Tag: static electricity control

EXAIR Ion Air Gun in Photo Printing Industry

Published on by Jordan T ShouseLeave a comment

In the high-precision world of photo printing, even tiny specks of dust or static can ruin a perfect print. From professional labs to industrial photography printers, quality and consistency are everything. That’s where the EXAIR Ion Air Gun steps in, a tool that’s quietly revolutionizing how photo printers manage static charges, clean surfaces, and ensure flawless prints.

While it might be a “perfect” application for a Super Ion Air Knife, the Ion Air Gun works better if the product is stationary.

The Challenge: Static and Contamination in Photo Printing

Photo printing — whether inkjet, laser, or large-format — is highly sensitive to the environment. Two of the biggest issues that professionals face are:

Static electricity: As paper moves rapidly through printers, it can accumulate static. This attracts dust, causes paper jams, and leads to print defects.


Particulate contamination: Even microscopic dust or fiber can show up as marks, dots, or streaks on glossy prints.

Traditional air blowers or manual wiping often redistribute dust rather than removing it — and they do nothing to neutralize static charge.

The EXAIR Ion Air Gun is engineered to solve both static and contamination problems in one tool. Here’s how it stands out:

Active Static Neutralization

The gun emits a stream of positive and negative ions that neutralizes static charges on surfaces instantly. This helps:

  • Reduce paper jams
  • Prevent dust attraction
  • Improve media handling through print engines

By eliminating static, prints come out cleaner and production runs flow more smoothly.

Ionized Clean Air Blast

Instead of just pushing air around, the ion air gun combines ionization with a strong, focused airflow. This:

  • Removes dust and debris from paper or film
  • Prepares surfaces before printing
  • Cleans out nooks and crannies where particles hide

The result? Cleaner prints with fewer re-runs and less waste.

In the competitive world of photo printing, attention to detail defines success. The EXAIR Ion Air Gun offers a practical, effective solution to two persistent problems — static and contamination. Whether you’re running small-batch professional prints or large industrial photo runs, it can help ensure every print meets the highest standard.

Jordan Shouse, CCASS

Application Engineer / Sales Operations Engineer

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Basics of Static Electricity

Published on by jasonkirbyLeave a comment

On a molecular level, the outer electrons surrounding the nucleus can be removed and transferred between atoms, leading to an imbalance of electrical charge known as static electricity. When an atom gains an extra electron, it becomes negatively charged, while the loss of an electron results in a positively charged atom. In non-conductive materials such as plastic, paper, rubber, and glass, these electrons cannot return to their original atoms. There are three primary methods through which static electricity can be generated, resulting in this phenomenon.

Contact — When objects collide, electrons can be transferred between their surfaces, with the amount of electrons exchanged depending on the specific triboelectric materials involved. In the case of plastic bottles or trays coming into contact on conveyor belts, static electricity can be generated quite easily.

Friction — When two materials are peeled apart, the electrons may not return to their original molecules, resulting in the creation of static electricity. This effect is especially prevalent with adhesive tapes and protective films, which possess larger surface areas that facilitate charge buildup. For example, peeling the backing from labels can generate a static charge that may malalign the labels or cause jams during the application process.

Separation — Static forces are often generated when two non-conductive surfaces are rubbed together, leading to the accumulation of electric charges. The friction created as these materials slide against each other increases the static charge, exemplified by the phenomenon observed when a balloon is rubbed on hair. With each additional rub, the static force intensifies, enabling the balloon to adhere to surfaces like walls. This effect is also evident when layers of material are stacked or when they move over rollers, highlighting the significance of friction in generating static electricity.

The generation of static electricity is influenced by the degree of contact, detachment, and friction between surfaces; increased interaction leads to a higher static charge. Even after static is discharged from a surface, it can accumulate through the same processes. Therefore, effective control of static electricity depends on both the treatment methods employed and the specific locations designated for its removal.

Humidity is another critical factor in static charge generation. Issues related to static electricity are often more pronounced during the winter months when the air tends to be drier. Lower relative humidity facilitates the easier and more potent development of static charges, which is why winter is commonly referred to as “static season.” A familiar example of this phenomenon occurs when one walks across a carpet and experiences a static shock upon touching a metal object, such as a door handle.

If you are experiencing static issues, or anything regarding EXAIR and our products, please do not hesitate to reach out. We offer a full line of Static Elimination products to suit your needs!

Jason Kirby
Application Engineer
Email: jasonkirby@exair.com
Twitter: @EXAIR_jk

On Demand Ionization with the Gen4 Ion Air Jet

Published on by Al WooffittLeave a comment

Static can be a big issue, whether it is shocking operators, causing jamming of machines, or collection of dirt and debris. This is especially true in the colder months. At EXAIR we have a wide range of Static Eliminators that can handle just about every static problem. However, sometimes the issue can be concentrated in smaller areas, and the solution needs to be more precise. For these types of situations, our Gen4 Ion Air Jet is perfect.

The Gen4 Ion Air Jet is a combination of our High Velocity Air Jet, and our Gen4 Ionizing Point. The Air Jet generates a high-speed air stream using a specially designed Coanda profile. This design creates a low pressure at the Air Jet’s entrance, allowing it to pull in surrounding air at a ratio of 5:1. As a result, the Air Jet operates efficiently, producing more ambient air in its output than compressed air. Additionally, thanks to the engineered design, they produce a smooth laminar air stream that can treat a surface up to 15 feet away.

Due to the laminar nature of the airflow, the ions generated by the Ionizing Point will be carried by the air stream all the way to the targeted area. When operated at a pressure of 80psig, the Ion Air Jet is capable of dissipating a 5kV charge in under 0.18 seconds. Although for more sensitive applications, the pressure can be regulated down to adjust the airflow from a blast to a breeze.

Ion Air Jet

In addition to being efficient in its use of compressed air, the Ion Air Jet boasts several other advantages. Due to the engineered design of the High Velocity Air Jet, and the laminar airflow produced, the Ion Air Jet is very quiet compared to other compressed air blow off options. At 82dBA (when operated at 80psig), the Ion Air Jet is well below OSHA’s allowable noise level. It also meets OSHA’s dead-end pressure requirements.

The Ionizing Point used in the Ion Air Jet takes advantage of a shockless design, so it is safe to handle while in operation. As it utilizes the corona discharge method, there are no radioactive materials needed to produce the static neutralizing ions.

In addition to our standard Ion Air Jet Kits, we also have systems that combine our Ion Air Jet with our Stay Set Hoses, making hands-free operation even easier. Whether you are looking for a new solution, or looking to upgrade an existing process, give us a call and see if our efficient, low-cost Ion Air Jets can help solve your static issues.

Al Wooffitt
Application Engineer

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Twitter: @EXAIR_AW

Intellistat® Ion Air Gun™: Features and Benefits

Published on by John BallLeave a comment
A technician using the Intellistat Ion Air Gun in a controlled environment to eliminate static and particulates during sensitive processes.

The Gen4® Static Eliminators were designed for rugged areas to remove static in industrial environments.  EXAIR decided to take the next step in eliminating static in more “sensitive” areas, like labs, clean rooms, electronics, medical items, glass etc. In this blog, I will cover the features and benefits of the Intellistat Ion Air Gun.

The EXAIR Intellistat Ion Air Gun is a patented handheld air gun for static elimination in sterile environments and clean rooms.  We have earned an ISO 14644-1 Class 5 Clean room Rating, making it ideal for static elimination in clean rooms with delicate processes.  There are some processes that require certain cleanliness standards for operation, such as scientific research, solar panel manufacturing and biotechnology industries. This means that any tool or material that they use in this process has to meet a certain standard. EXAIR’s Intellistat was engineered to do just that.

The polycarbonate construction makes the unit very lightweight and ergonomically safe for extended periods of use without fatigue.  This lightweight tool provides rapid static decay with a simple squeeze of a short-throw trigger, reducing 5,000 volts to 500 volts in under one second.  It comes complete with a low voltage power supply and compressed air tubing.  The power supply is a 24Vdc output that connects to 110Vac or 220Vac primary voltage with universal plug-ins.  The 6mm tubing has a standard length of 3 meters with an option to go to 6 meters.  The Intellistat comes packed in its own box for fast delivery.     

IntelliStat Ion Air Gun 8500 with power supply, multiple plug adapters, and connection cable.

A feature that I really like is the red and green LED lights to signify ionized air production.  It gives feedback that ions are being created.  It has a voltage balance of +/- 30 volts, and the ion point is interchangeable.  It comes standard with a hangable hook for easy storage; and, for safety, we use an OSHA safe nozzle to provide low noise levels and remove dead-end pressure. 

Here are some benefits of the Intellistat.  They are useful in applications that require non-conductive materials such as circuit boards or electronic manufacturing.  They provide ionized airflow useful for removing dust, static, and particulate contaminants in sterile environments within clean rooms, laboratories, and scientific testing.  For certification, they are UL listed, CE and RoHS compliant; and it uses only 5.8 SCFM (164.2 SLPM) of compressed air at 80 PSIG (5.5 bar).    

Some applications would include precision parts assembly, printed circuit boards, preserving cleanliness in electronic manufacturing, removing debris from medical products, and neutralizing glass containers, slides and lenses.  The Intellistat Ion Air Gun is also a great tool for Quality Control to manually clean parts before checking. 

EXAIR continues to expand solutions for our customers.  If static removal is needed in “sensitive” types of areas, the Intellistat Ion Air Gun can be a solution for you.  EXAIR manufactures a large line of Static Eliminators.  From now until March 31st, 2026, EXAIR will be giving a free AC Sensor, a $77.50 value, as a promotional item with a qualified purchase of any Static Eliminator.  If you would like to discuss your application and potential static issues, 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