EXAIR introduced our first Wet/Dry Vacuum in August. We have simplified the process of converting a vacuum from wet to dry (and dry to wet) materials. This can now be easily switched within 15 seconds due to its patent pending engineering and design. The video below is a quick rundown of just how easy it is to contain any industrial mess with the new compressed air powered vacuum from EXAIR.
If you would like to discuss the EasySwitch Vacuum options and kits available from stock, please contact us.
There is hardly a day I work that I am not talking about the importance of properly installed pressure gauges. These small devices can often get overlooked or thought of as not necessary on an installation. When troubleshooting or evaluating the compressed air consumption of an application, this is one of the first items I look for in the installation.
As Russ Bowman shows in the above video discussing proper piping sizes, you can see the importance of properly placed pressure gauges. This shows the worst-case scenario where the pressure drop due to improper line sizes gives the false sense to the operator that they are achieving full line pressure when in fact they are not. In order to accurately measure consumption rates, pressure AT THE INLET (within a few feet) to any compressed air product is necessary, rather than upstream at a point where there may be restrictions or pressure drops between the inlet and the gauge. So how exactly do these analog gauges measure the pressure of the compressed air at the installed locations?
Pressure Gauge Model 9011
The video below shows a great example of pressure increasing and decreasing moving the Bourdon tube that is connected to the indicating needle. The description that follows goes more in-depth with how these internals function.
Most mechanical gauges utilize a Bourdon-tube. The Bourdon-tube was invented in 1849 by a French watchmaker, Eugéne Bourdon. The movable end of the Bourdon-tube is connected via a pivot pin/link to the lever. The lever is an extension of the sector gear and movement of the lever results in rotation of the sector gear. The sector gear meshes with spur gear (not visible) on the indicator needle axle which passes through the gauge face and holds the indicator needle. Lastly, there is a small hairspring in place to put tension on the gear system to eliminate gear lash and hysteresis.
When the pressure inside the Bourdon-tube increases, the Bourdon-tube will straighten. The amount of straightening that occurs is proportional to the pressure inside the tube. As the tube straightens, the movement engages the link, lever, and gear system that results in the indicator needle sweeping across the gauge.
If you would like to discuss pressure gauges, the best locations to install them, or how much compressed air an application is using at a given pressure, give us a call, email, or chat.
The EXAIR Soft Grip Super Air Scraper is a great tool for any industrial environment that requires some cleanup. Some examples include removing tapes or sticky metal chips from the floor, scraping material from screening towers or removing stubborn adhesives and labels from workstation tabletops. They are available with extensions up to 72″ so reaching remote areas is also easier.
Today’s video is going to showcase how easy it is to replace the scraper blade within the nozzle and get back to work quickly.
If you would like to discuss how the Super Air Scraper could benefit your facility, contact us.
Throughout my tenure with EXAIR there are may days where I have tested different operating pressure, volumetric flow rates, back pressures, lengths of discharge tubing, generator compression, and even some new inquiries with cold air distribution all on a vortex tube. These all spawn from great conversations with existing customers or potential customers on different ways to apply and applications for vortex tubes.
Many of the conversations start in the same spot… How exactly does this vortex tube work, and how do I get the most out of it? Well, the answer is never the same as every application has some variation. I like to start with a good idea of the area, temperatures, and features of exactly what we are trying to cool down. The next step is learning how fast this needs to be done. That all helps determine whether we are going to be looking at a small, medium, or large vortex tube and which cooling capacity to choose. After determining these factors the explanation on how to adjust the vortex tube to meet the needs of the application begins.
This video below is a great example of how a vortex tube is adjusted and what the effects of the cold fraction have and just how easy it is to adjust. This adjustment combined with varying the air pressure gives great versatility within a single vortex tube.
The table below showcases the test points that we have cataloged for performance values. As the video illustrates, by adjusting the cold fraction lower, meaning less volumetric flow of air is coming out of the cold side and more is exhausting out the hot side, the colder the temperature gets.
EXAIR Vortex Tube Performance Chart
This chart helps to determine the best case scenario of performance for the vortex tube. Then the discussion leads to delivery of the cold or hot air onto the target. That is where the material covered in these two blogs, Blog 1, Blog 2 comes into play and we get to start using some math. (Yes I realize the blogs are from 2016, the good news is the math hasn’t changed and Thermodynamics hasn’t either.) This then leads to a final decision on which model of vortex tube will best suit the application or maybe if a different products such as a Super Air Amplifier (See Tyler Daniel’s Air Amplifier Cooling Video here.)is all that is needed.
Where this all boils down to is, if you have any questions on how to apply a vortex tube or other spot cooling product, please contact us. When we get to discuss applications that get extremely detailed it makes us appreciate all the testing and experience we have gained over the years. Also, it helps to build on those experiences because no two applications are exactly the same.
