Tag: PEEK

November Press Release: EXAIR’s New 1106-PEEK 1/2″ Super Air Nozzle!

Published on by Tyler DanielLeave a comment

New to EXAIR’s Line of Super Air Nozzles is the Model 1106-PEEK. The 1106-PEEK is the PEEK plastic version of our Model 1106 ½” Super Air Nozzle. As the first nozzle available in the PEEK material from our line of High Force Air Nozzles, we’re pleased to add this to our line of stock products that are available to ship on the same day with orders placed by 2:00 p.m. ET.

The Model 1106-PEEK delivers up to 3.3lbs (1.5Kgs) of force at a distance of 12” (914 mm.) and a pressure of 80 PSIG (5.5 BAR). This high force is delivered at a sound level of just 87 dBA, making it exceptionally quiet for a nozzle of this size. At just 87 dBA, this nozzle is under the threshold of allowable noise exposure for an 8-hour work day.

This air nozzle isn’t just available on its own, but can also be installed with the Soft Grip or Heavy Duty Safety Air Gun. These guns come with extensions ranging from 6-72” and can also be outfitted with a Chip Shield to protect operators from debris blowing back onto them during the process.

So what exactly is PEEK plastic? PEEK, or Polyetheretherketone for those that love a good tongue-twister, is a high-performance engineered plastic that provides great resistance to a variety of harsh chemicals without compromising mechanical strength or stability. PEEK material is also resilient to temperatures that other plastics would easily melt. With all of our PEEK nozzles rated up to 320 °F (160 °C), they’re more resilient to heat than even the zinc/aluminum nozzles!

They aren’t only offered for their corrosion resistance, but are also a good fit for applications where there is a chance that the nozzle itself could come into contact with the product or material. If there’s a metal nozzle on the end of the gun, it’s going to scratch and mar the surface of the part.

The PEEK plastic nozzles are also significantly lighter when compared to either the zinc/aluminum or SS versions of the same nozzles. This can make them beneficial for end-of-arm-tooling (EOAT) applications where the nozzle will be installed on the end of a robot and overall weight is a critical factor.  

If you’re looking for a powerful nozzle manufactured from chemical-resistant and non-marring PEEK plastic, EXAIR’s new 1106-PEEK should fit the bill. Give us a call today to speak with an Application Engineer to see how EXAIR can help improve the results of your processes.

Tyler Daniel, CCASS

Application Engineer

E-mail: TylerDaniel@EXAIR.com

Twitter: @EXAIR_TD

OSHA Safety, Efficiency, and Flexibility from Engineered Compressed Air Nozzles

Published on by Brian FarnoLeave a comment

Throughout my years here at EXAIR as well as my years in the metal cutting industry, one of the most common quick fixes I see in production environments for compressed air blowoffs in a process is an open copper pipe that is contorted into a position, pinched at the end, and more often than not kinked from repositioning. I call this a quick fix because it does blow air, more often than not it will get production up and running, but it does not meet or exceed OSHA standards for safety and is an inefficient use of compressed air. [OSHA Standards 29 CFR 1910.242(b) and 29 CFR 1910.95(a)]

EXAIR Super Air Nozzles that are easy replacements for 1/8″ and 1/4″ Copper pipe.

The first engineered solution I could offer to prevent any costly OSHA fines and to lower the ambient noise level caused by these blowoffs is to implement an EXAIR Engineered Air Nozzle. We offer a wide variety of nozzles ranging from a 4mm thread up to a 1-1/4″ NPT thread. With this wide range comes a wide variety of forces and flows as well.

Today, I would like to focus on the common sizes of copper blowoffs which are 1/8″ and 1/4″. To simply adapt a nozzle to copper line a compression fitting can be easily sourced, often from EXAIR, and convert the copper tubing in place to an NPT threaded outlet for easy installation of an EXAIR nozzle. More often than not a compression fitting is how the copper tubing is tied into the machine’s compressed air system.

We have a total of 37 engineered air nozzles from stock that will easily fit a compression fitting which goes to a 1/8″ NPT or 1/4″ NPT thread. Several of these are also adjustable through a gap adjustment or a patented shim adjustment to vary the force and flow out of the nozzle from a forceful blast to a gentle breeze in order to me your application needs. What if you want to eliminate the copper line and compressions fittings?

EXAIR offers a replacement option for the ever-common copper tube that is more robust and does not require a tool to be properly repositioned. We currently offer twenty-four different models of our Stay Set Hoses that can be easily connected to any of the nozzles mentioned above. The lengths that are available are 6″ (152mm), 12″ (305mm), 18″ (457mm), 24″ (610mm), 30″ (762mm) and 36″ (914mm).

These lengths are available with two separate connection options. 1/4″ MNPT x 1/4″ MNPT or 1/4″ MNPT x 1/8″ FNPT. The Stay Set Hoses can easily be bent by hand into position for a precise placement of the air pattern from the engineered nozzle attached to it. This permits operators a tool free adjustment for fast and reliable location to keep production up and running. They can also be paired with Magnetic Bases.

EXAIR Magnetic Bases are available in single outlet or dual outlet configurations. Both include a 100 lb. pull magnet that will hold tight to any ferrous metal surface for secure mounting, as well as a quick 1/4 turn miniature valve on each outlet. This permits independent customization of the force our of each output for the dual outlet mag base. Each magnetic base offers a 1/4″ FNPT inlet port and outlet port. We offer these with any of combination of the Stay Set Hoses mentioned above as well as any of the Super Air Nozzles mentioned above.

Mag Bases come with one or two outlets. Stay Set Hoses come in lengths from 6″ to 36″.

The Super Air Nozzles, Stay Set Hoses, and Magnetic Bases can be easily combined before they ship to your facility to make a complete blowoff station that is easily installed and adjusted to fit any of the needs your process may have for a point of use blowoff. If you want help determining how much compressed air you would save by replacing the open pipe blowoffs with an engineered solution like a Stay Set Magnetic Base Blowoff System please contact myself or any Application Engineer here at EXAIR.

Brian Farno
Application Engineer
BrianFarno@EXAIR.com
@EXAIR_BF

 

PEEK Super Air Nozzles Resist Corrosion; Won’t Scratch Sensitive Surfaces

Published on by Russ BowmanLeave a comment

Because they might be needed in some pretty aggressive environments, EXAIR offers many of our Intelligent Compressed Air Products in a variety of materials. One particular material of construction, however, has two distinct benefits. PEEK (Polyether Ether Ketone, for those of us who ruined the grading curve in CHEM102) plastic offers not only superior chemical corrosion resistance; it’s also non-marring. Since EXAIR introduced the first PEEK Super Air Nozzle in 2005, they’ve been specified all over the world; sometimes for their corrosion resistance; other times so they won’t mar or scratch sensitive surfaces…and every once in a while, for both.

I recently had the pleasure of discussing blow off applications with the production manager of a large anodizing & plating company. The chemicals used in these processes are extremely corrosive, and the equipment used in those areas has to be made of something that’ll handle it. PEEK plastic is just such a material. Also, once they’ve treated their customers’ parts, they need to handle them with care…they’re getting paid a premium to provide nice, shiny parts with a perfect finish. When they’re blowing them off, they need to use something that won’t scratch up the surface if the operator makes incidental contact with the blow off tip. Again, PEEK plastic is just such a material.  Since their existing blow offs were fitted to 1/8 NPT connections, they chose the Model 1102-PEEK Mini Super Air Nozzle.

EXAIR’s PEEK Super Air Nozzles can be mounted in place or on a Safety Air Gun, depending on your needs.

Corrosion resistant and non-marring…EXAIR offers our PEEK Super Air Nozzles in six sizes, from the Atto (M4x0.5 threads; 2.5 SCFM; 2 oz force applied) to our High Force Model 1104-PEEK (3/8 NPT threads; 35 SCFM; 1.9 lbs force applied) for an incredibly diverse range of applications.

If you’d like to discuss what material(s) of construction your application(s) require, give me a call.

Russ Bowman
Application Engineer
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Out Of This World

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One of the best parts about being an Application Engineer at EXAIR is the vast array of applications that customers call in with.  Every time the phone rings, a chat notification pops up, or an email to Techelp comes in, another interesting application presents itself and the process of helping to provide a solution begins.

Recently, I worked with an Optical Scientist working on the next class of giant ground-based telescopes that promises to to revolutionize our view and understanding of the universe.  He made contact with us via chat and said that he had seen a special Safety Air Gun being used to blow off a telescope mirror at a different telescope site.  He said the unit had black plastic nozzles, which was preferred, because they would not scratch or damage the mirror glass. After receiving a photo of the unit, we were able to identify it as the model 1213-4-PEEK, Super Blast Safety Air Gun, with 4 PEEK Nozzles (PEEK  = Polyetheretherketone, a thermoplastic).

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Model 1213-4-PEEK Super Blast Safety Air Gun

The Super Blast Safety Air Gun is one of the EXAIR  High Force Safety Air Gun offerings that provide a strong blowing force with the added convenience of a comfortable soft grip and easy to operate spring-loaded manual valve that automatically shuts off should it be dropped.  The Super Blast Safety Air gun is ideal for long distance, wide area blowoff, cooling and drying applications.  In the case of the telescope mirror application, the mirrors are outside and subject to dust and bird and bat “deposits.”  After a thorough washing, the Super Blast Safety Air Gun provides the method for drying the mirrors. At 8.4 meters in diameter, a strong, far reaching blast of air is required to ensure complete drying of the mirror surface.

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Array of 7 Mirror Surfaces

EXAIR offers a wide range of Safety Air Guns, from those offering small, precise blowoff of 2 ozs. up to large, strong blowing forces of 23 lbs.  To discuss your special blowoff, cooling or drying application, feel free to contact EXAIR and one our  Application Engineers can help you determine the best solution.

Brian Bergmann
Application Engineer

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Image Courtesy of “Giant Magellan Telescope – GMTO Corporation”