Tag: variable flow

Press Release – EXAIR’s CE Compliant VariBlast® Precision Safety Air Gun

Published on by johnball2014Leave a comment

EXAIR’s VariBlast® Precision Safety Air Guns provide a focused blast of air capable of handling tough jobs with remarkable strength. This CE compliant, lightweight air gun uses an engineered valve for variable flow.  It can produce an adjustable force on a target simply by pulling the trigger in a variety of positions.  You can generate higher or lower force as needed for an application.  

A comfortable, full-finger trigger and a convenient hanger loop are built into the Variblast Precision Safety Air Gun.  It has a ¼ NPT female compressed air inlet at the base of the handle, with an option for a BSP threaded adapter.  The VariBlast Precision Safety Air Gun is compatible with various nozzles to allow configuration for unique processes. One of the unique features are the replaceable extensions.  They come standard with a 6” (152mm) extension.  For greater reach, we offer a 12″ (305mm) or a 20″ (508mm) extension for a longer reach.  The body is made of high-impact, glass-reinforced nylon to resist breakage.  They can also be outfitted with an impact-resistant polycarbonate Chip Shield.  In combination with the EXAIR Safety Air Nozzles, the airflow that exits the nozzle can’t be blocked, ensuring safe operation and compliance with OSHA standard 1910.242(b). Also, the Precision air gun has a low noise level, only 75 dBA, which is well below the limits of the OSHA noise exposure standard, 29 CFR 1910.95(a).  EXAIR strives to manufacture safe and efficient safety air guns, and the VariBlast Precision fits that bill.  

EXAIR’s complete line of Safety Air Guns is CE compliant and guarantees high performance and safety.  A substandard blow-off gun is unsafe, loud, and wastes compressed air.  They are subject to dangerous conditions and OSHA fines.  EXAIR Safety Air Guns can help improve the situation in all these areas.  EXAIR stocks a wide range of safety air guns for almost any blow-off application.  We stock units ranging from our smallest size; the VariBlast Precision Safety Air Guns, up to our largest size; the TurboBalst Safety Air Guns.  If you would like to discuss your blow-off application in a safe and efficient manner, an Application Engineer will be able to help you.         

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

EXAIR VariBlast® Safety Air Guns

Published on by johnball2014Leave a comment

VariBlast

EXAIR has been manufacturing Intelligent Compressed Air Products since 1983.  In that time, we have engineered many products for new and existing markets that required better efficiency, versatility, safety, and effectiveness.  In this blog, I will discuss the features and benefits of the VariBlast Safety Air Guns.

To start, the unique feature that sets the VariBlast apart from other small air guns is the force variability.  Unlike the “all or nothing” blowing forces with most air guns, this valve is designed to control the opening to allow for a variable force with the same nozzle.  This will help you to not “overuse” the compressed air blowing. The VariBlast Safety Air Guns are made from a durable cast aluminum construction for tough industrial use.  They have a rugged ergonomic grip with a user-friendly trigger.  The compressed air inlets are located in two different positions to best fit your area.  They also have an easy storage handle to hang the Safety Air Gun nearby.  In addition to the VariBlast Safety Air Guns, EXAIR has options to enhance the features.  Here is a list of them:

Air Nozzles:

Air Nozzles can make or break an air gun in safety, efficiency and effectiveness.  EXAIR Air Nozzles are OSHA compliant for noise and dead-end pressure.  We offer nine different types of air nozzles with the VariBlast Safety Air Gun; making it very effective for a range of applications.

Chip Shields

Chip Shields:

OSHA 1910.242(b) requires chip guarding when compressed air is used for cleaning and blowing.  EXAIR offers Chip Shields with the VariBlast Safety Air Guns to meet this requirement.  They are made from a polycarbonate disc which is practically unbreakable.  It protects the operator from any blow back of shavings, debris, and coolant.  They come standard with a durable rubber grommet that squeezes the extensions and can be adjusted for greater protection.

Extension Pipes:

For those far away targets and hard-to-reach areas, EXAIR offers aluminum extension pipes to attach to the VariBlast Safety Air Guns.  They can range from 6” (15 cm) to 72” (183 cm) in length.  This light-weight and durable material allows for easy handling when reaching high above your head or spanning across unsafe areas.  With the EXAIR air nozzles at the end, the blowing force is not sacrificed as the back pressure will create a high velocity air stream.

Coiled Hose

Coiled Hoses:

To get the proper amount of compressed air from the piping system to the VariBlast Safety Air Guns, EXAIR offers Coiled Hoses.  They are made of a durable abrasion-resistant nylon material that is 12 feet long (3.6 meters).  They have swivel fittings to allow for easy uncoiling, and a spring strain relief to keep the hose from kinking at the ends.  The coiled design makes it easy to reach around the work area and retract back to the substation.  This will help to keep the hose off the ground where potential dangers could occur.

Regulator and filter

Filter Separators/Regulators:

To improve the VariBlast Safety Air Guns, EXAIR offers a series of filters and regulators.  The filters will remove dirty particles and liquid water from the compressed air that can affect the performance as well as contaminate the surface that you are cleaning.  The regulators are used to control the amount of air pressure used by the VariBlast Safety Air Gun; making them even more efficient.  The idea for compressed air savings is to use the least amount of compressed air to do the job.  The filter and regulator combination will allow you to control the proper amount of clean dry air to be used.

Not all air guns are the same.  A check list should be created for any air gun.  Is it safe, efficient, quiet, durable, ergonomic, and flexible?  The VariBlast Safety Air Guns meet every item on that list.  This is why the EXAIR VariBlast Safety Air Gun was awarded the Silver award by Plant Engineering in 2019.  To go even farther, EXAIR has a promotion where we will be giving away for free a model 1126 1” Flat Super Air Nozzle, a $48.00 value, from now until the end of September 2020 with qualified purchases.  (Check it out HERE).  If you expected more from your current air guns, you can try any of the EXAIR Safety Air Guns.  An Application Engineer is available to help recommend the best air gun for your application.  You will not be disappointed.

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

Video Blog: VariBlast Compact Safety Air Gun Rebuild

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VariBlast Compact Safety Air Guns provide a variable flow through the pull of the trigger. A light pull provides a breeze while a heavy pull provides a powerful blast. It has a smaller frame than our Soft Grip or Heavy Duty air guns, is lightweight and designed to utilize any of our 1/8 NPT air nozzles for general duty industrial applications.

This video shows how to install the VariBlast Valve Rebuild Kit, part number 902001 – to rebuild any VariBlast Compact Safety Air Gun that, through use, has become worn.

If you have questions about installing the VariBlast Valve Rebuild Kit or to discuss any of the 15 different EXAIR Intelligent Compressed Air® Product lines, feel free to contact EXAIR and one of our Application Engineers can help you.

Brian Bergmann
Application Engineer
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Where Has The VariBlast Compact Safety Air Gun Been All My Life?!?

Published on by Russ BowmanLeave a comment

Have you ever happened across something that would have been a real “game changer” at some time in the past? I’ll never forget the time that I went camping with my sons’ Boy Scout Troop, and I was introduced to the peanut butter and bacon sandwich. I still enjoy one from time to time, but my doctor does not enjoy hearing about it…

I’ve also written before (and before) about when I found out EXAIR Vortex Tubes were being used in some shipyards for freeze sealing pipes…a task that (when I worked in a shipyard) we used tanks of liquid nitrogen for.  I was amazed that such a cumbersome ordeal was replaced by something so simple and easy.

When we were developing the VariBlast Compact Safety Air Gun, a key feature…the variable flow trigger…also would have been real handy at a time in my not-so-distant past.  See, I used to run a small industrial equipment service department, and one time I found myself in a pinch to get a structural steel tube frame made for a support for a particular piece of equipment.  This wasn’t something we did all the time, and this particular job was a bit larger scale than most of what we’d done before.   It wasn’t really a big deal; I just had to cut some rectangular tubing to length with our band saw, drill some small holes (for bolts) and bore some larger holes (for cables & hose) along the length.

We had a small air compressor and a cheap commercial grade air gun, which served the purpose of our infrequent usage. Blowing the shavings away from those holes, and the inside of the tubing was a challenge…that air gun would just barely move them all the way from the holes near the middle, and when I blew out the holes near the ends, the spray of coolant-soaked shavings was making a heck of a mess in our relatively small shop.  After a while, I found that I could kind of “mash” the trigger a little to one side and get a rough measure of control…I was only going to have to mop about half the floor, instead of the whole thing, and I wasn’t going to have to wash the service truck parked in the closest garage bay to the shop area.

Needless to say, this wasn’t exactly ergonomic, and it was  real pain (literally) to use my left hand for a few days following.  Which, being left-handed, was kind of a drag.

Fast forward to just last year, when we rolled out the latest and greatest (in a distinguished line of latest and greatest) EXAIR product: the VariBlast Compact Safety Air Gun.  Now, individually, the key features might not be all that mind-blowing to the casual observer, but taken together, they’re a pretty big deal. Consider:

*Aluminum construction – lightweight, durable, corrosion resistant.

*Two compressed air inlets – one on the bottom (below your pinkie finger) and one on the rear (above your thumb;) your choice…whichever makes your task easier.

*Cast-in hanger – to keep it out of the way, but still handy, when you’re not using it.

*Chip Shield – you still have to wear safety glasses, but this will keep them cleaner.

*Wide selection of engineered nozzles – from our Atto Super Air Nozzle (2.5 SCFM; 2.0 oz force) to the 1″ High Power Flat Super Air Nozzle (17.5 SCFM; 16 oz force,) there are 20 distinct models in stock.  We can customize the performance of the VariBlast Compact Safety Air Gun to the specific needs of your intended use for it.

*Extensions – for applications that require a little (or a little more) reach, we offer the VariBlast Compact Safety Air Gun with rigid aluminum extensions up to 72″ in length.  These are particularly handy when used with the Atto Back Blow Nozzle.

*Variable pull trigger – as the name implies, you can “vary the blast” by how hard (or not) you pull the trigger.  Like I said before, you can do this – kind of – with a run of the mill commercial grade air gun, but it’s not very precise, and far from ergonomic.  Here’s a short video showing just how sensitive that trigger pull is:

If you’d like to give one a try, EXAIR offers these – and any catalog product for that matter  – with a 30 Day Unconditional Guarantee.  We invite you to put it through its paces for up to a month.  If it’s not going to work out for you, for any reason, we’ll arrange return for full credit.  Give me a call – we can talk about how you intend to use it, and which one’s right for you.

Russ Bowman
Application Engineer
EXAIR Corporation
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