Tag: pneumatic control system

Accessories for Your Compressed Air Products

Published on by Al WooffittLeave a comment

Here at EXAIR we are very proud of our Intelligent Compressed Air Products. We have spent a lot of time discussing their many benefits, including their efficiency, the fact that many have no moving parts, little to no maintenance, meeting or exceeding OSHA safety standards for noise or dead end pressure. One thing we don’t talk as much about is the accessories that go along with and complement our products. Several of these accessory items are the reason why our compressed air products can boast about having little to no maintenance, or reduced noise levels. In this blog I want to cover some of these unsung heroes.

From left to right, a few value-added accessories for your Vortex Tube: Hot Muffler, Cold Muffler, Automatic Drain Filter Separator, Oil Removal Filter, and Solenoid Valve/Thermostat Kit.

Some of the most popular accessories we offer are our compressed air Filters and Regulators. We suggest using these with all our products (or even with ones that aren’t ours).

The Filter Separator is designed to remove moisture, dirt, and rust from your compressed air system. The 5-micron filter element ensures that contaminants don’t clog or harm your compressed air equipment.

An Oil Removal Filter (which should always be installed after our Filter Separator) provides even more precise filtration by getting rid of oil and solid particles with a 0.03-micron element.

Our Pressure Regulators let you choose the operating pressure. At EXAIR, we always advise running at the lowest pressure necessary to complete the task. Pressure Regulators help you achieve that, reducing unnecessary air usage and fine-tuning the performance of EXAIR products for your specific application.

We have some accessories designed specifically for certain products. For our Line Vacs, there’s the Line Vac Hose. You can also find Thermostats and Solenoid Valves that work great with our Cabinet Coolers, and if you’re using Vortex Tubes, we suggest checking out our Mufflers.

When it comes to our Air Knives, we offer a variety of fantastic options:

If you’re looking for a simple and dependable way to mount your Air Knife, our Universal Air Knife Mounting System is just what you need.

If your project needs something longer than our stock Air Knives, or if you want to manage different sections of the air flow separately, our Coupling Bracket Kits are ideal.

And if you want to simplify the plumbing for your Air Knife, don’t miss our Air Knife Plumbing Kits. They’re suitable for all Air Knives that are longer than 24 inches.

If you’re looking for plumbing options, we’ve got a range of compressed air hoses and fittings that will simplify things for you.

Our Coiled Hoses work great with our Safety Air Guns, giving you more freedom of movement while you work.

Our Compressed Air Hoses are often used alongside our Industrial Housekeeping products to provide the necessary reach for the drum and dolly.

Finally, if you’re looking for a way to mount or position your Air Nozzles, check out our Magnetic Bases, Stay Set Hoses, and Swivel Fittings that can help create a complete setup.

No matter what your application requires or the product you need, we’ve got a variety of complementary accessory products that will simplify installation and adjustments. If you have any questions about these or any other EXAIR products, don’t hesitate to reach out to us.

Al Wooffitt
Application Engineer

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Using EXAIR Digital Flow Meters

Published on by jasonkirbyLeave a comment

One of the primary contributors to issues with compressed air systems is inefficiency stemming from waste. Common culprits include open pipe blow-offs, air leaks, and malfunctioning nozzles, all of which can hinder the performance of an air compressor, making it difficult to maintain optimal pressure levels. The implementation of Digital Flowmeters offers a solution by enabling precise monitoring of this waste. By temporarily shutting down the compressed air system and isolating specific sections, operators can identify leaks; any flow detected during this isolation indicates the presence of air leaks, which can account for a staggering loss of up to one-third of the system’s compressed air capacity. Additionally, replacing open pipe blow-offs and defective or inferior nozzles with engineered products from EXAIR can significantly mitigate waste. The use of Digital Flowmeters not only provides a clear visual representation of reduced compressed air consumption but also facilitates straightforward calculations of cost savings and return on investment, making it an invaluable tool for enhancing system efficiency.

In facilities that operate around the clock in three shifts, continuous monitoring of the compressed air system is crucial to ensure optimal performance. The implementation of Digital Flowmeters, which offer features such as USB Dataloggers or serial communication, facilitates this monitoring process. For instance, I recently collaborated with a company that experienced frequent machine shutdowns attributed to a low-pressure switch, particularly during the third shift, occurring approximately once a week. To address this issue, they installed a Digital Flowmeter equipped with a USB Datalogger, which enabled them to track the specific day and time of the incidents. Through this data, they discovered that the third shift custodian was regularly emptying the water from the reservoir tank of the compressed air system, inadvertently causing the pressure drop that led to the shutdowns. Without the insights gained from the Digital Flowmeter, identifying the root cause of the problem would have been significantly more challenging.

EXAIR’s Digital Flowmeter w/ USB Data Logger

EXAIR offers a comprehensive range of Digital Flowmeters designed for various piping systems, including sizes from ½” to 4” for Schedule 40 black pipe, with the capability to accommodate up to 8” in this category. Additionally, we provide options for ¾” to 4” in copper piping and from 25mm to 101mm in aluminum tubing. For unique requirements, EXAIR is equipped to calibrate flowmeters to meet specific sizes and types. Our product line also includes Pressure Sensing Digital Flowmeters, which allow for simultaneous measurement of pressure and flow, as well as Hot-Tap Digital Flowmeters that can be installed on pressurized pipes without interrupting the flow. To enhance user experience, we offer a Summing Remote Display, enabling visualization of flow data in more accessible locations. For effective monitoring, our Digital Flowmeters come with a USB Datalogger that captures data for graphing purposes, alongside a 4-20 mA output for seamless data acquisition, with an optional serial output available for further integration.

If you have any questions about Digital Flowmeters, or anything regarding EXAIR and our products, please do not hesitate to reach out. We would love to hear from you!

Jason Kirby
Application Engineer
Email: jasonkirby@exair.com
Twitter: @EXAIR_jk

Week 5 Back to Basics — Keep The Flow Steady

Published on by Brian FarnoLeave a comment

This week’s installment in the Six Steps to Compressed Air Optimization focuses on making use of intermediate storage.

The purpose of intermediate storage in a compressed air system is to eliminate spikes in demand from your compressor. A common example is a blowoff operation that only needs air for a few seconds at a time, followed by periods of inactivity. By installing a receiver tank at the point of use, you reduce the immediate strain on your compressed air system and smooth out the peaks in consumption.

For readers with an electrical background, you can think of intermediate storage as the compressed air equivalent of a capacitor—absorbing demand spikes and helping the system run more evenly.

When applied correctly, intermediate storage improves system efficiency, reduces strain during intermittent operations, and is relatively simple to install and maintain. A properly sized receiver tank can make a big difference in stabilizing your system’s performance while extending equipment life.

We’re now just one step away from completing the Six Steps to Compressed Air Optimization. In the final installment, we’ll cover how to properly control your system for maximum efficiency.

Until next time, keep optimizing.

Brian Farno, MBA – CCASS Application Engineer

BrianFarno@EXAIR.com
@EXAIR_BF

Week 4 Back to Basics— Shut It Down When It Isn’t Needed

Published on by Brian FarnoLeave a comment

Well, trusty blog readers, we are now two-thirds of the way through the Six Steps to Optimizing Your Compressed Air System.

So far, we’ve:

The next step is simple but powerful: turn off compressed air applications when they’re not needed.

If your process doesn’t require compressed air continuously, the EXAIR Electronic Flow Control (EFC) can help. This device uses a sensor to automatically control how long your compressed air operation runs, turning it on only when needed.

A great example is from a customer who used compressed air to clean computer monitors. When the screen wasn’t in the airstream, the air was simply wasted. With the EFC, air was shut off automatically whenever it wasn’t needed—saving energy, reducing costs, and extending the life of equipment.

The objective in this step is crystal clear: when your compressed air doesn’t need to be on, turn it off and save.

For more information on the EFC—or on any part of our Six Steps to Optimizing Your Compressed Air System—feel free to contact us.

Until next week, keep optimizing.

Brian Farno, MBA – CCASS Application Engineer

BrianFarno@EXAIR.com
@EXAIR_BF