A Journey of Learning: Passing the CCASS Certification Test

Hey everyone! I’m beyond excited to share some big news with you—I recently passed the Certified Compressed Air System Specialist (CCASS) certification test! It’s been a wild ride getting here, and I want to take you through my journey, to show what this certificate means to me.

Why CCASS? Six and a half years ago, I started my fascination with compressed air products and systems—how they power so much of modern industry, from manufacturing to automation. But I’ll be honest: there’s a lot to learn, and I wanted a way to prove I really get it. That’s where the CCASS certification came in. Offered by CAGI, it’s a credential that shows you’ve mastered the ins and outs of compressed air systems—think system design, energy efficiency, and all the components that make it tick. For me, it was about more than just a title; it was a chance to level up my skills and help customers optimize their systems.

The CCASS exam isn’t a walk in the park—it’s 80 multiple-choice questions in just 1.5 hours, testing your applied knowledge, skills, and abilities. CAGI doesn’t hand you a study guide, but they do point you to some resources. Their “Body of Knowledge” list was my starting point, packed with references like the Compressed Air & Gas Handbook and standards like ASME EA-4 for energy assessments. I dove into those, soaking up everything from compressor basics to sustainability tips.

What does this mean? Well, I’m the 6th person on the application engineering team to become certified. Our team of Application Engineers are dedicated to continuous self-improvement and actively seek ways to assure our readers, clients, and prospective customers that we are the foremost authorities in engineered solutions for point-of-use compressed air. We prioritize ongoing education and share our expertise through various platforms. This includes informative blogs like this one, casual videos available on our YouTube Channel and website, articles in different publications, and our webinars.

The subjects we cover range from strategies to reduce waste associated with one of the most costly utilities to system designs that mitigate pressure drops and ensure adequate supply for point-of-use applications. We can provide both in-depth analysis and high-level overviews to cater to different levels of understanding.

If you wish to evaluate our expertise or learn more about how we can assist with your facility’s compressed air needs, please reach out to an Application Engineer today.

Jordan Shouse, CCASS

Application Engineer

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Video Blog: The Effects of Back Pressure On A Vortex Tube

The video below is one that I have explained to customers countless times over my tenure here at EXAIR. Vortex Tubes are most efficient when discharging the cold and hot air streams into atmospheric conditions. This video is my attempt to showcase just how much it will affect your performance when a restriction on the discharge cannot be avoided.

If you would like to discuss Vortex Tubes and their feasibility in your application, feel free to contact an Application Engineer today!

Brian Farno, MBA – CCASS Application Engineer

BrianFarno@EXAIR.com
@EXAIR_BF

CAGI CCASS Certificate Awarded To Our Own John Ball!

I blogged in October 2023 about our 4th team member who had passed the Compressed Air And Gas Institute’s Certified Compressed Air System Specialist test. Once Neal Raker received his CCASS certification, it was only a matter of time before the next one of our International Application Engineers, John Ball, was going to take the plunge, so to say.

John has studied, written content revolving around, and demonstrated his knowledge in the compressed air field for many years before he came to EXAIR and has continued his education ever since, doing the necessary due diligence of studying for and obtaining his CCASS certification. As with Neal, Russ, and Tyler all obtaining this, what kind of value does that add for you our customers, and content consumers?

Certainly, it means you can rely on us to actually know what we are talking about when we make a recommendation to you on a phone call, chat or e-mail. It also means that the content of our informal videos, presentations, and blogs is well researched. We hold ourselves to a higher standard, and we must ensure we continue to improve our knowledge through continuing education or else we will not be able to maintain these types of certifications. Our goal is to help in such a way that you will want to come back for more! When we say our people are our most valuable resource, investing in continuing education is one way we walk the walk.

If you want to experience our help first hand, please contact one of our Application Engineers and give us a try. We would be happy to listen and verify your thought process for an application or perhaps walk you through a few scenarios based on multiple, possible solutions. Many times, there’s more than one right answer. We encourage you to bounce your ideas off of us. Contact an Application Engineer today.

Brian Farno
Application Engineer
BrianFarno@EXAIR.com
@EXAIR_BF

CAGI Certification Times 4

The CAGI CCASS is a professional credential offered by the Compressed Air and Gas Institute (CAGI) to represent mastery in all things compressed air system-related, such as system design, compressed air supply and distribution, energy efficiency, system components, and more. To achieve this credential, individuals must attain not only a certain level of education but complete specified training, testing, and professional experiences all pertaining to the comprehensive knowledge of compressed air systems. Neal Raker is our fourth team member to achieve this certification. So what does this mean for you, our customers, and loyal blog readers?

It means that our staff of Application Engineers are continually improving themselves and looking for ways to ensure our readers, customers, and potential customers that we are the leading experts in the industry regarding engineered solutions for point-of-use compressed air. We continue to educate ourselves and then share our knowledge through various avenues. This can include blogs such as this one, informal videos that are published here, on our YouTube Channel and on our website, articles through various publications, and even our webinars.

These topics range from eliminating waste from one of the most expensive utilities to system designs that prevent pressure drops and lack of supply for point-of-use applications. They can go in-depth or stay high level in order to get just a general understanding of the topic at hand.

If you would like to test our knowledge or see what kind of information we can share with you on your facilities’ compressed air usage, contact an Application Engineer today.

Brian Farno
Application Engineer
BrianFarno@EXAIR.com
@EXAIR_BF