Tag: safety air guns

Heavy Duty Safety Air Gun in Operation

Published on by johnball2014Leave a comment
EXAIR Heavy Duty Safety Air Gun Benefits

I had a customer that was visited by OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration).   If you do not know, OSHA is a federal agency charged with the enforcement of safety and health standards.   In order to protect workers, they can enforce fines and penalties for violations.  Some of the main violations that they find are with compressed air guns.  Open-type nozzles are very loud and will not meet the dead-end pressure requirements.  Many companies will modify their compressed air guns to better fit their applications, but the problem occurs when they no longer meet OSHA regulations.  The two directives are 29CFR Part 10910.95 (a), OSHA Maximum Allowable Noise Exposure, and 29CFR Part 1910.242(b), Dead-End Pressure. 

A customer was using a smashed pipe on an air gun to blow across a table. With an “open” pipe design for a nozzle, the noise level can exceed 100 dB.  This was a major concern.  The customer called EXAIR because they needed to replace their existing air guns with a safer and quieter air gun.  Just as a note, the main component that makes an air gun safe is the nozzle.  With the EXAIR, Safety Air Nozzles, we engineer them to not only be safe by reducing noise and eliminating dead-end pressure, but also to entrain the ambient air to give a hard-hitting force with less compressed air.  This will save you money.

In the application, they were cleaning the exit table from a machining operation.  They had to clean the chips prior to the next part coming through.  They needed 24” (610mm) to reach across the table.  I recommended a model 1360-24 Heavy Duty Safety Air Gun with a 24” extension.  The model 1106 Super Air Nozzle that is used with this Safety Air Gun could match the blowing force with less noise and compressed air usage.  The noise level was decreased to 87 dB.  With the unique design of the nozzle, it entrains ambient air to help create a powerful force to remove the chips.  The model 1360-24 Heavy Duty Safety Air Gun would only use 60 SCFM (1,699 SLPM) of compressed air at 80 PSIG (5.5 bar).  The unsafe air gun that the customer was using previously required 144 SCFM (4,078 SLPM) at the same air pressure.  So, every time that they would use the EXAIR Safety Air Gun, they were able to save 84 SCFM (2,379 SLPM) of compressed air, saving them money and adding additional capacity back into their pneumatic system.  The customer was so happy that they shot a short video demonstrating the operation of the Heavy Duty Safety Air Gun from EXAIR. 

We are all individually responsible for safety.  EXAIR has a variety of Safety Air Guns and Super Air Nozzles to make your operation quiet, safe and help meet the OSHA regulations.   It can become very costly if you get a fine from OSHA.  EXAIR can remove that concern as well as save you money by using less compressed air; a win-win scenario.  If you need any help in determining which Safety Air Gun would best fit your application, you can contact an Application Engineer at EXAIR.  We will be happy to hear from and help you; like the customer above.

John Ball
Application Engineer
Email: johnball@exair.com
Twitter: @EXAIR_jb

EXAIR’s Safety Air Guns are the Ergonomic Answer

Published on by EricKuhnash@EXAIR.comLeave a comment
In addition to a variety of engineered Air Nozzles, you can customize your EXAIR Safety Air Gun with Chip Shields, Extensions, Stay Set Hoses, etc., to meet the particular needs of a specific application.

EXAIR has a nice selection of Safety Air Guns. The VariBlast Precision and Compact, Soft Grip, Heavy Duty and Super Blast Safety Air Guns are available with a variety of air nozzles, chip shields and pipe extensions. They are durable and comfortable and ergonomic to use.

These Safety Air Guns are designed with durability and comfort in mind while also ergonomically safe to use. Safe operation is assured along with low air consumption and noise levels.

EXAIR Engineered air nozzles are available in Type 316 stainless steel for superior corrosion resistance and mechanical wear, Type 303 stainless steel for corrosion resistance, PEEK thermoplastic for non-marring and chemical resistance or zinc/aluminum alloy for general purpose applications.

Flying Debris? – Chip Shields are durable polycarbonate shields that protect the operator from risk of flying debris often seen when blowing off chips from machined parts. They are also useful to prevent coolant from splashing back, creating a mess during drying processes.

The Chip Shields are available for EXAIR’s VariBlast, Soft Grip and Heavy Duty Safety Air Guns. The Chip Shield can be used on Safety Air Guns with or without an aluminum extension. They may be purchased as part of a new air gun system, or retrofitted as a Chip Shield Kit.  Consult an Application Engineer for selection assistance.

If you have a blow-off process where the air is to be directed at a distance away from the operator, or into a hard to reach location an extension is the solution. Available in lengths from 6″ (152mm) to 72″ (1829mm), with sizes as to meet most requirement can be found. To add an extension to an air gun, simply add -xx to the current part number..

EXAIR’s Stay Set Hoses are available from 6”-36” in lengths with ¼ NPT male threads on each end, or a ¼ NPT male on one end and 1/8 NPT female on the other. The Stay Set Hoses are rigid and allow you to maintain precise positioning of the blow off nozzle. The hoses have “memory” and will not creep or bend.

 If you need a 12′ coiled air hose, to use with your Safety Air Gun, we have them available and in stock. Available with 1/8 NPT, 1/4 NPT or 3/8 NPT male end swivel connections. Avoid tangled and messy air lines and keep things neat!

If you have ab application and need help deciding which EXAIR Safety Air Gun and/Nozzle you need. Please contact us and ask for any Application Engineer. We are always happy and eager to help.

Eric Kuhnash
Application Engineer
E-mail: EricKuhnash@exair.com
Twitter: Twitter: @EXAIR_EK

Powerful, Efficient, and OSHA Compliant: EXAIR Super Blast Safety Air Guns

Published on by Russ BowmanLeave a comment

Earlier this year, EXAIR introduced the TurboBlast® Safety Air Gun. They offer the same performance as a number of our Super Blast Safety Air Guns, with some noteable features:

  • Nozzle Guard protects the Super Air Nozzle from damage that could be caused by incidental contact during use.
  • Gate Valve option for easy flow adjustment by the operator, with a simple twist of the ring!
  • Rugged AND comfortable elastomer grip with pushbutton trigger for optimal ergonomics.

These, combined with the features they share with our four most powerful Super Blast Safety Air Guns (high force, automatic shutoff, 3 and 6 foot extensions) make it one of the most innovative blow off products on the market today. With all that going for the TurboBlasts, we still want to emphasize that they’re offered as an enhancement to – and not a replacement for – the Super Blast line. Consider:

Super Air Nozzle Clusters. Because of the Nozzle Guard, Clusters aren’t offered with the TurboBlast products. Clusters concentrate their high force, powerful airflow on a smaller target area than comparable single Super Air Nozzles:

*Force measured at 12″ (305mm) from target. Sound level measured at 3ft (914mm). All measurements taken at 80psig (5.5 BAR).

Back Blow Nozzles. Also because of the Nozzle Guard, the Model 1008SS 1 NPT Back Blow Nozzle is offered on the Super Blast, but not the TurboBlast. It’s made for blowing out pipe with inside diameters from 2″ to 16″ (51-406mm):

EXAIR Super Blast Safety Air Guns fitted with our 1 NPT Back Blow Nozzles are available with 1ft (top left), 3ft (top right) or 6ft (bottom) extensions.

Spring-To-Close Ball Valve. While the ergonomic, pilot actuated pushbutton trigger on the TurboBlast Safety Air Guns is likely to be preferred in a number of situations, the full hand grip of the Super Blast Safety Air Gun’s ball valve proves to be more suitable for certain positions, like when the device is to be operated above shoulder height:

The ball valve handle essentially becomes part of the operator’s grip when using this Model 1215-3 Super Blast Safety Air Gun in an overhead space blow off application.

EXAIR is in the business of helping you get the most out of our products – and your compressed air system. If you have questions, I welcome the opportunity to help…give me a call.

Russ Bowman, CCASS

Application Engineer
EXAIR
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Video Blog: The Versatility of a TurboBlast Safety Air Gun w/ Gate Valve

Published on by Brian FarnoLeave a comment

Today’s video showcases just how easy it is to take a TurboBlast Safety Air Gun from a gentle breeze to a forceful blast of air. This can easily be done on the fly and compliments just how easy this safety air gun is to use. If you would like to discuss which options are right for your facility, contact us today.

Brian Farno
Application Engineer
BrianFarno@EXAIR.com
@EXAIR_BF