Tag: Popcorn

EXAIR Super Air Knives Can Make Everything Better…Even Popcorn!

Published on by Russ BowmanLeave a comment

You know the drill.  In almost any container of popcorn…whether it’s a movie theater bucket, a microwave bag, a stovetop pan (if you’re old school,) or a campfire popper (if you camp with class)…there’s always going to be some un-popped kernels.  And if you don’t pay particular attention to them, they might just activate your dental plan.

This is, unfortunately, an unavoidable inconvenience when dealing with freshly popped popcorn.  For a company that makes pre-packaged popcorn-based snacks, though, un-popped kernels are a real quality issue.  I just had the pleasure of helping a caller with this very issue: although they had a sifter device in place that took care of an awful lot of un-popped kernels, they still had enough getting through to merit a closer look.  Since the popcorn already passed through the sifter on a conveyor, the idea was to “float” the popped kernels across a short break in the conveyor, and let the un-popped kernels fall through.

After a short discussion of their needs, I recommended a Model 110224 24″ Aluminum Super Air Knife Kit. By using the Pressure Regulator (included with the kit) to dial in the air flow, they’re able to keep the popped deliciousness moving on for packaging, and let the dental hazards to fall through, where they’re sent back for another attempt at proper popping. So, they’re not only improving the quality of their product, they’re doing everything possible to make sure no kernel goes un-popped.

Super Air Knife Kits include a Shim Set, Filter Separator, and Pressure Regulator…everything you need to solve your application!

At EXAIR, we’re all about safety when it comes to compressed air use in industrial and commercial settings.  Now one of our products is helping protect peoples’ teeth while they’re eating popcorn snacks!  If you’d like to talk about how an EXAIR Intelligent Compressed Air Product might be able to make things better for you, give me a call.

Russ Bowman
Application Engineer
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If At First You Don’t Succeed…

Published on by Russ BowmanLeave a comment

If you haven’t received a visit already, a Cub Scout should be coming through your neighborhood, door to door, selling Boy Scout Popcorn. They’ll be fulfilling their part of the Law of The Pack (“The Cub Scout helps the Pack go”) and is their main (and usually only) fundraiser for the year. I hope you’ll consider supporting this fine organization. Also, the Chocolatey Triple Delight is just about the best thing to happen to popcorn EVER. Word of warning: the package says there are 17 servings; I consistently find only three.

In addition to “help(ing) the Pack go,” the boys are also aiming at membership to the $600 Club – sales of this level gets the Scout a variety of prizes: choices of several different Gift Cards, tickets to a Cincinnati Cyclones hockey game, and a very cool little gadget called a Zyclone, which David Letterman seemed to master almost immediately:

Me, I was lucky to clear a couple of feet with my Zyclone (yes, I have one…as our Boy Scout District’s “Popcorn Kernel,” I have one to show off to the Scouts…and it’s a great little perk, I might add), but with a few adjustments of my aim and a little finessing of my technique, I became almost as proficient as my nine-year-old son was on his second shot.

That’s the way it is with a lot of compressed air product applications, too. A Super Air Knife may perform better if you mount it at a different angle or distance from the part(s) you’re trying to cool, dry, or blow off. There are a couple of “tips and tricks” to get a better conveyance rate from a Line Vac. If your Reversible Drum Vac isn’t pumping like it used to, there are quick and easy things to try before replacing it. Same same for Static Eliminators, by the way.

So, if your aim needs adjusted, or your technique finessed, give me a call. I may be relatively new at this, but my learning curve is steep, and I’m eager to share the wealth of knowledge I’m accumulating. If I don’t know the answer, I’m surrounded by those more experienced and knowledgeable than I, who are just as eager to help. And if I just can’t find the answer, I have a Zyclone of my own to put theory to practice with.

Oh, and if your question is about EXAIR products, that’s OK too…if I don’t know the answer, I can tap the brains & know-how of the rest of the Application Engineering team, as well as the resources of our Efficiency Lab to get you the answers you need.

Russ Bowman
Application Engineer
EXAIR Corporation
(513)671-3322 local
(800)923-9247 toll free
(513)671-3363 fax
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