One of my favorite things to do is tackle problems and troubleshoot. Problem-solving is a key skill when working with compressed air, and is something we do daily at EXAIR.
Most of our products are simple to set up and install, requiring minimal maintenance. Still, there are times when various factors can affect performance. The ability to pinpoint these issues and carefully work through each one will yield better outcomes and help them last longer.
One of the first and most crucial things to check is the air pressure that you are operating the device. When we ask users what pressure they’re using, we often hear about the pressure coming from the compressor. However, this is usually not the pressure you’ll find at the point of use. A great way to confirm this is by placing a pressure gauge along with a pipe-tee at the inlet. There are several reasons you might notice pressure drops, such as restrictive fittings, undersized lines, or lack of proper maintenance. If the pressure you see at the inlet is lower than the header pressure, that’s a clear indication that the product is not getting enough compressed air.
If you’ve figured out that there’s a problem with your compressed air supply, the next thing to do is find and fix those restrictions. Common culprits are restrictive fittings like quick connects or push-to-connects. Our 24″ Super Air Knife uses 69.6 SCFM at 80 psig. A 1/2″ quick connect might look big enough, but its smaller ID can throttle the airflow down to 50 SCFM, which would starve the Knife and hurt its performance. Switching this out with a straight fitting would fix this.
Once you’ve taken care of any restrictive fittings, the next step is to replace any undersized lines. Sticking with our 24″ Super Air Knife example, the minimum size for the in feed pipe is 1/2″ for runs of 10′ or less. If the run is longer than 10′ but shorter than 50′, you’ll need to upgrade to a 3/4″ pipe, and for runs up to 100′, you should double the initial pipe size to 1″ to achieve the same results.
The final best practice would be to make sure the compressed air is clean and moisture free. Even the cleanest compressed air systems will accumulate contaminants over time, which can build up and clog the precisely machined EXAIR product. Ensuring that you have point of use filtration with a Filter Separator will keep your products running maintenance free for longer.
If you would like to discuss your application, and see if we can identify any problems that may be impacting your product’s performance, then give us a call at 1-800-903-9247. We’d love to help you get the best out of our products.
Manufacturers in semiconductor assembly and PCB production face strict cleanliness, throughput, and thermal-control requirements. EXAIRs compressed-air products, specifically our Air Knives and Vortex Tubes, and air amplifiers are proven, compact, and energy-efficient tools for precise blow-off, controlled cooling and heating for spot thermal conditioning and fume extraction. This Blog explains how EXAIR Super Air Knives and Vortex Tubes and Air Amplifiers address three common production needs:
Drying and particulate removal during lead frame processing with air knives.
Localized cooling/heating for functional PCB testing using Vortex Tubes.
Fume extraction during etching, cleaning and plating processes
I’ll cover technical fit, typical performance characteristics, and measurement/ROI considerations so engineers and plant managers can evaluate and implement these solutions.
Intellistat Ion Air Nozzle in clean room, cleaning microchip parts before installation.
Super Air Knife and Success in the semiconductor lead frame manufacturing process.
Typical use cases
Removing rinse water or flux residues after cleaning
Blowing off foreign matter, over spray, or machining debris prior to plating or die bonding.
Drying prior to molding or coating operations.
Static-assisted blow-off when combined with static eliminating product for electrostatically attracted particles.
Uniform Laminar Sheet of air: delivers consistent, even blow-off across the width of a lead frame, reducing localized hot spots or mechanical damage.
Adjustable force and flow: adjusting air pressure and shim size allow you to control force and volume so fragile wires or plated surfaces aren’t damaged.
Entrainment & Efficiency: The knives are engineered so they entrain ambient air, increasing total developed flow and reducing compressed-air consumption compared to open pipes.
Vortex Tubes for functional PCB testing / burn-in and thermal cycling
During in-line or bench functional testing, specific components or integrated circuits may overheat or require temperature conditioning to verify performance at the full range of the rated temperature specifications. Vortex Tubes give fast, localized cooling (or heating) without coolant loops, chillers, or plumbing intricacy. Subjecting devices to burn-in and thermal cycling stress helps products enter the field with confidence there will not be any preventable failures. Normally, environmental chambers are used for burn-in processes, but vortex tubes can help facilitate localized thermal ramps, corner stressing, or temporary additional cooling/heating when size, cost or availability of a full environmental chamber isn’t feasible.
Instant cold/hot air from regular compressed air: no refrigeration system or refrigeration cycle; instantaneous on/off.
No moving parts: high reliability and low maintenance for test fixtures.
Local spot conditioning: focus cooling on integrated circuits or other small areas without cooling the entire board or fixture.
Adjustable cold fraction: Vortex tubes can be tuned via the control valve to trade flow vs. temperature drop to meet testing conditions.
Cooling or Heating with the Vortex Tube
Air Amplifiers for fume extraction and partial heat control during etching, cleaning and plating processes.
In semiconductor lead frame manufacturing, maintaining clean, particle-free environments is essential to ensure consistent product quality and process reliability. Processes such as flux cleaning, plating, molding, and soldering generate vapors, fumes, and fine particulates that can contaminate delicate components or compromise yields. EXAIR’s Super Air Amplifier provides an efficient, quiet, and maintenance-free solution for capturing and removing fumes, vapors, and airborne contaminants from sensitive production areas.
Compressed-air energy reduction (compared to previous blow-offs) = kW savings (U.S. Department of Energy offers a benchmark of $0.25 per 1,000 SCF).
Tangible benefits: throughput improvement, energy savings, reduced capital cost (vs. chillers/chambers), lower maintenance and smaller footprint.
Conclusion
EXAIR Super Air Knives, Vortex Tubes and air amplifiers are compact, reliable, and flexible products that can improve cleanliness, thermal testing, and throughput in semiconductor processes.
Select a process you think could be helped with an air knife, Vortex Tube or an air amplifier and take advantage of our 30-day money-back guarantee.
Validate throughput and quality improvements and calculate ROI.
Rollout with appropriate controls, filtration, and operator training.
If you think any of our products can help you in your process, please reach out. We have a team of application engineers here M-F to answer your questions!
When it comes to drying, cooling, or cleaning processes, efficiency and consistency matter. EXAIR’s Super Air Knives are engineered to deliver a uniform sheet of air across the entire length of the knife, making them the ideal choice for a wide range of industrial applications.
Sixteen stock lengths, and Four stock Materials
Why Choose EXAIR Super Air Knives?
The Super Air Knife is designed for energy efficiency, low noise, and powerful performance. By entraining surrounding air at a 40:1 ratio, it amplifies the airflow while minimizing compressed air consumption. This results in:
Up to 90% air savings compared to open pipe blowoffs.
Quiet operation, typically under 69 dBA—even at 80 PSIG.
Uniform airflow across the full length, ensuring even drying and debris removal.
Maintenance-free operation with no moving parts to wear out or require adjustment.
These air knives are available in aluminum, 303 and 316 stainless steel, and PVDF, making them suitable for everything from general industrial use to harsh chemical and washdown environments.
Streamlined Installation with Plumbing Kits
To make setup simple, EXAIR offers Plumbing Kits—pre-assembled and ready-to-install packages that include everything you need for optimal performance. Each kit includes:
Properly sized fittings and hoses for balanced air distribution
Crosses and tees for different length knives
Optional kits with filter and regulator assemblies to ensure clean, controlled air supply
Plumbing Kits eliminate the guesswork and ensure your Super Air Knife operates at its best from day one. They also save valuable installation time and guarantee consistent performance across multiple units.
From drying bottles on a packaging line to removing debris in machining or coating operations, EXAIR’s Super Air Knife system is engineered to outperform traditional blow off methods. Ready to improve efficiency and lower energy costs? Explore EXAIR’s full line of Super Air Knives and Plumbing Kits to find the best setup for your application.
Every now and then, an application comes across our desks that’s a little out of the ordinary. With Halloween around the corner, it felt like the right time to revisit one of the strangest (and certainly most memorable) uses of EXAIR products we’ve ever come across.
Several years ago, a research group reached out with an unusual request. They were involved in a project studying human anatomy through a process that required milling a cadaver and then photographing each layer to build a precise, three-dimensional representation of the body. Each pass removed only about 300 microns of material, meaning that hundreds of layers were milled and documented throughout the process.
For the imaging to be accurate, each freshly milled surface had to be completely clean and evenly prepared before a photo was taken. Any debris or uneven surface finish could distort the final image, and repeating a cut or photo sequence was time-consuming. That’s where EXAIR came in.
To remove dust and debris left behind from the milling process, they incorporated a Stainless Steel Super Air Knife (Model 110012SS). The knife delivers a clean, uniform curtain of air across the surface, removing any residue without physically touching or damaging the material. Immediately following the blowoff, an Atomizing Spray Nozzle (Model EB1020SS) applied a fine mist of isopropyl alcohol across the surface to improve imaging contrast and clarity.
A Stay Set Hose(Model 9212) allowed the nozzle to be positioned precisely where it needed to be and to stay there through long hours of operation. This combination replaced a previous setup that relied on a liquid-only spray, which often left uneven coverage and required rework. With the EXAIR system in place, the team achieved consistent, repeatable preparation of each layer and saved significant time by eliminating variability in their process.
While it’s not every day we see our products used in anatomical research, this one stuck with us. It’s a great example of how compressed air solutions can improve consistency and control in highly specialized applications.
So, in the spirit of the season, we thought it was worth dusting off this story as a reminder that EXAIR products show up in all kinds of places. Whether you’re cooling, cleaning, coating, or even preparing something for a close-up, there’s usually an efficient way to do it with compressed air.
Have an unusual application of your own? We’d love to hear about it. Reach out to an Application Engineer today.
