Tag: nozzle

Identify Real Compressed Air Savings Through EXAIR’s Efficiency Lab

Published on by Tyler DanielLeave a comment

Many customers may not have the means to test the air consumption of their blowoff solutions. With compressed air being the most expensive utility in a manufacturing facility, it’s important to identify places where you can save money on your overall operating costs. EXAIR manufactures a wide variety of products intended to help you reduce your compressed air usage. If you’re not able to accurately measure the consumption in your own shop, we invite you to send the products to EXAIR for testing. With EXAIR’s Award-Winning Efficiency Lab, just simply box them up and send them to our warehouse in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Once we receive it, our engineers will complete some in-depth testing to determine the compressed air consumption, sound level, and force that your current solution provides. With this information, we’ll be able to compare it to an EXAIR Engineered Solution. This way, we ensure that you receive the best, safest solution possible also capable of saving money through reduced air consumption and improved efficiency.  We’ll send you back a comprehensive report that’ll help you to make the best decision for your company.

I’ve recently been working with a customer that sent in one of the nozzles they’re using across all their CNC machines. They wanted us to test it out and see if we’d be able to offer them something that could reduce their overall compressed air usage. The nozzle was one of the cheap plastic varieties and was attached to a commonly used modular hose. This type of modular hose is not designed for operating under high pressures. These hoses are more suitable for liquid coolant or air that is at or below atmospheric pressure.

After testing, we found that at 80 psig the nozzle consumed 3.85 SCFM and produced a force of 1.92 oz. We also noticed that after 60 psig, the nozzle began to leak due to a poor seal where the nozzle met the brass hex. The EXAIR nozzle most suitable to replace this was the 1108SS. At just 2.5 SCFM at 80 psig, replacing the plastic nozzle with an engineered solution saves them 35% of their overall consumption for this blowoff. With close to 1000 of these nozzles in operation, the air savings can add up quickly!!

In addition to increasing efficiency, replacing these nozzles also greatly increases overall worker safety. The sound level is reduced from 73 dBA to just 58 dBA and EXAIR’s nozzles also adhere to OSHA 1910.242(b). The plastic nozzles could be dead-ended, posing a hazard that can result in costly fines. These fines are assessed per infraction, so having multiple non-compliant nozzles can easily get very expensive if you’re subject to an unannounced visit by an OSHA inspector.

If you think you may have an opportunity to improve upon your existing blowoff methods, give us a call. We’ll be happy to take a closer look and have you send the product back to EXAIR for a quick trial in our Efficiency Lab. You’ll be glad you did!

Tyler Daniel, CCASS

Application Engineer

E-mal: TylerDaniel@exair.com

Twitter: @EXAIR_TD

Adjustability and Precision w/ EXAIR’s Super Air Nozzles & Stay Set Hoses

Published on by Tyler DanielLeave a comment

If you’ve been tasked with reducing operating costs in your plant, upgrading your blowoffs to EXAIR’s Engineered Air Nozzles & Jets might be just the ticket. When replacing a homemade or inefficient solution, EXAIR’s Super Air Nozzles can save you as much as 80% of your compressed air usage.

An open copper pipe or tube, even if “flattened” as we’ll commonly see, wastes an excessive amount of compressed air. This wasted compressed air can create problems in the facility due to unnecessarily high energy costs and the pressure drop that can be experienced affecting other processes. In addition to simply using too much compressed air, an open pipe or tube will often produce sound levels in excess of 100 dBA. At these sound levels, according to OSHA, permanent hearing damage will occur in just 2 hours of exposure.

By simply replacing the open tubes and pipe with an EXAIR Super Air Nozzle, you can quickly reduce air consumption AND reduce the sound level. Sound level isn’t the only thing an OSHA inspector is going to be concerned about regarding an open pipe blowoff, in addition OSHA 1910.242(b) states that a compressed air nozzle used for blowoff or cleaning purposes cannot be dead-ended when using with pressures in excess of 30 psig. I don’t know if you’ve ever tried to use an air gun with 30 psig fed to it, but the effectiveness of it is dramatically reduced. This is why there needs to be a device installed that’ll prevent it from being dead-ended so that you can operate at a higher pressure.

EXAIR’s Super Air Nozzles are designed with fins that serve two purposes. They help to entrain ambient air from the environment, allowing us to maximize the force and flow from the nozzle but keeping the compressed air consumption minimal. In addition, these fins are what prevent the nozzle openings from being completely blocked off. Using an OSHA-compliant compressed air nozzle for all points where a blowoff operation is being performed should be a priority. Each individual infraction will result in a fine if you’re unfortunate enough to be the victim of an unannounced OSHA inspection.

If your process involves numerous different products with varying dimensions, you might need a way to adjust each blowoff based on the material being run. With our Stay Set Hoses, this can be achieved quickly and easily without the need for any tools or a long shutdown.

EXAIR’s Stay Set Hoses are available from 6”-36” in length with ¼ NPT male threads on each end, or a ¼ NPT male on one end and 1/8 NPT female on the other. The Stay Set Hoses are rigid and allow you to maintain precise positioning of the blow off nozzle. The hoses have “memory” and will not creep or bend. They’re easily repositioned as well, making them an ideal solution for applications that may require frequent repositioning due to varying parts.

All of these products are available to ship same-day with an order received by 2:00 ET from stock. Give one a try today!

Tyler Daniel

Application Engineer

E-mail: TylerDaniel@EXAIR.com

X: @EXAIR_TD

Preventing Pressure Drop in a Compressed Air Distribution System

Published on by Tyler DanielLeave a comment

A critical component to optimal performance of any compressed air-operated product is ensuring sufficient compressed air flow volume is available. Simply put, inadequate air flow won’t allow you to get the job done. When troubleshooting an application for EXAIR Products, the vast majority of problems occur due to pressure drops in the system not allowing the product to work optimally. Oftentimes, this can be something as simple as using an undersized air hose or supply line. Imagine trying to suck a thick milkshake through a coffee stirrer, compared to a wide-mouth straw. You’re not going to have much success with a coffee stirrer, but the increased cross-sectional area of the wide-mouth straw allows you to suck it up and enjoy it comfortably. The same concept is true for supplying air to your products. If there’s a restriction, it won’t work properly! Let’s talk about what you can do to ensure you’re operating effectively.

As compressed air moves through the distribution system, it encounters friction inside the walls of the pipe, tube, hose, etc. The diameter of the pipe, length, number of direction changes, and surface finish of the inner wall all play a part in the total amount of friction applied. A drop in air pressure will occur as a result of this friction. In addition to pressure drops experienced due to the distribution system, they can also occur at the point of use. If the compressed air supply line is undersized, the pressure drop will manifest and be great enough to impact the performance of the product. 

When designing and maintaining your compressed air system, pressure measurements should be taken across varying points to identify (and fix) any issues before they create a greater pressure drop problem down the road. According to the Compressed Air Challenge, these are the places you should take regular pressure measurements to determine your system’s net operating pressure:

  • Inlet to compressor (to monitor inlet air filter) vs. atmospheric pressure
  • Differential across air/lubricant separator
  • Inter stage on multistage compressors
  • After cooler
  • On treatment equipment (dryers, filters, etc.)
  • Various points across the distribution system
  • Check pressure differentials against a manufacturer’s specifications. If high pressure drops are noticed, this indicates a need for service on the affected equipment.

Newer compressors will measure pressure at the package discharge, which would include the separator and after cooler.

Once you’ve taken these measurements, simply add the pressure drops measured and subtract that value from the operating range of your compressor. That figure is your true operating pressure at the point of use.

If your distribution system is properly sized and the pressure drops measured across your various equipment are within specifications, any pressure drop noticed at the point of use is indicative of an inadequate volume of air being transmitted across the distribution system. This could be due to restrictive fittings or undersized air lines, hose, or tubing. Check that the point of use product is properly plumbed into the compressed air supply per the manufacturer’s specifications.

EXAIR Products are designed to minimize this pressure drop by restricting the flow of compressed air at the point of use. The more energy (higher pressure) that we’re able to bring to the point of use, the more efficient and effective that energy will be at operating point of use equipment. The photo below shows two common examples of inefficient compressed air usage. With an open-ended blow off, a pressure drop occurs upstream inside the supply line. If you were to measure the pressure directly at the point of use, while in operation, you’d find that the pressure is significantly lower than it is at the compressor or further upstream in the compressed air distribution system. In the other photo, with a modular-style hose, some pressure is able to build up. But if it gets too high the hose connection can blow apart. These types of modular style hose are not designed to be used with compressed gases.

EXAIR’s Super Air Nozzles, on the other hand, restrict compressed air volume flow to a lower level to keep the compressed air pressure high, right up to the point of discharge, and minimize the pressure drop. This, in addition to the air entrainment, allows for a high force while maximizing efficiency by reducing the amount of air consumed. If you’d like to talk about how an EXAIR Intelligent Compressed Air Product could help to minimize pressure drop in your processes, give us a call.

Tyler Daniel, CCASS

Application Engineer

E-mail: TylerDaniel@EXAIR.com

X: @EXAIR_TD

1126 1" Flat Super Air Nozzle and 1122 2" Flat Super Air Nozzle

Flat Super Air Nozzles… Safe, Efficient, and Rebates?

Published on by John BallLeave a comment
1126 1" Flat Super Air Nozzle and 1122 2" Flat Super Air Nozzle
Left 1122 2″ Flat Super Air Nozzle and Right 1126 1″ Flat Super Air Nozzle

The EXAIR Flat Super Air Nozzles are manufactured to blow a wide, forceful stream of air.  Their engineered design creates a high-velocity, laminar air stream with minimal air consumption and low noise levels.  They come in two widths; 1” (25mm) and 2” (51mm).  EXAIR offers a standard Flat Super Air Nozzle and a High Force Flat Super Air Nozzle in two different materials: zinc-aluminum alloy and 316 stainless steel.  And with a metal construction, breakage is not a concern, and performance is not sacrificed even in the harshest of environments.  The unique patented shims inside the EXAIR Flat Super Air Nozzles will give you three improvements to the design and function.  First, they come in different thicknesses to create a wide range of forces.  In conjunction with a regulator, you can “dial” in the correct amount of force from a breeze to a blast without overusing your compressed air system.  The patented design also allows an even flow across the entire width of the air nozzle.  Lastly, the design helps to entrain the free ambient air, so that less compressed air is required, saving you money.  The EXAIR Flat Super Air Nozzles are effective in uniform blowing with safety and efficiency in mind.

Flat Super Air Nozzles have replaceable shims to vary performance.

To expand more on force adjustments with the Flat Super Air Nozzles, EXAIR has an easy way to change the shim to better suit your application.  You can increase or decrease the force of the nozzle by just removing two screws and changing the thickness of the shim inside.  EXAIR offers a Shim Set to give you a range of forces with the nozzles.  For the standard Flat Super Air Nozzle, they come with a 0.015” (0.38mm) shim for both the 1” and 2” sizes.  The corresponding Shim Sets will include a 0.005” (0.13mm), 0.010” (0.25mm), and 0.020” (0.51mm) shim.  The High Force Flat Super Air Nozzles will come standard with a 0.025” (0.64mm) shim, and the Shim Set will include a 0.020” (0.51mm) and a 0.030” (0.76mm) thick shim.  This is a unique feature, as the competition’s plastic flat nozzles do not have this option.

In addition to the features and benefits, the Flat Super Air Nozzles come with a lip for safety reasons.  Occupational Safety and Health Administration, OSHA, has a federal regulation, 29CFR 1910.242(b) to eliminate dead-end pressure.  This states that pressure over 30 PSIG (2 bar) can penetrate the skin and can cause injury or death.  With the safety lip on the Flat Super Air Nozzles, it eliminates that concern, even above 30 PSIG (2 bar) inlet air pressure.  Unlike pipes and copper tubes where the skin can cover and block the exit, the lip on the Flat Super Air Nozzles will allow the air to escape.  So, you cannot block the exit (reference photo above). 

EXAIR Safety Air Nozzles are engineered to be safe, quiet, and very efficient.  They are so efficient that many electrical companies offer rebates for efficient products to help reduce energy consumption.  EXAIR offers ways to calculate ROI (Return on Investment) and energy savings by using our products.  We even offer an Efficiency Lab to measure with calibrated equipment to do comparative analysis.  But if your local energy company has a rebate program, then you can receive even more money back.

EXAIR has partnered with Energy Star, a program of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).  For statewide programs, The NC Clean Energy Technology Center has created a website that consolidates this information for you on their website: www.dsireusa.org.  “DSIRE is the most comprehensive source of information on incentives and policies that support renewable and energy efficiency in the United States”.  Since EXAIR’s products fall into this category, rebates can be applied to the use of our products. If there is a rebate available, you will find it on this site.

With the EXAIR Flat Super Air Nozzles, you can take advantage of their durability, safety, and efficiency for your blow-off devices.  And depending on the state that you are in, you may be awarded a rebate.  If you need any help with drawings, performance, or setup of our Flat Super Air Nozzles, you can speak with an Application Engineer at EXAIR.  We will be happy to help you.

John Ball                                                                                    

Application Engineer

Email: johnball@exair.com

Twitter: @EXAIR_jb