Tag: steel shot

Conveyance Testing? We Can Do That!

Published on by Brian FarnoLeave a comment

Over the past month I have spoken with many customers who all had a similar concern.  Will the Line Vac actually convey my product?  Generally, the Application Engineer team can pool our experience together and get a pretty good feeling on if the product will be able to be conveyed the needed vertical and horizontal distance.  We can even give some estimates on what rate of transfer for the product.

In some cases though, the customer prefers to have some hard evidence to showcase to their leadership that the product will work and fill the need they have.  In those cases, as long as the product does not present a disposal hazard or respiratory hazard then we can probably take a small sample and do some testing then provide images, and possibly even some video.

Lightweight and durable aluminum is the most popular choice, but we make them in stainless steel (Types 303 and 316) for heat and corrosion resistance. For extreme heat, the High Temperature option affords protection to 900F (482C) in either 303SS or 316SS.

We may not be able to set up the exact product path that your system will require, we can generally convey a simple vertical with some horizontal.  The list below gives just a few examples of the products we have tested:

  • paper scrap
  • medicine tablets
  • ground rubber
  • dry ice
  • seasoning/spices
  • die cut scraps
  • steel shot
  • tumbling media
  • candy bars (These were delicious, please send more!)
  • nutraceuticals
  • plastic caps
  • plastic parts
  • packing peanuts
  • coffee beans
  • adhesive backing paper
  • cat food additive
  • bolts
  • springs
  • Doo Hickeys (okay, maybe my daughters made me watch Little Mermaid recently.)
  • sand
  • nuts/seeds

The list could go on and on.  The point is, if you are questionable on how well a Line Vac would work with your product, don’t let that deter you from reaching out to us and speaking with an Application Engineer.   We’ve done lots of product testing, and we will all share our experiences with you.  Also, we have conveyed a Cincinnati-Style Chili 3-way.  You can see that in the archives under Will It Launch.

Brian Farno
Application Engineer
BrianFarno@EXAIR.com
@EXAIR_BF

 

Shot Blasting Media and Dust Problems Solved with EXAIR’s HEPA Vac

Published on by johnball2014Leave a comment
Heavy Duty HEPA Vac Family

Have you ever heard an electric vacuum toward the end of its life?  It gets an irritating high-pitch noise caused by the bearings going out.  A customer was hearing this annoying sound after only two months of use.   Their application was shot blasting metal parts.  The shot blast media was very dusty and carried everywhere around the room.  After use, they would use a shop vac to clean the machine and around the area.   When they started to hear that “moan” from their electric vacuum, they knew that they would have to purchase another unit.  Additionally, they noticed a lot of dust migrating into the work environment from the shop vac, creating a breathing hazard for the operators.  After their second electric vacuum failed, they started looking for a better choice.

Sand Blasting Equipment

When they contacted EXAIR about these issues, EXAIR had a great solution for them.  I recommended our model 6399, 55-gallon Premium Heavy Duty HEPA Vac System.  This system comes with a drum, drum dolly, heavy duty accessories, HEPA Filter, and a robust vacuum system.  The heavy-duty accessories are easy to use to vacuum in tight spaces.  The HEPA filter inside the drum has an efficiency of 99.97% at 0.3 micron.  So, the dust will remain in the drum and not migrate back into the ambient air.  The HEPA filter media is pleated to give a large surface area of 36.7 ft2 (3.4 m2).  Packed inside a supported cylindrical, it will allow for great amount of debris before changing.  With the shop vac above, the surface area of the filter was very small causing the filter to plug and under-perform.  The EXAIR Heavy Duty vacuum generator is made from a hardened-alloy steel construction which is very resistant to wear.  It does not have any moving parts or bearings to wear.  For this application, the generator is perfect for the shot blast media.  The Heavy Duty HEPA Vac only requires compressed air to operate, not an electric motor which can fail from dusty environments.  The Heavy Duty HEPA Vac System only has a decibel level of 82 dBA which makes it very quiet compared to shop vacs.  With clean compressed air as the engine for the vacuum, this system can last for years; not months.

When the company above started to use the Heavy Duty HEPA Vac, the first thing that they noticed was how quiet it operated.  That constant loud noise from their electric vacuum was gone, making it a better working environment for the operators.  They also noticed that the dust was not getting back into the environment, reducing the dust nuisance.  If you find that your electric vacuums are breaking down or you would like to reduce the noise levels, EXAIR has a large line of Industrial Housekeeping Products.  You can contact an Application Engineer to see if we have the right vacuum product for you.

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