I recently worked with a Chief Engineer on a large shipping boat who was having issues with water being brought in by the mooring cables. That salt water was getting into the maintenance room where the mooring cables were wound around a large spool. He wanted to remove the water from the cable before it went below deck so the extra water could just run off the deck back into the ocean.
After talking a bit we decided on a 4″ Super Air Wipe constructed of 303 stainless steel. This way the extra water would be removed and any debris the cable pulled in with it.
Mooring Cable going thru a EXAIR Super AirWipe
The Super Air Wipes provide a full 360° conical airflow that is used to blow-off, cool, clean and dry products. A Coanda profile is designed into the body of the unit to maximize entrainment of ambient air as well as give the precision angle for the air to exit from. This gives the air stream impacting the target zone a 30° angle to the surface in order to provide a substantial shear force for debris removal. This also ensures the large volume of ambient air entrained will all travel the correct direction and not become turbulent before impinging on the surface.
To meet all the tasks at hand, the Super Air Wipes are offered in two main materials of construction. Aluminum body with brass air fittings, connected with stainless steel hardware, shim and connecting hose for up to 4” (102mm). As well as 303 stainless steel body with stainless steel bolts, shim, the connecting hose for up to 4” (102mm) and fittings. The stainless-steel components give the units better corrosion resistance, higher temperature ratings, and more durability in harsh industrial environments.
The aluminum Super Air Wipe is available in 11 sizes; the stainless steel Super Air Wipe comes in 5 sizes…all from stock.
EXAIR stocks the aluminum Super Air Wipes with inner diameters from 3/8” (10 mm) for wire and cables up to 11” (279mm) for large pipes and hoses. The aluminum models have a temperature rating up to 400oF (204oC). We also stock the stainless-steel models from ½” (13mm) to 4” (102mm) inner diameters, and they have a temperature range up to 800oF (427oC). If you require different diameters or materials, we can do that as well easily.
With the creation of the Super Air Wipe, uniform cleaning, cooling, and blowing around the outside of parts is a simple task. You don’t have to worry about a variety of nozzles to target the circumference or a fabricated blow-off device that will waste air and take much time out of your day. A simple purchase of the Super Air Wipe Kit will solve the problem and keep production going. If you need help in selecting the proper size or want to know what material we would recommend for your application, contact us.
The Super Air Wipes provide a full 360° conical airflow that is used to blow-off, cool, clean and dry products. A Coanda profile is designed into the body of the unit to maximize entrainment of ambient air as well as give the precision angle for the air to exit from. This gives the air stream impacting the target zone a 30° angle to the surface in order to provide a substantial shear force for debris removal. This also ensures the large volume of ambient air entrained will all travel the correct direction and not become turbulent before impinging on the surface.
Easy clam-shell installation
To provide ease of installation, a unique clam-shell design was engineered to provide clamp over installation rather than traditional threading methods. This also permits quick changes in size when needed in the rapid product change environments.
Super Air Wipe Family Photo
To meet all the tasks at hand, the Super Air Wipes are offered in two main materials of construction. Aluminum body with brass air fittings, connected with stainless steel hardware, shim and connecting hose for up to 4” (102mm). As well as 303 stainless steel body with stainless steel bolts, shim, the connecting hose for up to 4” (102mm) and fittings. The stainless-steel components give the units better corrosion resistance, higher temperature ratings, and more durability in harsh industrial environments.
EXAIR stocks the aluminum Super Air Wipes with inner diameters from 3/8” (10 mm) for wire and cables up to 11” (279mm) for large pipes and hoses. The aluminum models have a temperature rating up to 400oF (204oC). We also stock the stainless-steel models from ½” (13mm) to 4” (102mm) inner diameters, and they have a temperature range up to 800oF (427oC). If you require different diameters or materials, we can do that as well easily.
Super Air Wipe Kit
The Super Air Wipe kits to help get the most out of the air wipes. A kit will include the Super Air Wipe, a filter, regulator and shim set. The filter will remove bulk liquids and debris from the compressed air to keep the performance optimal. The regulator is used to fine-tune the force provided by the Super Air Wipe. This helps to not over-use the amount of compressed air required for the job.
With a regulator, you can make fine adjustments to get the proper amount of air. For coarse adjustments, you can add shims to increase the airflow and force. They are easy to install on the Super Air Wipes to allow for applications to have more cooling, faster drying, and better removal for tough debris. For cleanliness and control, the Super Air Wipe Kits would be recommended for your application.
Robotic Welder fitted with EXAIR Super Air Wipe
With the creation of the Super Air Wipe, uniform cleaning, cooling, and blowing around the outside of parts is a simple task. You don’t have to worry about a variety of nozzles to target the circumference or a fabricated blow-off device that will waste air and take much time out of your day. A simple purchase of the Super Air Wipe Kit will solve the problem and keep production going. If you need help in selecting the proper size or want to know what material we would recommend for your application, contact us.
When it comes to vacuum systems, EXAIR manufactures a very compact and reliable product line called the E-Vac Vacuum Generators. As a simple vacuum pump, you only need to connect to a compressed air source. It uses a venturi design to generate high vacuum levels very efficiently. Since they do not require motors, they are low cost with a wide range of vacuum flows and pressures. EXAIR offers three different types, the High Vacuum Generators for non-porous objects, the Low Vacuum Generators for porous objects, and the Adjustable E-Vac Vacuum Generators. In this blog, I will cover the Adjustable E-Vac Vacuum Generators and the variety of suction cups that we provide.
The Adjustable E-Vac gives flexibility to your vacuum system to change the vacuum levels. The simplicity in the design makes it a great tool for lifting, clamping, chucking, and pick-and-place. The design also allows for adjustability. By loosening a lock nut, you can turn the body to reach different vacuum levels. So, they can be used to move both porous and non-porous materials. We offer four different sizes with vacuum flows ranging from 5.8 SCFM (164.2 SLPM) to 81 SCFM (2293.6 SLPM). With the Adjustable E-Vac, you can change the vacuum pressure to go as high as 25” Hg (85 KPa). Ideal for dialing in the correct vacuum for delicate materials or controlled clamping.
Adjustable E-Vac: How it works
The Adjustable E-Vacs can be packaged in a variety of ways. The kits help to experiment with different vacuum cups to help determine the best fit for your application. EXAIR offers two types of kits, the standard kit and the deluxe kit. The Adjustable E-Vac Kit would include the E-Vac, an assortment of four vacuum cups that are matched to the performance of the Adjustable E-Vac, an assortment of vacuum fittings and 10 feet (3 meters) of vacuum tubing. The Adjustable E-Vac Deluxe Kit has the items in the standard kit above plus an Automatic Drain Filter and Pressure Regulator with gage. With both individual units and kits, you can add a muffler to help reduce the noise even more by adding an “M” to the end of the model number.
EXAIR also offers a variety of suction cups to attach to a variety of objects. We have the small round, the large round, the oval, and the bellows suction cups. With the different designs, you can pick up a wide range of materials, both porous and non-porous items. The vinyl material resists wear and distortion for many repetitive cycles. Here is a better description of each cup below:
Round Cups
Round: EXAIR has a small and large round style. This gives us a range of surface areas that we can target to help maximize lift. They can come either with cleats for heavier lifting and stability or without cleats. They work great with flat smooth surfaces for horizontal and vertical lifting.
Oval Cup
Oval: The vacuum is defined by a skinny long area. EXAIR offers four different sizes. If you have tight spaces or selectable targets like opening a bag at the top, then the oval shape will work. They can also handle flat rigid sheets like wood, glass, cardboard, and composites.
Bellows Cup
Bellows: These suction cups are best suited for uneven or contoured surfaces. The convolutions around the diameter allow for the cup to collapse and “wrap” around uneven surfaces. The internal volume is larger than the other cups, so the release and attach times will be extended. But, for odd surface formations, they can come in very handy.
To combine the Adjustable E-Vac with the Vacuum Cups, how can we determine which ones to use in your application? Here is some information that we will have to know before getting started. I like to use anagrams for memory recall, and here is a list that I like to call MOST:
Material
Orientation
Size/weight
Time
Material will tell us if the object is porous or non-porous. Porous objects are items like cardboard, fabric, cement, etc. The material can have a rough surface or pores that will allow air to pass through or around the cup. The Adjustable E-Vac can have the vacuum pressure altered to pick up the material without damaging the surface. Non-porous objects are items like glass, metal sheets, and plastic. They have a smooth texture on the surface. These materials should use the highest vacuum pressure of 25” Hg (85 KPa) to hold the most weight.
Orientation will help us to calculate a safety factor. EXAIR’s motto has always been safety. This is important because we want to make sure that the object is secure during movement. We just need to know if the object is being picked up horizontally only, or if the object is being picked up vertically or rotated in a vertical position. Then we can apply a safety factor to handle the weight in any orientation.
Size/Weight is simple. The size is the area that we can pick up the object. In some instances, we may only have a small target area while in other applications, we will have an entire sheet. The type of Vacuum Cups is selected by this target area. The weight will determine the number of Vacuum Cups and Adjustable E-Vacs required to pick up large objects safely.
Time is for applications with cycle rates. If the job requires a set time to support and release in a known time frame, then we can determine the correct Adjustable E-Vac This can be used for leak checking, clamping, and automatic packaging.
The Adjustable E-Vac Generators are simple, flexible, and very reliable. As a vacuum pump, they are very compact because they do not use any motors which can wear out. If you contact an Application Engineer at EXAIR with MOST, we will be able to get the most from your vacuum system.
