Tag: Super Air Nozzle

Safety Is Everyone’s Responsibility

Published on by Russ BowmanLeave a comment

That’s a direct quote that everyone at EXAIR hears at our regularly scheduled safety training meetings. While our machine tool operators & assembly technicians spend a lot more time “up close and personal” with devices that can hurt you if not used properly, we all work in the same building with them. That’s why EVERYONE is required to attend those meetings. I like the people I work with, so I REALLY like the level of confidence we all have that the company is looking out for us like that.

The confidence in safety that we have in working at EXAIR is built into our engineered Compressed Air Products as well. Compressed air is downright dangerous, so it’s imperative that you use it safely.

I spent 6 years & 23 days in the United States Navy, so I know full well that you can’t make anything “sailor proof” (no offense to you veterans of other branches, but I once got a letter of commendation from my Commanding Officer for fixing something that I’d broken myself) but I cannot figure out, for the life of me, how to violate OSHA’s Standard on using compressed air for cleaning, with an EXAIR Super Air Nozzle:

OSHA Standard 1910.242(b) says that if you use a compressed air device for cleaning, the static air pressure at the nozzle or opening must not exceed 30 PSI when dead-ended (blocked). Since the air from a Super Air Nozzle comes out of those holes recessed between those fins, there’s a (dare I say it?) sailor proof relief path to make sure that can’t happen.

In fact, all of our blowoff products comply with that standard:

The same design feature (the cap overhanging the body) makes our Flat Super Air Nozzle (left) and our Super Air Knife (right) OSHA Compliant.

Another danger associated with the use of compressed air is the noise level associated with introducing a high pressure gas to atmospheric pressure. If you use airguns or other blow offs without engineered nozzles, you likely know this already. EXAIR engineered Compressed Air Products solve this safety issue as well. Each of the products in the photos above has a very specific feature that causes the primary flow of compressed airflow to entrain a secondary airflow, which results in a much higher total developed airflow. That makes them EXTREMELY efficient — but it also forms a low velocity boundary layer around the hard-hitting air stream in the center, which attenuates the sound level.

In each of these EXAIR engineered compressed air products, the primary air stream following the curved surface causes entrainment. And efficiency. And sound attenuation.

The effectiveness of that low velocity boundary layer is so good that all of our Super Air Nozzles except the very largest ones are compliant with OSHA Standard 1910.95(a) for maximum allowable noise exposure (that limit is 90dBA, so you know.)

In closing, let me reiterate: compressed air is dangerous, so use it safely, and that starts with using safe compressed air products. Like EXAIR’s…we’re all about safety. If you’d like to find out more, I can talk about it all day, and sometimes I do…give me a call.

Russ Bowman, CCASS

Application Engineer
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Utilizing EXAIR Accessories

Published on by jasonkirbyLeave a comment
Accessories

At EXAIR, we take great pride in our Intelligent Compressed Air Products, which are renowned for their efficiency and minimal maintenance requirements, thanks to their design featuring few or no moving parts. While we often highlight these advantages, we also do not want to overlook the importance of the accompanying accessories that enhance our products’ performance. These accessories play a crucial role in ensuring our compressed air solutions maintain their low maintenance and reduced noise levels, further solidifying their compliance with OSHA safety standards.

Compressed air filters and regulators are among the most essential accessories we offer, and we highly recommend their use with all our products, as well as with other brands. The Filter Separator effectively eliminates water, dirt, and rust from your compressed air system, while the 5-micron filter element prevents contaminants from clogging or damaging connected equipment. For more precise and additional filtration, an Oil Removal Filter should be installed downstream of the Filter Separator; it utilizes a 0.03-micron element to remove oil and solid particles. Our Pressure Regulators allow you to set the desired operating pressure, and we advise maintaining the minimum pressure necessary for optimal performance. This not only conserves air but also fine-tunes the efficiency of EXAIR products in various applications.

Good engineering practice calls for point of use filtration and moisture removal, such as that provided by EXAIR Filter Separators.
The Thermostat’s leads (left) are spliced into the Solenoid Valve’s ‘hot’ lead (bottom right), which essentially acts as the automatic temperature controlled ‘on/off’ switch for the Cabinet Cooler System. NEMA 4/4X versions include mounting hardware (top right).

We offer specialized accessories designed to enhance the performance of some of our products. For instance, our Line Vacs are complemented by the Line Vac Hose, while our Cabinet Coolers can be paired with Thermostats and Solenoid Valves. Additionally, we recommend Mufflers for optimal use with our Vortex Tubes. When it comes to our Air Knives, we provide several excellent options. The Universal Air Knife Mounting System offers a straightforward and dependable solution for mounting. For applications requiring longer knives or independent control of airflow sections, our Coupling Bracket Kits are ideal. Lastly, our Air Knife Plumbing Kits simplify the plumbing process for Air Knives exceeding 24 inches in length.

For those looking to connect Intelligent Compressed Air Products, we offer a range of compressed air hoses and fittings designed to enhance the convenience of installation. Coiled Hoses are an excellent match for our Safety Air Guns, providing greater mobility during operation. Additionally, our Compressed Air Hoses are frequently utilized with our Industrial Housekeeping products, ensuring that both the drum and dolly have the necessary reach for effective use.

Model 9256 6″ Stay Set Hose

If you are looking for an effective solution to mount or position your Air Nozzles, consider our Magnetic Bases, Stay Set Hoses, and Swivel Fittings, which can be combined to create a comprehensive setup.

If you have questions about our accessories, or anything regarding EXAIR and our products, please do not hesitate to reach out.

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

Video Blog: Designing and Fabricating Complete Systems for EXAIR Products

Published on by Tyler DanielLeave a comment

EXAIR has been manufacturing engineered, point-of-use compressed air products since 1983. Just last year, we entered into a new partnership with BETE – experts in Spray Nozzle Technology. BETE has been doing this since 1950, bringing with them a wealth of experience that complements our activities here at EXAIR.

With the expertise of BETE’s Systems & Fabrication department, we’re now able to provide a complete turnkey solution to customers looking for more than just their EXAIR Products. Check out the video below for an overview and recent example of a simple system developed for a customer utilizing one of our Stainless Steel Super Air Knives:

In the past, you were left to your own to design the complete system and process requirements. Now, with our partners at BETE, we can offer everything from A to Z. Get in touch with us today if you’d like to explore a potential solution!

Tyler Daniel, CCASS

Application Engineer/International Trade

E-mail: TylerDaniel@EXAIR.com

X: @EXAIR_TD

Aluminum Smelting: Cooling the Hot Spots!

Published on by John BallLeave a comment

Aluminum smelting is an important process to change alumina ore into aluminum, a lightweight metal.  This process uses high heat for a period of time to separate the oxygen from the alumina.  The temperature can reach over 1000oF (538oC) to cause this separation.  As a reference, two pounds (0.9 Kg) of alumina ore is needed to make one pound (0.45 Kg) of aluminum.  Inside the ovens and exhaust ducts, they are lined with a cement brick to contain the heat and fumes.  Over time, the brick can get weak and have hot spots.  Once the brick is compromised, the system has to be shut down for days to replace the brick.  This is an expensive process and time-consuming.  To help reduce the hot spots and extend the life of the brick, the smelting company was using ¼” copper tubes to blow compressed air to reduce the heat.  This was costing the company a lot of money to operate; so, they contacted EXAIR for a better solution.     

They may be inefficient, but they sure are loud…

EXAIR has been manufacturing intelligent compressed air products since 1983.  And one thing that we know how to do is to save money on compressed air blow-off applications.  For this company above, they had 90 open pipes throughout their plant.  I was able to do a quick calculation for this customer to compare the copper tube to a Super Air Nozzle.  A ¼” copper tube will use roughly 33 SCFM (935 SLPM) of compressed air at 80 PSIG (5.5 bar).  As a replacement nozzle in a hot area, EXAIR recommended a model 1100SS Super Air Nozzle which will use 14 SCFM (396 SLPM) at 80 PSIG (5.5 bar).  With a simple connection, they could mount the ¼” NPT Super Air Nozzle at the end of each tube.  With the cost to make compressed air at $0.25/1,000 ft3, we can calculate the air savings.    

33 SCFM (copper tube) – 14 SCFM (Model 1100) = 19 SCFM savings

The operation for the smelting plant was 24 hours and 7 days a week.  The amount of savings is as follows:

19 ft3/min * 60 min/hr * 24 hr/day * 7 days/week * $0.25/1,000 ft3 = $47.88 savings per week per nozzle.

Since they have 90 nozzles, this would save them $4,309.20 each week! 

How can we do this?  With cooling capacities, it is dependent on the mass of air that can be moved.  With our Super Air Nozzles, we are near an amplification ratio of 25:1.  This means that for every one part of compressed air, we can entrain 25 parts of ambient air.  Also, with our Super Air Nozzles, we can generate a laminar air flow which has a velocity profile that has the air moving in the same direction.  An open pipe has turbulent flow, which means that the velocity is traveling in different directions and not working together.  And the amplification ratio is very low.  I did a demonstration to illustrate this effect here: Video Blog: Laminar and Turbulent Flows.  The large volume of air creates good cooling without using too much compressed air to reduce the hot spot temperatures.  In keeping the temperature under control, they could continue operations and lessen the concern for untimely shut-downs and costly maintenance.

By using air to cool, you can do it safely and efficiently.  As a benefit, the Super Air Nozzles reduced the noise level as well.  Saving a lot of money; having an effective way to reduce stress on the cement bricks; and reducing the noise nuisance were great replacements for this company.  If you would like to speak about cooling applications, you can contact an Application Engineer; even something as large as a smelting oven.

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