Cutting Down on Inefficiency with Air Knives

jsrobinson | November 10, 2017

Maximum Blow Off Power with Minimum Energy Use

Because of the large-scale air use within production lines, loss of even a small amount of compressed air can mean a massive financial difference. No matter what’s being manufactured, inefficient compressed air use is financially wasteful and can swiftly increase wear and tear on important and expensive manufacturing equipment. One of the most commonly and easily solvable problems within compressed air use in manufacturing is in the blow off stage on the line. Blow off removes debris and other matter from the product that can hinder the production line or even cause harm to equipment. Such an important stage is often overlooked, despite the fact that there is a simple, cost-effective solution that can make a tremendous difference: the air knife.

The air knife is a manufactured solution that far outperforms its less specifically designed counterparts, such as an open pipe with drilled holes or a manifold with air nozzles. The air knife uses far less air, while producing a far more powerful air flow, capable of removing debris a great deal more effectively. It is quieter than other solutions, compatible with air flow control technology, and is quite inexpensive and easily installed. In fact, air knives are so efficient that they pay for themselves after only a short time of being in use.

How Do They Work?

Air knives have the benefit of a streamlined design that lends itself to simplicity and durability. Compressed air flows into the air knife’s plenum chamber, where it is directed to and expelled from a precise slotted nozzle, where it passes through in a powerful flat stream. This sheet of air passes over materials, blowing products clean of any debris or moisture with an impressive ratio of 40:1 ratio versus room air flow. Simply put, there isn’t a better solution for the blow off portion of a manufacturing line, especially for the cost.

The Options

Air knives are available in many sizes with a variety of compositions. They range from 18 inches up to a full 96 inches, with custom lengths also available. The different composition materials ensure that there is an air knife for many different industrial purposes, with options in aluminum, type 316 stainless steel, type 303 stainless steel, and polyvinylidene fluoride. Additionally, the air knife comes with an option for a mount that can be attached to any surface.

At Airtec, our mission is to bring energy efficiency to air compression systems by identifying areas in which compressed air is lost. As one of the more commonly inefficient areas, solutions to blow off problems are of the utmost importance. Air knives are a simple, fast, and cost-effective way of increasing your energy savings, and we gladly offer our help in choosing the proper size and composition for your purposes. Please call or email us today, and find out how we can help you save money.

Finding Expensive Air Leaks with Ultrasonic Leak Detection

jsrobinson | October 26, 2017

Tracking Down the Air Leaks that Drain Your Wallet

When you’re operating air compression machinery of any scale, one of the most substantial ways you can lose money and efficiency is through air leakage. Air leaks end up costing you money in more than one way: they cost you in loss of compressed air produced by your system, in lower overall performance from your system, and in general wear and tear, as different parts will be forced to overcompensate for the lost compression.

What can be surprising about loss of compressed air through leaks is that most air isn’t lost through large leaks, but rather is lost through many seemingly minuscule leaks. These leaks can be hard to find and when found, are often written off as too minor to make a difference. The reality is that small leaks make up the vast majority of compressed air inefficiencies. Fortunately, Airtec offers an extremely precise solution to leaky compressors in our Ultrasonic Leak Detectors.

You’re probably aware of the hissing sound that accompanies larger compressed air leaks. Small leaks hiss as well, but at a frequency higher than is audible to the human ear. Ultrasonic leak detectors are able to pick up on these frequencies and help users quickly and easily locate the source of the tiny, troublesome leaks. Once located, these leaks can often be repaired quite easily, resulting in a compression system that operates at its peak.

Ultrasonic leak detectors are incredibly sensitive pieces of equipment. Some can even pick up the sound of a blinking eye! You may be wondering how such a particular tool functions in a noisy machinery environment. Ultrasonic leak detectors actually only pick up incredibly high-frequency sounds, which can only be generated by something as small as a pinhole leak, so the louder machinery does little to interfere with the operation of a leak detector in most cases.

Finding leaks with an ultrasonic detector is actually a rather simple process, only requiring the user to hold the detector up to different areas within in a system, scanning it for any high-frequencies. Though actual operation of a leak detector requires little technical knowledge, knowing where to look can be a challenge, as small leaks can occur in many places within your system. That’s why we at Airtec offer our Leakage Detection service. We utilize our combined decades of experience to comb through your system and locate even the tiniest leaks and recommend a proper course of action. By allowing us to find and make a few simple repairs, you could see your system efficiency improve by up to 30%.

Airtec Global is comprised of air compression efficiency experts dedicated to improving systems worldwide. We offer thorough appraisals and create solutions that often pay for themselves in only a short time. We’ve worked on compressors of all sizes ranging from small machine shops to manufacturing lines, and are more than capable of solving any compression problem you may have. Call or email us today and find out we can improve your compressor and save you money.

Compressed Air Optimization: Supply and Demand

Channing Nuttall | July 23, 2017

Air Optimization Using Supply and Demand Teamwork

Utilizing the strengths of each individual part to make the whole stronger

Both supply side and demand side control are vastly important parts of operating an efficient air compression system, but they don’t operate independently of each other. Each side relies on the other to deliver its part in air compression, and too often, one side remains underutilized, resulting in preventable inefficiency. No matter the size of the system, supply and demand sides working in conjunction can drastically improve the efficiency, longevity, and output of the compression system.

The Demand Side

When an increase in efficiency is needed, a big mistake that is commonly made is assigning all of the importance to supply side and disregarding the demand side. In reality, with a few small changes, the demand side can require far less energy than is typically expected, leading to reduction in necessary air supply while increasing efficiency.

Much of this waste can be corrected in the demand side through use of both timer and demand drains, as improper draining can lead to condensate buildup which causes a number of problems and inefficiencies. Both of these options use far less energy than a compression system that is constantly full to the brim with condensate.

Another underestimated problem in demand side control is leakage. Leaks in the demand side are often less detectable than in the supply side, in which a leak is visible due to visible loss of pressure. Repairing leaks in the demand side is a simple, cost-effective way of improving efficiency.

Perhaps most importantly, one of the most common problems seen in most air compression demand sides is artificial demand. Artificial demand is the result of supplying higher line pressure than necessary for the application, and includes inappropriate production use, open blowing, and leaks. Artificial demand is risky because it increases alongside real demand, so as real output rises, so does inefficiency.

The Supply Side

A healthy supply side plays a major role in running an efficient compression system, as the supply side does most of the heavy lifting. The supply side includes such components as air filters, air dryers, even the compressors themselves, and is every bit as important as it sounds. Where demand side problems can slowly and quietly steal efficiency, supply side problems are much more obvious and often much more costly. Fortunately, air compression systems, when built well, are built to last.

Major problems with the supply side usually only occur when the components are mistreated or poorly calibrated. That being said, small improvements can always be made that can end of saving a great of energy. With so many moving parts, ensuring that they all work together is a worthwhile pursuit that will end up saving you time, money, and energy.

What We Can Do For You

One of our greatest strengths at Airtec is our ability to bring efficiency to compression systems of all shapes and sizes for any application. Just one way we can do this is by working to ensure that the supply side and the demand side don’t simply work well, but that they work well together. In doing this, we can help you increase your compressed air efficiency far beyond what you thought possible.

Electronic Flow Controller

Josh Norvelle | June 29, 2017

Electronic Flow Control minimizes compressed air use for blow of, drying, cooling, conveying and static elimination operations!

What is the EFC?

EXAIR’s EFC is a user-friendly electronic flow control for compressed air that is designed to minimize compressed air use on blow off , drying, cooling, conveying and static elimination operations. The EFC combines a photoelectric sensor with a timing control that limits compressed air use by turning it off when no part is present. The timing control permits easy tuning to the application requirements while providing flexibility in sensing distance. The EFC also has eight programmable on and off modes.

Why The EFC?

For most companies, the air compressor uses more electricity than any other type of equipment. One simple operation that uses compressed air can easily waste thousands of electricity dollars per year if not properly controlled. The EFC has been designed to improve efficiency by minimizing compressed air use and, as a result, reduce compressed air costs. It turns on the air only when a part is present and provides just enough air to complete a specific task or operation.

The EFC has an easy electrical connection for voltages from 100 to 240VAC, 50/60Hz making it suitable for applications throughout the world. The compact photoelectric sensor has a sensitivity adjustment and detects objects up to 3′ (1m) away. The sensor has superior immunity to noise and inductive loads that are common to industrial environments and installs easily in tight spaces with the supplied mounting bracket. The control system provides flexibility with numerous valve operating modes and timing delays. The polycarbonate enclosure is suitable for use in a wide range of applications including those located in wet environments.