leaks

Instead of increasing pressure, engineers should determine whether the application is using the correct air nozzle, air knife, or vacuum generator for the job. Properly engineered products maximize force while minimizing air consumption.

Myth #2: Open Pipes Are Just as Effective as Engineered Air Nozzles

An open copper tube or drilled pipe may seem like a simple, low-cost solution, but it’s one of the least efficient ways to use compressed air.

Engineered air nozzles are specifically designed to:

  • Entrain surrounding ambient air
  • Amplify airflow
  • Reduce compressed air consumption
  • Lower noise levels
  • Meet OSHA safety standards

Many facilities discover significant energy savings simply by replacing open pipes with “bolting on” engineered air nozzles.

Myth #3: Air Leaks Aren’t Worth Fixing

A small leak may not seem important. Especially one you can’t even hear.

Multiply that leak across hundreds of fittings, quick disconnects, hoses, and valves, however, and the losses become substantial.

Many facilities unknowingly lose 20–30% of their compressed air production through leaks alone.

Routine leak audits and preventive maintenance can dramatically reduce compressor runtime and utility costs.

Myth #4: Compressed Air Doesn’t Need Preventive Maintenance

Many facilities focus maintenance efforts on compressors while overlooking downstream equipment.

Dirty filters, damaged regulators, nozzles clogged with rust and other contamination, as well as worn fittings reduce performance and waste energy.

Preventive inspections should include:

  • Filters
  • Regulators
  • Hoses
  • Air knives
  • Nozzles
  • Vacuum generators
  • Cabinet cooling systems

Small maintenance tasks prevent much larger production issues.

Myth #5: Noise Is Just Part of Using Compressed Air

It doesn’t have to be.

High noise levels often indicate inefficient airflow and turbulence.

Engineered compressed air products reduce turbulence while entraining surrounding air, producing quieter operation without sacrificing performance.

Lower noise benefits both employee safety and OSHA compliance.

Compressed air systems continue to evolve, but many outdated assumptions remain.

Questioning these common myths can uncover hidden opportunities to reduce operating costs, improve reliability, and increase overall plant efficiency.

Whether you’re troubleshooting a blow-off application, cooling an electrical enclosure, conveying materials, or eliminating static electricity, choosing engineered compressed air solutions can make a measurable difference.

Instead of relying on trial and error, work with application specialists who can evaluate your process and recommend the most efficient solution for your specific application. Small changes in compressed air usage often lead to significant long-term savings.

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.

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 ROI of Engineered Air: Why Your Compressed Air Setup Is Costing You More Than It Should

Published on by Tyler DanielLeave a comment

The electrical costs associated with generating compressed air make it the most expensive utility in any industrial facility. In order to help offset these costs, it’s imperative that the system is operating as efficiently as possible. Taking a holistic look at your system, from the distribution piping down to the individual nozzle, reveals several opportunities to reduce your energy footprint without sacrificing performance.

The first and most impactful step is to identify and fix leaks within the distribution piping. According to the Compressed Air Challenge, up to 30% of all compressed air generated is lost through leaks, which can account for nearly 10% of your overall energy costs. These leaks do more than just waste money; they cause a drop in system pressure that forces equipment to cycle on and off more frequently. This leads to rejected products, increased maintenance, and unscheduled downtime. You can perform a professional audit using an EXAIR Model 9207 Ultrasonic Leak Detector to pinpoint these losses or hire an energy audit service to lead the process.

Pressure Regulators “dial in” performance to get the job done without using more air than necessary.

While fixing leaks addresses the distribution side, you must also look at how that air is managed at the point of use. Regulating the supply pressure for individual devices is a massive opportunity for savings. Most shop air runs at a default 80-90 PSIG or higher, but many general blowoff applications can be accomplished with the same level of efficiency at 50 or 60 PSIG. By installing pressure regulators at each device, you reduce consumption immediately. For every 2 PSIG you reduce at the compressor, you save approximately 1% in energy costs.

Drilled and soldered copper pipe.

The hardware you choose for these applications is equally critical. Inefficient, homemade solutions like crimped copper tubes are often thought to be cheap, but the cost to supply them with air far outweighs the price of an engineered solution. An engineered nozzle, such as EXAIR’s line of Super Air Nozzles, utilizes the Coanda effect to entrain free ambient air into the stream. This maximizes force while keeping compressed air usage to an absolute minimum.

Finally, the overall health and operation of the system rely on consistent maintenance and simple human intervention. Inadequate compressor maintenance leads to lower efficiency and higher heat, so a regular preventative schedule for heat exchangers, lubricants, and filters is non-negotiable. Beyond mechanical upkeep, the simplest method to save is to shut off the air when it isn’t in use. Whether operators are on lunch or a shift has ended, simply turning a valve to stop the supply of air is a no-brainer that prevents leaks from wasting power during downtime. Each of these steps, while minute on their own, works together to significantly reduce your overall air consumption and energy costs.

Tyler Daniel, CCASS

Assistant Application Engineering Manager

E-mail: TylerDaniel@EXAIR.com