The NEW NEX FLOW Compressed Air Scrub Nozzle simulates pulsing air to clean and dry tough surfaces.
Historically, people have used Pulsing Compressed Air since solenoid valves came into existence. And it offers specific advantages over continuous compressed air:
Energy Savings: Pulsing consumes less air than continuous blowing.
More Effective Cleaning: Pulsating action dislodges particles better. Intermittent bursts produce rapid force changes, breaking static or adhesive forces on particles.
Unfortunately, old-style solenoid valves with Pulsing Compressed Air cause pressure loss and have high maintenance costs. This led to the creation of more efficient, long-lasting process valves. Nex Flow offers these valves. They have benefits and drawbacks. Also, they’re more costly and need precise installation. Assess them per application.
Interestingly, the Air Scrub Nozzle pulses without a pulse valve. The nozzle has a flexible tube ending. It rotates from the compressed air action through a patented connection. This reduces wear on the assembly. The rotation mimics pulsing, giving the “scrubbing” effect for cleaning or drying. The nozzle consumes little air. The rotation assembly lasts 3000 hours. After that, it needs a simple, affordable replacement.
However, this nozzle doesn’t amplify, so place it close to the target. The turbulent air from rotation creates a pulse action. It cleans and dries with less force. You can often use it on products not securely fixed.
It doesn’t replace applications where pulse process valves fit better. However, it’s an effective, affordable solution when you need scrubbing over high flow and force.
Is a game-changer in surface care. Using a unique pulsing action, it efficiently cleans and dries challenging surfaces. Unlike traditional solenoid valves, this nozzle operates without a pulse valve, reducing wear and maintenance. Its innovative design ensures minimal air consumption and a lasting rotation assembly. Ideal for close-range applications, it offers an affordable yet effective alternative for surface scrubbing needs.
There are many compressed air operated blow guns on the market with the vast majority being ¼” or 1/8” meant for light to medium use in production and cleaning applications. They vary greatly in design and quality of manufacture. Most are simple design that do not take into consideration efficient air flows and many do not even meet OSHA or equivalent standards in safety. Many of these blow guns in the market also do not offer ergonomic design. Obviously these lower quality units are sold primarily on price. For the ones that are well designed, they may be higher in cost but will last much longer and is more comfortable to use.
For this higher quality range Nex Flow has the Easy Grip and Easy Grip Light Air Gun range to offer.
For more heavy duty applications, where more powerful energy is required, a much larger capacity air gun is required. For this reason, Nex Flow developed the Heavy DutySafety Air Gun. It is one of the few compressed air operated blow guns on the market with a ½” outlet connection. The gun is specially designed for those applications where traditional air guns are just not adequate in rugged industrial environments. The gun itself is cast zinc with properly engineered internal design to handle a larger volume of compressed air flow than a traditional, smaller air gun with minimal energy loss. It has a good ergonometric design so that when you hold the gun, it remains comfortable for any blow off and cleaning application which is especially important for safety guns of this size. Even the angle of the handle is carefully placed so operators can easily aim the gun. The rugged casting is meant to ensure a long lifetime of the product even under heavy use.
But the secret of a good air gun is not just the gun itself. It is also the air nozzle used alongside the gun. Very small air guns may only have a tapered outlet ignoring the OSHA safety standards for dead end pressure. Larger standard air guns will sometimes utilize nozzles with a side hole to release some pressure to keep the air outlet under the dead end pressure levels specified by OSHA. However, these designs are not efficient for saving energy and can also still be quite noisy. It is far better to use an engineered nozzle which primarily uses the “Coanda Effect” to convert pressure normally lost as pressure drop and noise into a high flow, high velocity and high kinetic energy output. This is what is used on all Nex Flow air guns. For the Nex Flow X-Stream Heavy Duty Safety Air Gun, the air nozzles used is either the powerful patented Nex Flow Model 47006AMF cast zinc air nozzle or the Model 47006AMFS stainless steel ½” air nozzle. These units are of course also available for use as standalone for production blow off and cleaning applications as well. Nex Flow’s nozzles are very powerful and yet safe and energy efficient. Most High capacity air guns comes with up to 3/8” outlets, but very few offer outlets of up to ½”. This larger outlet combined with internal and external designs makes the Nex Flow X-Stream Heavy Duty Safety Air Gun the most powerful with highest flow available. The Heavy Duty gun comes with a composite rubber grip and tailored handle to provide an optimal grip for the user. The force created is 5 to 7 times more than traditional air guns.
There are sometimes hard to reach areas where the Nex Flow “Heavy Duty”Safety Air Gun may be too short. In these situations, Nex Flow has three different extensions available depending on the reach one needs: 6” long, 500 mm and 1000 mm long. They are manufactured of light-weight anodized aluminum. The 500 and 1000 mm long extensions have a quality rubber grip along its length to be able to comfortably support the extension and the nozzle which would be placed at the end of the extension. This allows for the air gun to be used to get into hard to reach areas. For more flexibility, you can insert a swivel in between the extension and the air nozzle. The swivel can be locked into place at the desired angle. This feature combined with the power of the air gun size and safety nozzle makes it extremely flexible to address many different and even difficult to reach applications including cleaning.
Industries that require the Nex Flow X-Stream Heavy Duty Safety Air Gun, are heavy industries such as steel, casting, and pulp and paper plants. While other competitive models (of which there are very few), tend to be costly, our well-designed Heavy Duty Air Gun is relatively low cost yet, efficient and easy to handle.
To choose the perfect blow off product for your manufacturing environment it is important to consider the application, placement in the factory, energy savings, health and safety, and finally material durability.
Application
One of the primary criteria for deciding which blow off product is right for your manufacturing plant is the application desired. This section describes the primary application for the following devices: air amplifier, air jet, air blade air knives, and air guns.
An air amplifier is an air mover that is virtually maintenance free. The primary applications of air amplifiers include cooling, venting exhaust, drying, cleaning, distributing heat in molds or ovens, and collecting dust.
Air Jets entrain large volumes of surrounding air. They are similar to air amplifiers but comes in a smaller size yet are more efficient flow amplifiers than nozzles. These jets cover a larger blow off area than a nozzle and are ideal for part ejection. They are primarily used for cooling, part drying, chip removal, and air assist.
Air BladeTM Air Knives consist of a body with a plenum chamber, cap, and either a machined gap in the body or a shim to maintain an even gap along the length of the air knife. It uses compressed air for industrial blow off and cooling. The laminar sheet of air created by the unit is often used to replace rows of nozzles or jets to reduce energy costs. Air Knife is most commonly used to dry, clean, and cool. Examples of applications include removal of liquid, dust, and excess oils from flat and curved surfaces, conveyor cleaning, blow off before painting surfaces, and scrap removal.
Unlike any of the above units, air guns are not integrated into the factory line but instead are handheld units for blowing off work surfaces and other applications that require a high force or flow application. Safety blow guns are used to blow off metal chips during drilling operations, removing “stuck” material such as tape, gasket material, caulk, adhesive, paint, and labels. With the addition of air, the detached material is blown away during scraping, keeping the area clean.
Location
Although these pressurized air equipment may be ideal for specific applications, they are sometimes interchangeably used based on space availability, desired orientation, and even the factory environment. It is important to keep in mind that these blow off devices must have room for exhaust. Furthermore, if the device is used by a worker, comfortability and ease of maneuver is key.
The shape and size of the unit are important considerations. Air amplifiers and jets are both circular products but jets are smaller in size than amplifiers. Hence the amplifiers can blow off a larger area but with less force than a jet.
Air knives are straight and vary in lengths anywhere between 3” to 36” and can be used as part of an automated conveyor system. Air guns, on the other hand, are typically used at work stations. Extensions and swivels of various lengths and gun tips (i.e. nozzle and air edger) are available, making the safety gun a very flexible handheld unit.
Energy Savings
Depending on the required application, finding the best fitting blow off product allows the equipment to do the same job at less pressure. Energy savings is accomplished by finding blow off products that have the highest force/air consumption ratio. Reducing compressed air use and noise levels translates into an efficient high output air with lower energy use.
Here at Nex FlowTM – we continuously research and design better engineered products for our customers. For instance – our standard air blades have been proven to reduce energy by 30% – 90% as it is designed to produce the most force over the length at the lowest possible input pressure. Taking it a step further – our silent air knives are designed to further reduce energy lost as noise and is 25% more efficient than the standard design.
The best blow off customized product and technical support is obtained by choosing Nex Flow systems. During installation, our highly trained customer technical support advises our customers to install equipment that provides the most accurate blowing angles and direction All Nex Flow compressed air blow off products have a five-year warranty against manufacturer’s defects.
Health and Safety
The most important reason to use Nex Flow® blow off equipment is safety. Air equipment exhaust can be loud. Noise and vibration that are detected by the human ear are classified as sound. “Noise” is the term to describe unwanted sound. Extended exposure to unwanted sound or at high levels can harm workers and can result in profound hearing loss. Hearing loss can also occur as the result of one-time repeated contact to loud sounds or uncomfortable sound pressure over an extended period.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) sets legal limits on noise exposure in the workplace. Guidelines are available that describe permittable duration of exposure for occupational exposure limits (OELs) for various noise levels. These OELs are determined using a weighted average over an 8-hour work day. With unnecessary noise, all workers should be exposed to OSHA’s permissible exposure limit (PEL) of 90 dBA during an 8-hour work day. Note: The OSHA standard uses a 5-dBA exchange rate.
Nex Flow takes noise levels into consideration very seriously because we understand that reducing noise levels from very loud and damaging compressed air equipment is important. Noise levels are much lower when using air nozzles and air jets. The added bonus is that the use of air nozzles and air jets, not only lower noise levels but also lowers energy use.
All Nex Flow blow off products provide noise reduction in factories to ensure the safety of your workers in a factory environment.
Some Air Gun suppliers do not provide energy effectivenozzles or are not safe to use. All Nex Flow® air guns are safe to use, have energy efficient nozzles, and meet OSHA guidelines for safety.
Reducing unwanted noise can be achieved through using noise-canceling headphones, mufflers on any exhausting air, or by adding low-cost air amplifying nozzles on blow off devices. To further enhance safety in the manufacturing environment, Nex Flow® monitoring devices can detect sources of noise previously missed or unidentified. Use the Nex Flow Digital Sound Level Meter to accurately monitor noise levels and ensure that high levels of sounds do not exceed OSHA limited standard 29 CFR – 1910.95 (a) which limits an 8-hour exposure of constant noise to 90 dBA. The maximum hold setting will provide the highest noise level and will update continuously if a higher noise level comes into play. If you need to keep a record of sound measurements, a complete data logging system is available.
All of Nex Flow blow off equipment provides noise reduction, meets OSHA safety standards, and are safe to use in any factory environment.
Material Durability
Compressed air operated equipment is generally simple to use, compact, rugged, and portable.
To keep our products durable – we do not use plastic shims to save costs like other manufacturers. Nex FlowTM only uses stainless steel shims to guarantee longer life with still very competitive prices.
It is also important to choose the correct material used to construct the accessories. In a high temperature and corrosive environment, 303/304 Stainless Steel is recommended. The 316L Stainless Steel is recommended for very corrosive or high temperature applications and when the application is food or pharmaceutical grade. Anodized Aluminum is usually suitable for most other application but for oily environment it may be worth choosing the hard-anodized aluminum. Learn more about “Why we do what we do with our materials” here (Link to article).
Nex Flow is the best supplier of blow off products. Our trained customer service and installation technicians can help you identify the criteria that is most important for your blow off application. Educating your workers, while performing regular inspections will enhance their work environment, prevent leaks, and extend the life of your blow off equipment. When choosing the best blow off solution, understanding the benefits of a well-engineered Air Knife, Air Amplifier, Air Jet, and Air Guns to withstand a harsh factory environment with safety in mind is important. Remember Nex Flow is happy to help you and your company to meet all your compressed air needs.
Compressed Air: 5 Associated Injuries and How to Stay Safe
While compressed air is relatively safe compared to many other sources of power, especially electricity, there are still safety issues that need to be considered with using compressed air. Here Nex Flow shares 5 injuries associated with compressed air operations and how to steer clear of them.
1. The Eyes
The most common injury from the use of compressed air is to the eyes. Compressed air is used by most industries and is often used to blow off and clean work places of dirt and debris. A prominent cause of eye injury is when chips and particles bounce back towards the operator when blowing off or working. This is often not stressed enough, but it can be a huge safety risk as the eyes are one vital way for us to sense the environment. Even the smallest of particle has the potential to cause a large injury, especially if correct safety equipment is not readily accessible. As little as 12 pounds of compressed air pressure can blow an eye out of its socket.
According to the United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), up to 90 percent of eye injuries can be prevented with correct safety equipment. When flying chips and particles is part of the work environment, wear safety glasses with side protections. These help to prevent back bouncing particles from getting in behind the safety glasses and cause harm.
Three important things to think about to decrease the risk of eye injuries:
Work preventively by understanding the nature of the work assigned and minimize the risk of harm
Identify and eliminate potential risks before diving straight to work. Remember that work screens and other guarding equipment can be used to limit risk area.
Use proper safety equipment that protects the eyes.
To work without safety in mind in an environment where eye injuries can occur can be very expensive. The annual cost of eye in juries is estimated to be over $300 million per year. To increase safety, and extra protection when blowing off, air guns with safety shields can be used to minimize the risk of chips and particle that can be blown behind safety glasses and cause potential injury.
2. The Ears
Compressed air noise can cause damage to the ears. Compressed air exhaust noise can be quite noisy when used for blow off or cooling. Blowing with compressed air can result in elevated noise levels that can be harmful to both the operator as well as the surrounding persons. Both short and repeated blowing operations can be harmful and result in hearing damage and tinnitus. The damage can appear gradually, and it can be difficult to determine when and how the hearing problems developed. OSHA’s regulations also affect the approved noise level of a workplace. Open jets and pipe can produce noise levels as high as 90 dBA or more which is very dangerous to hearing even with short term exposure. Learn more about noise levels here. In any factory environment, there are certainly many other sources of noise from moving machinery, grinding of gears, the squeaking and clanging of chains, and banging of parts. Damage from compressed air noise can have serious and damaging effect on your hearing due to high noise exhaust levels. Fortunately compressed air exhaust noise can be addressed by the use of exhaust mufflers on devices such as air cylinders and the use of engineered air nozzles, compressed air amplifiers, and air knives to reduce the noise levels significantly.
3. The Skin and Body
Skin and body damage can also occur from flying debris when using compressed air for blow off or cooling. Blowing to cool a hot part can cause a chip or hot dirt particle to become loose and possibly fly towards and burn your hands and arms. Even small particles can bounce back and at high enough velocity can embed into the skin and cause infection later on, even if not felt immediately. Again not only is the use of eye shields important but it is equally important to wear protective clothing when handling compressed air in a high risk environment. Compressed air accidentally blown into the mouth can rupture the lungs, stomach or intestines. Even with a layer of clothing, compressed air can enter through the navel so be cautious and pay attention to your surroundings when in an industrial environment. It also helps to know and abide by compressed air safety standards.
A very serious situation occurs when compressed air enters the bloodstream – an aeroembolism. This can happen if the operator is blowing compressed air on themselves or someone else. If the pressure becomes too great or the compressed air is blown directly against the body, the compressed air can get underneath the skin and into the bloodstream.
Compressed air is a concentrated stream of air at high pressure and high speed that can cause serious injury to the operator and the people around him. First, compressed air in itself is a serious hazard. It has been known for compressed air to enter the blood stream through a break in the skin or through a body opening. An air bubble in the blood stream is known medically as an embolism, a dangerous medical condition in which a blood vessel is blocked, in this case, by an air bubble.
An embolism of an artery can cause coma, paralysis or death depending upon its size, duration and location. While air embolisms are usually associated with incorrect scuba-diving procedures, they are possible with compressed air due to high pressures. This may all seem to be improbable, but the consequences of even a small quantity of air or other gas in the blood can quickly be fatal so it needs to be taken seriously. Unfortunately, horseplay has been a cause of some serious workplace accidents caused by individuals not aware of the hazards of compressed air and/or proper work procedures. If an air pocket reaches the heart, it causes symptoms similar to a heart attack. Upon reaching the brain, pockets of air may lead to a stroke. Therefore to stay safe, do not use pressurized air to blow on yourself and other personnel, and avoid horseplay when working with compressed air.
5. Faulty Equipment
Another danger to be aware of when using compressed air is with hoses and quick disconnects. Leaking or damaged hose or connectors can be quite dangerous as they could break. Under pressure broken hoses or hoses that come loose from the system because of failed connectors can whip around and cause serious injury. If people are working with old or frayed hoses, air may leak out causing a pressure drop. This lack of pressure can cause machines to malfunction and other problems. If the hose is damaged and then pressurized it could cause injury when it ‘explodes’ outward. This sudden release of the pressure can cause a machine to engage or disengage, resulting in injuries to the operator and bystanders.
To stay safe, check the hoses regularly and never – of course – use frayed, damaged or deteriorated hoses. Worn connectors and hoses should be replaced immediately. Store hoses safely, away from heat and sunlight to prolong the product lifetime. Hoses are best stored on a hose reel for longer life, and to avoid tripping hazards.
Compressed air is still one of the safest and friendly utility to use with many advantages. But while relatively safe, certain precautions as listed above are still necessary so you can safely enjoy the benefits of compressed air.
Compressed air is used in many industrial cleaning applications. This ranges from blowing off a workstation to cleaning blind holes and even using the Hand Vac to vacuum hard to reach areas. In this article – Nex Flow discusses some of these options and the advantages of different systems.
There are three manual cleaning devices offered by Nex Flow, each with their own uses:
Safety air guns are used for all kinds of cleaning applications although in some jurisdictions they are not allowed to be used for personnel cleaning of clothing by law, even if they are safety guns. This is understandable as compressed air, although very safe in many aspects, can be dangerous if used irresponsibly.
There are four different Safety Air Blow Guns offered by Nex Flow (listed below), all meant to be used in production applications. The advantages of each air gun is their ergonometric design and all of them incorporate safety air nozzles which effectively reduce noise and energy use while in compliance with OSHA safety standards for dead end pressure.
Easy Grip Safety Air Gun
Easy Grip Light Safety Air Gun
Hand Comfort Button Gun
Heavy Duty Safety Air Gun
The Easy Grip Light Air Gun incorporates the Nex Flow 6 mm Air Mag nozzle and is used primarily for blow off applications on small parts and to blow off and clean small spots.
The Standard Easy Grip Air Gun is larger with a ¼” outlet for larger spot blowing applications and is compatible with a variety of Nex Flow safety nozzles, including the ¼” Air Mag nozzle and even the Air Edger flat nozzle. It also comes with optional extensions of various lengths for accessing hard to reach areas for blow off and cleaning.
Our Hand Comfort Button Gun is designed for those that prefer a button style rather than a trigger style gun for small blow off applications. As with the Easy Grip “Light” it is used for smaller blow off applications. The nozzles used are limited to 1/8” connections or smaller. The same 6 mm Air Mag nozzle used on the Easy Grip Light can be adapted to the Hand Comfort Gun. Whether you use the Easy Grip Light or Hand Comfort Gun really depends as much on preference of the user as the particular application. For hard to reach applications where extensions can be of help, the Easy Grip Safety Air Gun would be used.
For very heavy duty cleaning applications a much larger capacity Safety Air Gun is necessary. Nex Flow is one of the few manufacturers of such Safety Air Guns. The Heavy Duty Safety Air Gun has a ½” outlet and is used with the ½” Air Mag nozzle. These guns provide a powerful force necessary to clean large machinery such as those found in steel plants, and paper mills and other large manufacturing environments. As with the Easy Grip Safety Air Guns, these Heavy Duty Safety Air Guns can also be provided with extensions to get closer to and into hard to access areas such as moving paper in a paper mill or blowing off waste metal from metalworking products. Since these air guns are heavier and provide more force, the air gun should be heavily ergonometric in design for comfortable use. Any extensions should have a rubber grip to hold the system securely when being used. Such air guns are never to be meant for personnel cleaning or light machine cleaning since they provide much more force than needed in such lighter duty applications.
X-Stream Hand Vac
The X-stream Hand Vac is an interesting device in that it is both a blow gun and a vacuum gun. As with Nex Flow air nozzles, the X-stream Hand Vac meets OSHA pressure safety requirements. The system uses a built in Venturi generator inside which can be reversed so that in one direction it acts as a blow gun and in the other as a vacuum gun. This gives it the flexibility of use as an option for cleaning both clothing and machinery by using vacuum to clean up dust and dirt. The unit is lightweight, portable and versatile. Various attachments come with the unit which include extensions to extend the reach for both blow off and suction, and a soft bristle brush that is attached directly to the unit or to the extension which makes for easy cleaning in vacuum mode. When used in vacuum mode, the dust collected can be conveyed by a hose that is supplied and attached to the opposite end of the gun, into a container. As an option, the hose can be replaced with a collection bag connected to the opposite end of the air gun. The hose and collection bag along with brush attachment and extensions are supplied along with a clamp to hold onto the unit in the all-purpose Hand Vac kit. In addition, there is a skimmer attachment used with the extensions for light vacuuming. As a blow gun, the unit has a wide area for blow off as opposed to a point so it is easier and faster to use to clean larger areas especially. The outlet diameter is 1-1/4” (32 mm). The unit is also energy saving in that it amplifies the air flow by 12 times the air consumption rate. Hence apart from blowing and cleaning surfaces, the amplified flow is ideal to dry surfaces quickly because of the wide surface area covered.
Other than blowing, cleaning, drying and vacuuming, the X-stream Hand Vac can be used for conveying materials. Transferring material over a long distance is possible by using the unit in vacuum mode with the smooth interior vacuum hose supplied. Transferring material up to ten feet (3 meters) is easily done by placing the Hand Vac (in vacuum mode) into the container with the material to be transferred and the hose end into the container at the desired location.
Here are some applications for the Hand Vac:
Vacuum shavings off machinery
Vacuum absorbent material
Vacuum spills off the floor or on machines
Transfer small parts from one area to another
Transfer trim material
Blow off chips and scrap from machinery
Blow off water, coolant and other liquids off parts and machinery
While it can act as both a vacuum and a blow gun, it may not be as powerful as necessary and sometimes too big for a blow off application. Hence there is still a need for safety air guns. Yet, the X-Stream Hand Vac fills an important gap that safety air guns alone cannot achieve due to its unique design and flexibility in use.
Blind Hold Cleaning System
The Blind Hole Cleaning System came about primarily for safety reasons. When blowing dirt and debris from deep holes, this material can be scattered around making a mess and can also be dangerous as it can get into your eyes and sharp pieces can even cut the skin. There have been some versions where units like the X-Stream Hand Vac are converted into blind hole or deep hole cleaning system by having the unit in vacuum mode. Then drilling a hole in the blow off end, and running a small tube to an attachment put over the vacuum end. This attachment is put flush over the deep or blind hole, and the tube blows into the hole, taking out the dirt and debris which is where the vacuum portion is supposed to take out. However, the problem with such units is that the blown air from the small tube works “against” the vacuum or suction effect of the main unit. While they work to some extent, it does not always clean effectively, especially if sticky or heavy material and debris is stuck in the hole.
The Nex Flow Blind Hole Cleaning System does not use the above method, so as a result it provides a much more reliable result. In fact, it does not use vacuum at all. It works by blowing strong, high pressure air through various lengths of small tube (depending on the depth of the hole up to a depth of 52.5 cm or 20 inches). The hole is completely covered by a larger rubberized adaptor to prevent debris from flying out. There are three different adaptor sizes depending on the diameter of the hole (16 mm, 20 mm and 25 mm diameters). Attached to the adaptor on the air gun which is part of the system, is a removable collection bag that collects the dirt and debris that is blown out. Simple but very safe and effective in that all the debris is contained by the adaptor which is flush with the hole.
You cannot use just a safety gun for this application because the material removed will scatter making a mess and can also be dangerous. Likewise – it is fairly impossible to vacuum out deep hole because the vacuum force is typically not strong enough. A combination of blowing and vacuuming also does not work because the effects counteract each other (it’s like pushing and pulling at the same time). Therefore many chooses our Blind Hole Cleaning System for its safety and effectiveness.
In Summary
The next time you consider using compressed air for industrial cleaning, don’t forget to think of your application. Whether you choose Nex Flow’s Safety Air Gun, X-stream Hand Vac or our Blind Hole Cleaning System depends on what you are cleaning. A smaller safety gun may be sufficient to clean a small area. For larger area, perhaps a Hand Vac will do. For Heavy duty cleaning – you may want to consider the Heavy Duty Safety Air Gun and for deep or blind hole you would want to choose a special system like the Blind Hole Cleaning System.
