Tag: static charge meter

Gen4® Super Ion Air Wipes™

Published on by johnball2014Leave a comment

As the weather gets colder, and the air gets dryer, static electricity can become a real nuisance in a production plant.  Machines will start jamming, alignments will be difficult, debris will collect on surfaces, and hazardous sparks can shock staff.  EXAIR manufactures a large line of Gen4 Static Eliminators to remove this static nuisance.  From now until March 31st, 2024, EXAIR will be giving away a free AC Sensor, a $76.00 value, as a promotion with a qualified purchase of the Gen4 Static Eliminators.  In this blog, I will cover the Gen4 Super Ion Air Wipes. 

This product will blow ionized air around a 360-degree pattern in a conical shape.  It works well to remove static and debris from the outside of hoses, tubes, rods, and other profiles.  With any type of non-conductive materials, we are able to neutralize the static around objects.  Like the Super Air Wipe, we use a small amount of compressed air to draw in ambient air to make this product effect and efficient.  By adding ion points, we can then carry the ions to the surface of the product.  Once the surface is neutralized, it is easy to clean and remove debris. 

EXAIR manufactures two different sizes; model 8162 is the Gen4 2” Super Ion Air Wipe and model 8164 is the Gen4 4” Super Ion Air Wipe.  The different diameters help to expand the sizes of products that can be treated.  EXAIR offers different packages to make it easy to order and to install.  The models 8162 and 8164 are the Gen4 Super Ion Air Wipe only.  To make it operational, a Gen4 power supply is required.  So, we created a model 8262 which will include the model 7960 Power Supply with the 2” Super Ion Air Wipe and model 8264 which will include the model 7961 Power Supply with the 4” Super Ion Air Wipe. 

8462 Super Ion Air Wipe Kit

The model 8462 and model 8464 are the Gen4 Super Ion Air Wipe Kits, which will include the Super Ion Air Wipe, a Power Supply, in addition to a filter, a regulator, and a Shim Set.  The filter removes the debris and water from the compressed air line to optimize performance as well as keep your product clean.  The regulator is used to make the “fine” adjustment to the blowing force, while the shim set is used as the “coarse” adjustment.  The adjustment can go from a “breeze” to a “blast”. 

When you are working with non-conductive materials, you may want to evaluate some of your processes.  With materials like plastic, paper, glass, rubber, textiles, etc., EXAIR has a variety of Gen4 Static Eliminators that can remove the static nuisance.  This will help your company increase production rates, decrease non-conforming parts, and improve protection from personnel shock.  The Gen4 Super Ion Air Wipe is a great tool for removing static and debris from extrusions, wire, hoses, plastic pipes, and molded parts.  If you would like to discuss your application and potential static issues and to have the possibility of receiving a promotional gift, you can contact an Application Engineer at EXAIR.  We will be happy to help.

John Ball                                                                                     

Application Engineer

Email: johnball@exair.com

Twitter: @EXAIR_jb

Gen4 Stay Set Ion Air Jet Replaces Blower Ionizer and Speeds up New Production Line!

Published on by Tyler DanielLeave a comment

When looking to solve an industrial process problem, EXAIR is the go-to solutions provider. Such was the case in a recent application with a customer in South America. The company manufactures a variety of different caps used for glass bottles in the food & beverage industries. They have an issue with debris from the environment sticking to the insides of the caps.

Their current production speed worked at around 200 caps per minute. Their solution for mitigating static was an ionized blower system. With this solution, they had maxed out the speed at which they could produce the caps while still removing the particles that would adhere to the insides. At higher speeds, residual contamination was left on the caps.

The customer is looking to construct a new line that can operate at speeds of up to 300 caps per minute. To do so, they began seeking out a different solution for their static troubles. The issue with blower-based ionizers is that the turbulent nature of the airflow causes some of the ions to cancel one another out before reaching the target. EXAIR’s Gen4 Static Eliminators utilize a laminar flow of high-velocity air to transport both positive and negative ions to a surface that needs to be treated.

After reviewing some photos of their current setup, I recommended implementing some of EXAIR’s Gen4 Stay Set Ion Air Jets to be positioned over each run of caps. In addition, we recommended angling the flow from the jets in a manner counter to the direction that the caps were traveling. As we recommend for any static, blowoff, cooling, or drying process it’s important to take advantage of counter-flow to maximize the time in contact the part has with the airflow. The longer we can remain in contact with the part or material, the more successful we’ll be at neutralizing the static (or cooling, drying, or any blowoff process).

The Gen4 Ion Air Jet is a compact ionizer that is capable of delivering a concentrated, ionized airflow. This is particularly critical in sensitive applications where a large area of airflow could disturb the process or surrounding materials. The quiet, focused air stream can quickly eliminate the static charge on surfaces. At a pressure of 80 psig the Ion Air Jet is capable of dissipating a 5kV charge in just .18 seconds!

In addition to providing rapid static decay, the Ion Air Jet also helps to minimize compressed air use while maximizing the ionizing airflow. Utilizing a specially designed shim, the Ion Air Jet entrains ambient air at a rate of 5:1. The Ion Air Jet can be adjusted from a “blast” to a “breeze” simply by increasing or decreasing the inlet pressure to the ionizer.

When precise positioning is necessary, as was the case in this application, the addition of the Stay Set Hose and magnetic base allows for simple installation and directing of the ionized airflow. It’s also useful in applications where frequent repositioning may be required due to product or material changeovers.

If you’re looking to improve on a process in your manufacturing facility, give EXAIR a call and see what we can do to get the most out of your compressed air.

Tyler Daniel, CCASS

Application Engineer

E-mail: TylerDaniel@EXAIR.com

Twitter: @EXAIR_TD

Localized Static Elimination with EXAIR’s Gen4 Ion Air Jet

Published on by Tyler DanielLeave a comment

EXAIR’s Gen4 Ion Air Jet is a compact ionizer that is capable of delivering a concentrated ionized airflow. This is particularly critical in sensitive applications where a large area of airflow could disturb the process or surrounding materials. The quiet, focused air stream can quickly eliminate the static charge on surfaces. At a pressure of 80 psig, the Ion Air Jet is capable of dissipating a 5kV charge in just 0.18 seconds!

In addition to providing rapid static decay, the Ion Air Jet also helps to minimize compressed air use while maximizing the ionizing airflow. Utilizing a specially designed shim, the Ion Air Jet entrains ambient air at a rate of 5:1. The Ion Air Jet can be adjusted from a “blast” to a “breeze” simply by increasing or decreasing the inlet pressure going to the ionizer.

The Ion Air Jet can be used in both fixed, permanent solutions and those that will require frequent re-positioning. For applications requiring a fixed position of the ionizer, the compact Gen4 Ion Air Jet is an ideal solution. It’s lightweight and easy to install with the 1/8 NPT male inlet. For applications where the positioning of the ionizer may need to be adjusted, look to the flexible Gen4 Stay Set Ion Air Jet. Utilizing a Stay Set Hose, The Gen4 Stay Set Ion Air Jet can be frequently adjusted to focus the air stream on a specific area. The hose will maintain rigidity and will not creep or bend, making it an ideal solution when accommodating different parts. The Gen4 Stay Set Ion Air Jet comes with a strong magnetic base that allows for easy mounting and portability. The 8910 Instant Blowoff Station is another option that includes the Gen4 Stay Set Ion Air Jet, power supply, foot pedal, and compressed air hoses for applications that can benefit from hands-free operation.

Cold weather is still upon us. With colder temperatures come lower levels of humidity. With lower humidity comes an increase in static problems. Don’t let static hold you down. Whether it’s cleaning glass jars, removing dust from plastic medical components in a clean-room operation, or keeping a laser lens clean to eliminate false readings, EXAIR has the solution to keep you running smoothly.

Tyler Daniel, CCASS

Application Engineer
E-mail: TylerDaniel@exair.com
Twitter: @EXAIR_TD

Press Release: New Varistat Benchtop Ionizer

Published on by Russ BowmanLeave a comment

At EXAIR, when something notable happens, our Marketing folks like to make a big splash for our customers with a Press Release. The latest one is all about one of the latest additions to our Static Eliminators Product Line: the Varistat Benchtop Ionizer.

Click above to get ALL the details!

Common topics of Press Releases include the introduction of a new product (like our 1/2 NPT Hollow Cone Liquid Nozzles for Cooling and Washing), the release of new media (like our New Air Atomizing Spray Nozzle Video), expanded certification of existing products (like the Upgraded Certification for our NEMA 4 Cabinet Cooler products), or when someone achieves a major industry-related accreditation (like when I got my Certified Compressed Air Systems Specialist certificate from the Compressed Air & Gas Institute). The Varistat is a similarly big deal, for some unique reasons:

  • It’s our first air blowing product that’s NOT compressed air operated. We do still take pride in being THE industry experts for quiet, safe, and efficient compressed air products, but with a couple of decades worth of expertise in static elimination, the Varistat rounds out our comprehensive line of Static Eliminators.
  • It’s also our first Static Eliminator with the ability to balance the polarity of ionization of the air flow. That means you can get more positive ions (and fewer negative ions), or more negative ions (and fewer positive ions). This is done by pressing the “+” or “-” polarity buttons on the top:
Blue lights to either side indicate the relative concentration of positive or negative ions generated. If none of the blue lights are lit (the green light simply indicates the unit is on), then a high concentration of both positive and negative ions is being generated.

Simple setup, simple operation…what more could you ask for? If you’d like to find out more about the Varistat Benchtop Ionizer – or any of our Static Eliminator Products – give me a call.

Russ Bowman, CCASS

Application Engineer
Visit us on the Web
Follow me on Twitter
Like us on Facebook