Tag: special air knife

Have It Your Way: Custom Super Air Knives

Published on by jasonkirbyLeave a comment

EXAIR’s Super Air Knife harnesses compressed air to produce a streamlined sheet of high-velocity air, effectively enhancing various industrial processes. This compressed air interacts with surrounding ambient air, resulting in a significant entrainment ratio of 40:1, which greatly amplifies its efficiency in applications such as drying, cleaning, and cooling. The Super Air Knife is available in lengths from 3 inches to 108 inches and is offered in a range of materials, ensuring that there is a suitable option for nearly any operational requirement. It is particularly advantageous for use in scenarios where products on a conveyor system require cleaning, drying, or cooling, making the Super Air Knife an optimal solution for enhancing productivity and maintaining product quality in diverse manufacturing environments.

EXAIR’s Air Knives are an efficient and highly effective tool for blowoff, cooling, cleaning and drying in a myriad of manufacturing processes. To accommodate the wide variety of unique problems manufacturers face, EXAIR has the ability to customize and tailor Air Knives to different specifications. These Air Knife customizations can range from size, to shape, to material, custom mounting holes and dimensions. They are created to solve distinct manufacturing problems not already solved by the industry’s largest selection of Air Knives. For customers with space limitations, smaller lengths or skinnier profiles can be created. In situations where the knife may need to be installed in a very defined spot, special mounting brackets, or additional/custom sized air inlets can be provided to fit a current system. For applications where stock aluminum, stainless steel or PVDF won’t work, other material options such as CPVC or glass-filled PEEK thermoplastic have been used. Special marking requirements for tying knives to specific machines or critical processes can be accommodated. Unique shapes and profiles, such as double-sided or curved Air Knives, can also be the solution to certain specialized processes. Air Knives are available in Super, Standard and Full-Flow styles, and all versions are customizable to a customer’s specific needs. For help solving any specific blowoff problems, please contact an Application Engineer. All Air Knives are CE compliant, and prices start at $141.

The Super Air Knife is offered in a variety of materials, including aluminum, Type 303 and Type 316 stainless steel, as well as PVDF featuring Hastelloy bolts, making it suitable for highly corrosive environments. While there is a wide selection of off-the-shelf options that can be shipped the same day, not every application can be adequately addressed with standard products. EXAIR, which manages the entire manufacturing process at its facility in Cincinnati, Ohio, maintains significant oversight and flexibility in production. For applications that require more than what is available in stock, we are continuously crafting specialized, customized air knives designed to meet a diverse range of specifications and needs.

Our knives can be custom-manufactured to specific lengths if the standard sizes do not meet your application requirements. We will maintain the same design and size profile while tailoring the knife to the exact length you need, ensuring a perfect fit for your machinery. Additionally, if the dimensional profile of an existing knife is not appropriate for your needs, we have the ability to modify it accordingly. For instance, the Super Air Knife illustrated below features an exceptionally slim design that has been thoroughly optimized to achieve the smallest overall profile possible, demonstrating our commitment to precision and adaptability in our products.

All Super Air Knives are equipped with standard ¼ NPT air inlets and feature ¼-20 tapped holes along the bottom for mounting purposes. However, we recognize that this configuration may not be suitable for every specific application. To address this, we offer customized options that include tailored air inlets and additional mounting holes, allowing for seamless integration with any bespoke bracket. The accompanying image illustrates a modified stainless steel Super Air Knife, showcasing the extra mounting holes that have been precisely machined onto both ends, demonstrating our commitment to meeting diverse customer needs.

We provide a diverse range of knives not only in various shapes and sizes as part of our special offerings but also in stock lengths crafted from a variety of materials. Featured below are two unique knives made from materials that are not typically available on our shelves. On the left, you will find a knife constructed from PVDF, while on the right is a knife made from glass-filled PEEK, complemented by brass hardware and a PTFE shim. This particular application arose when a customer experienced ground interference attributed to the aluminum knife design. In response to their specifications, we successfully machined a knife tailored specifically to meet the requirements of their application, showcasing our commitment to customization and material innovation.

 If you have any questions about the Super Air Knife, 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

Tailor-Made Compressed Air Knives From EXAIR

Published on by Tyler DanielLeave a comment

EXAIR’s Super Air Knife utilizes a source of compressed air to create a laminar sheet of high velocity air. This supplied compressed air mixes with ambient air that is entrained into the primary airstream. The Super Air Knife entrains ambient air at a rate of 40:1, making it VERY effective in a variety of drying, cleaning, and cooling applications. Available in lengths ranging from 3”-108” and in a variety of different materials of construction, there’s a Super Air Knife available for just about any application. Any time you have product moving along a conveyor that needs to be cleaned, dried, or cooled off, a Super Air Knife is the ideal fit.

The Super Air Knife is available in aluminum, Type 303 & Type 316 stainless steel, as well as in PVDF with Hastelloy bolts for extremely corrosive applications.  While there are numerous options available off the shelf ready to ship on the same day, not all applications can be served by a stock option. Since EXAIR handles all the manufacturing of these products in our facility in Cincinnati, Ohio, we have a great deal of control over the manufacturing process. If your application cannot accept something right off the shelf, we’re constantly producing special customized knives to meet most requirements.

Our knives can be manufactured in a special length if a stock length won’t fit in your application. We’ll use the same design and size profile and can build it to the precise length you require in order to fit perfectly onto your machine. If the dimensional profile of an existing knife isn’t suitable, we can change that too! The Super Air Knife shown below utilizes a very thin design and has been completely modified to achieve the smallest overall profile possible.

All Super Air Knives come stock with ¼ NPT air inlets and ¼-20 tapped holes along the bottom that can be used for mounting. Unfortunately, that isn’t always going to work for every application, so we also manufacture specials with custom air inlets as well as additional mounting holes to fit right onto any custom bracket. The photo below shows a modified stainless steel Super Air Knife with additional mounting holes machined onto either end.

We don’t just offer them in different shapes and sizes as a special, but we’ve also manufactured stock length knives out of entirely different materials. Shown below are two knives of different materials that aren’t already on the shelf. On the left-hand side is a knife manufactured from PVDF and on the right a glass filled PEEK material with brass hardware and a PTFE shim. In this application, the customer noticed ground interference due to the aluminum knife construction. They specified this particular material, and we were able to machine a knife completely customized for this application.

Every year, a new request comes across that is something we haven’t done before. Just because you don’t see it in the catalog doesn’t mean it isn’t possible when you deal with EXAIR. We’re here to make sure you get the most out of our products, and sometimes that isn’t possible right off the shelf. Contact an Application Engineer today if you’d like to discuss your application and begin the process of identifying your next custom solution!

Tyler Daniel, CCASS

Application Engineer

E-mail: TylerDaniel@EXAIR.com

X: @EXAIR_TD

Create a Custom Blowoff Solution With EXAIR’s Industry-Leading Super Air Knives

Published on by Tyler DanielLeave a comment

EXAIR’s Super Air Knife utilizes a source of compressed air to create a laminar sheet of high velocity air. This supplied compressed air mixes with ambient air that is entrained into the primary airstream. The Super Air Knife entrains ambient air at a rate of 40:1, making it VERY effective in a variety of drying, cleaning, and cooling applications. Available in lengths ranging from 3”-108” and in a variety of different materials of construction, there’s a Super Air Knife available for just about any application. Any time you have product moving along a conveyor that needs to be cleaned, dried, or cooled off, a Super Air Knife is the ideal fit.

The Super Air Knife is available in aluminum, Type 303 & Type 316 stainless steel, as well as in PVDF with Hastelloy bolts for extremely corrosive applications.  While there are numerous options available off the shelf ready to ship same day, not all applications can be served by a stock option. Since EXAIR handles all the manufacturing of these products in our facility in Cincinnati, Ohio, we have a great deal of control over the manufacturing process. If your application cannot accept something right off the shelf, we’re constantly producing special customized knives to fit most requirements.

Our knives can be manufactured in a special length if a stock length won’t fit in your application. We’ll use the same design and size profile and can build it to the precise length you require in order to fit perfectly onto your machine. If the dimensional profile of an existing knife isn’t suitable, we can change that too! The Super Air Knife shown below utilizes a very thin design and has been completely modified to achieve the smallest overall profile possible.

All Super Air Knives come stock with ¼ NPT air inlets and ¼-20 tapped holes along the bottom that can be used for mounting. Unfortunately, that isn’t always going to work for every application, so we also manufacture specials with custom air inlets as well as additional mounting holes to fit right onto any custom bracket. The photo below shows a modified stainless steel Super Air Knife with additional mounting holes machined onto either end.

We don’t just offer them in different shapes and sizes as a special, but we’ve also manufactured stock length knives out of entirely different materials. Shown below are two knives of different materials that aren’t already on the shelf. On the left-hand side is a knife manufactured from PVDF and on the right a glass filled PEEK material with brass hardware and a PTFE shim. In this application, the customer was noticing ground interference due to the aluminum knife construction. They specified this particular material, and we were able to machine a knife completely customized for this application.

Every year a new request comes across that is something we haven’t done before. Just because you don’t see it in the catalog doesn’t mean it isn’t possible when you deal with EXAIR. We’re here to make sure you get the most out of our products, and sometimes that isn’t possible right off the shelf. Contact an Application Engineer today if you’d like to discuss your application and begin the process of identifying your next custom solution!

Tyler Daniel, CCASS

Application Engineer

E-mail: TylerDaniel@EXAIR.com

Twitter: @EXAIR_TD

EXAIR Super Air Knives: Customized for You

Published on by John BallLeave a comment

In a recent blog “EXAIR Super Air Knives: Overview”, I shared the features and benefits that puts the “Super” in the Super Air Knives.  But, let’s not define ourselves by our widest range of lengths and materials that we stock.  EXAIR can also customize the Super Air Knives to fit your requirements.  Many manufacturers like to make their standard items and expect the customers to adapt to their design.  But at EXAIR, customer service is our primary focus.

EXAIR manufactures our products at one location in Cincinnati, Ohio.  So, this gives us the flexibility to do many things like making adaptive configurations with our Super Air Knives.  Here are some examples that our customers requested.

  • Special lengths: EXAIR stocks standard incremental lengths from 3” (76mm) up to 108” (2.74 meters) in aluminum, 303SS, and 316SS materials; or 3” (76mm) to 54” (1,372mm) for PDVF Super Air Knives. But sometimes, the Super Air Knife has to fit into a specific area where a standard length will not work.  This is where EXAIR exceeds, and we can make any length metric or imperial between the ranges above.

    PVC Super Air Knife
  • Other materials: There isn’t a single material that is inert to all chemicals. In some rare cases, the environment can chemically attack our Stainless Steel or PVDF Super Air Knives.  So, a different material may have to be used.  For the customer above, they required a PVC material for a phosphorous environment.

    Curved and Thin Super Air Knives
  • Critical Dimensions: When the Super Air Knives have to adapt inside machines or in tight areas, we can modify the profile.  We have two special applications (reference above) that needed a design change for fit and function.  A curved Super Air Knife was used to hold tubes on a rotary table; and a thin Super Air Knife that was only 11/16” (17.5mm) thick cleaned a mold for circuit chips.

    Super Air Knife special mounting
  • Add-ons: EXAIR understands the importance of connecting to our Super Air Knives to get the greatest performance.  Our stock product has ¼” NPT inlet air ports along the bottom and one at each end.  We have ¼” – 20 threaded holes for mounting along the bottom as well.  But if you want threaded holes in a specific location for mounting or need the inlet air ports to be metric threads, EXAIR can accommodate these features.

    Double-sided Super Air Knife
  • Situational Applications:  Super Air Knives can have complex or simple changes depending on the application.  As an example, EXAIR created a design for a double-sided Super Air Knife to blow a laminar stream of air 180 degrees apart (reference photo above).   A simpler proposal was to replace the cap screws in a 316SS Super Air Knife with hygienic screws for food applications to remove crevices for bacterial growth.
  • OE Protection: In today’s market, it is important to protect your business.  At EXAIR, we can make a special Super Air Knife to blow, dry, or cool in your custom machines.  With a unique model number, EXAIR can help support and protect your business for future and replacement business.

Remember, your imagination is the beginning of creation.  If you cannot find a specific design to be used in your compressed air application, don’t give up.  Contact an Application Engineer at EXAIR to see if we can help you.  We have a team of engineers that can evaluate the fit and function to create a “Super” blow-off solution.  For the customers above, we were able to propose a unique Super Air Knife to work in their application; not the other way around.

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