Tag: oem

What’s In A Name?

Published on by Russ BowmanLeave a comment

Well, a lot, actually…if that name is EXAIR. I wrote a blog just last week about how a set of Super Air Knives solved a MAJOR problem with a brand new aluminum sawing application – the company got those Super Air Knives on the recommendation of the Maintenance Supervisor, who had used them, with great success, at a previous company.

Even more recently, I had the pleasure of helping a caller from an engineering firm that specifies a wide range of our products for use in their OEM machinery:

*Air Knives & Nozzles for automated blow offs.
*Cabinet Cooler Systems for electrical/electronics heat protection.
*E-Vac Vacuum Generators for end-of-arm robotics “pick & place.”

Turns out, they use a good amount of compressed air in their manufacturing facility and (did I mention they’re an engineering firm?) they’re interested in implementing a facilities resource management program. For one part of this, they want to know how much compressed air they’re using, when they’re using it, and what they’re using it for. And when presented with a question about compressed air, they thought about EXAIR…and wanted to know more about the Digital Flowmeter.

EXAIR's Digital Flowmeter w/ USB Data Logger
EXAIR’s Digital Flowmeter w/ USB Data Logger

We discussed everything from theory of operation, to best practices for installation (location, position, etc.,) to accuracy, to getting the flow data…and we’ve got a few options for that:

*The Digital Flowmeter itself can output a 4-20mA signal, or there’s an optional RS-485 output board available.
*The USB Data Logger connects directly to the Digital Flowmeter and records flow rate data – about 9 hours’ worth if measured once a second; 2 years’ worth if measured every 12 hours. When removed from the Digital Flowmeter and plugged into your computer, you can use its software, or Microsoft Excel, to view & analyze the data.
*The Summing Remote Display offers instant indication of current flow rate, previous 24 hours’ air consumption, and cumulative total usage, all at the push of a button.

EXAIR's Remote Summing Display - see current flow rate, previous 24 hours' consumption, or total cumulative usage, at the push of a button!
EXAIR’s Summing Remote Display – see current flow rate, previous 24 hours’ consumption, or total cumulative usage, at the push of a button!

The latter turned out to be the best fit for my caller – the main supply header runs right past his office, and, if he can sell his facilities folks on it, he can install the Summing Remote Display on the wall, right next to his desk.  Easy as that.

EXAIR’s Intelligent Compressed Air Products have made a name for themselves in many places like this. Here at the factory, we’re all dedicated to spreading, and reinforcing, that reputation for excellence. If you’d like to find out more, give me a call.

Russ Bowman
Application Engineer
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Going To The County Fair

Published on by Russ BowmanLeave a comment

My thoughts this week are full of flashing neon lights, calliope music, carnival games, food you wouldn’t think should be deep fried (but is, and it’s awesome,) 4H exhibits, and thrill rides. This of course, means the county fair starts this weekend.

County Fair

I grew up just a few miles from the fairgrounds, so I gained an appreciation for all things fair-related at an early age. That’s why I was particularly excited about the opportunity to help a new client specify a Cabinet Cooler System a while back.

EXAIR Cabinet Cooler Systems are very popular for keeping sensitive electronic/electrical components and controls cool & dry in “less-than-optimal” environments…which was the case for this client, who designs and builds thrill rides, and whose customer for this new ride has a traveling carnival, operating primarily in the southwest United States. The high ambient heat and prevalence of sand & dust, not to mention the regular teardown, transport & setup, meant that vent fans just weren’t going to get the job done. The ride operators have enough to do getting everything operational on a tight schedule, meaning that a refrigerant-type cooler – and associated maintenance – wasn’t going to work either.

Then the designer and I reached a critical point in the conversation: EXAIR Cabinet Cooler Systems require a ready supply of compressed air…something that isn’t always easy to come by when the equipment to be cooled is as mobile as this. Good news was, the ride has pneumatically actuated motion control, so they had an on-board compressor, and could simply tap into that.

4608The calculated heat load was just under 400 BTU/hr, so I specified our Model 4808-24VDC NEMA 4 Cabinet Cooler System – 550 BTU/hr – w/Thermostat Control (24VDC). To date, it’s worked perfectly, and they’ve ordered two more, since they intend to make the Cabinet Cooler System an integral part of this equipment…a win-win-win: for us, them, and their clients.

At EXAIR, we take a great amount of pride in being a premier solutions provider for your compressed air product needs, whether it’s an application in your plant, or for OEM equipment that you’re building. We want you – and your clients – to get the most out of their compressed air usage. Give us a call and find out how an EXAIR Intelligent Compressed Air Product can help you do just that.

Russ Bowman
Application Engineer
(513)671-3322 local
(800)923-9247 toll free
(513)671-3363 fax
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Image from Anita Ritenour. Creative Commons

More Than You Asked For? Not A Problem.

Published on by Russ BowmanLeave a comment

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EXAIR’s brand-new Catalog #27 came out yesterday. It contains 168 pages of details on our fifteen distinct lines of Intelligent Compressed Air Products. When you make products, like we do, that range from coating to cooling to conveying to cleaning to conservation (and those are just the ones we put on the cover), we can hardly blame folks for calling with one product in mind, and finding that another (sometimes) completely different product is the ideal solution to their application…and perhaps another part of their application as well. I had the pleasure of assisting an OEM machine manufacturer with the perfect example of this just the other day:

This customer makes machinery for the food industry. They were experimenting with a machine for a candy maker – small fruit gum candies are fed into a bowl hopper, where they needed to have a static charge eliminated for the next part of their proprietary process. The machine maker had procured a fan-type ionized air blower, which did a decent job of removing the static, but they also needed a way to keep the candies separated…they don’t call them “gummies” for nothing, right?

Anyway, they were looking for suggestions for an air nozzle to provide a little blast of air to break up the ones that were stuck together, and were concerned about disturbing the ionized air flow. In essence, they didn’t want to trade one problem for another. This actually made them quite interested to hear about our Static Eliminators, which could potentially eliminate the cost, space, and installation of their current ionized air blower.

The concentrated airflow of the Model 7294 Ion Air Jet (with Power Supply) is able to be directed to a precise spot in the bowl, and, as the candies pass through, they’re both separated and neutralized of their static charge. This turned into a real all-in-one solution, AND an introduction of a new (to them) EXAIR product line.

EXAIR's Ion Air Jet provides focused blowoff AND static elimination...an all-in-one solution.
EXAIR’s Ion Air Jet provides focused blowoff AND static elimination…an all-in-one solution.

If you want to find out how an EXAIR product can contribute to the efficiency of your process, or the value of your OEM machinery designs, give us a call.  Don’t be surprised, though, if we offer you more than you asked for.

Russ Bowman
Application Engineer
www.exair.com
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EXAIR Serves OEMs

Published on by Lee EvansLeave a comment

PVDF Super Air Knife

EXAIR has become well known for solving problems in industrial applications. Many times, the end users of our products contact us directly for application assistance, technical specifications, drawings, and installation tips. But, we also spend considerable time meeting the needs of OEM clients as well.

I worked alongside a new OEM customer recently, discussing options for an EXAIR solution in their prototype. In this case, the OEM needed an air knife suitable for use in a chemical wash down environment, so we discussed our PVDF Super Air Knives. They were unsure about the technical specs (compressed air use, suitable operating pressure, output force and air volume) and needed to sort through those issues, but they were completely blown away when I told them we had the products in stock.

And, not only were they in stock, but we could work with their delivery schedule to ensure the products they needed were ready on time. When the discussion moved into a potential need for custom length PVDF Super Air Knives, they were again blown away that we can deliver custom products in a relatively short time frame. (It pays to be the manufacturer of your own products!)

Many OEMs, when sourcing products for their equipment, encounter never ending barriers to completing a project. At EXAIR, we make it a point to have repeatable, dependable products ready to ship on time, and to make the process of doing business as easy as possible for end users and OEMs alike.

Having all cataloged products in stock, matching the needs of the OEM with our internal production schedule, and flexibility in product design are just a few of the benefits EXAIR offers new and existing OEM customers. If you have a project or design that is in need of an EXAIR solution, contact an EXAIR Application Engineer.

Lee Evans
Application Engineer
LeeEvans@EXAIR.com
@EXAIR_LE