Standard Air Knife

Standard Air Knife2022-04-22T09:34:40+02:00

Standard Air Knife™ – Hard hitting curtain of air for web, sheet and part blowoff.

Standard Air Knife
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What is the Standard Air Knife?

A quiet, energy efficient way to clean, dry or cool parts, webs or conveyors. The Standard Air Knife utilizes the coanda effect (wall attachment of a high velocity fluid) to create air motion in its surroundings. Using a small amount of compressed air as a power source, the Standard Air Knife pulls in large volumes of surrounding air to produce a high flow, high velocity curtain of air for blowoff.

Specials are available. Please contact us.

Why the Standard Air Knife?

Amplification ratios (entrained air to compressed air) of 30:1 are achieved with the Standard Air Knife, compared to 3:1 for drilled or slotted pipe. Air savings of 40% to 90% are possible when replacing these “homemade” blowoff devices. Pay-back is normally measured in weeks, not months or years.

The Standard Air Knife dramatically reduces “wind shear” by gradually introducing the entrained air to the ejected compressed air. Noise level is typically cut in half. The result is a high velocity, high volume sheet of air with reduced noise level and air consumption.

Drilled pipe or open jets, by contrast, provide minimal air amplification. They also produce unacceptably high noise levels as the compressed air shears into the still air.

Air Knives Perform Drying Cycle of Parts Washer

3 Model 2012 12″ (305mm) Standard Air Knives
perform the drying cycle in this parts washer.

How the Standard Air Knife works

Standard Air Knife Funktion

Compressed air flows through the inlet (1) into a plenum chamber. It is then throttled through a thin nozzle (2) extending the length of the Standard Air Knife. This primary airstream adheres to the coanda profile (3), which turns it 90° and directs the flow down the face of the unit. The primary stream immediately begins to entrain surrounding air (4), for an amplification ratio of 30;1 at 6″ (152mm) away.

  • Part drying after wash
  • Sheet cleaning in strip mills
  • Conveyor cleaning
  • Part or component cooling
  • Web drying or cleaning
  • Environmental separation
  • Bag opening/fill operations
  • Pre-paint blowoff
  • Scrap removal on converting operations
Air Knives Open Mustard Packets

A Model 2012 12″ (305mm) Standard Air Knife
opens mustard packets prior to fill.

  • Up to 10 dBA noise reduction
  • Reduced air consumption
  • 30:1 air amplification
  • Aluminum or stainless steel
  • Variable force and flow
  • Stock lengths to 48″ (1219mm)
  • Unlimited system lengths
  • No moving parts
  • Compact, rugged, easy to install

Air Flow Pattern

Standard Air Knife Luftströmungsfeld Leistung

Performance

Standard Air Knife Performance with .002″ (0.05mm) shim installed.

Pressure Supply Air Consumption
per inch (25mm)
Velocity @
6″ (152mm)
from target
Sound level @ 3′ (914mm) Force per Inch (25mm)
@ 6″ (152mm) from target
PSIG BAR SCFM SLPM FPM M/S dBA Ozs Grams
20 1.4 1.3 37 4,000 20.3 65 0.45 13
40 2.8 2.0 57 5,800 29.5 74 1.1 31
60 4.1 2.7 76 8,500 43.2 80 2.0 57
80 5.5 3.4 96 11,000 55.9 83 2.7 77
100 6.9 4.1 116 13,000 66.0 86 3.3 94
12″ (305mm) Standard Air Knife Tested.
Note: Performance on lengths over 36″ will vary.

Aluminium Standard Air Knife

Special Lengths Available – Contact us.

Aluminium Standard Air Knife Dimensions

Stainless Steel Standard Air Knife

Special Lengths Available – Contact us.

Standard Air Knife Dimensions
BSP Threads Available – Contact us.

Standard Air Knife
Standard Air Knife Length Aluminum Model Stainless Steel Model
3″ (76 mm) 2003 2003SS
6″ (152 mm) 2006 2006SS
9″ (229 mm) 2009 2009SS
12″ (305mm) 2012 2012SS
18″ (457 mm) 2018 2018SS
24″ (610 mm) 2024 2024SS
30″ (762 mm) 2030 2030SS
36″ (914 mm) 2036 2036SS
42″ (1067 mm) 2042 2042SS
48″ (1219 mm) 2048 2048SS
Standard Air Knife Shim Sets
Model Aluminum Model Stainless Steel Model
3″ (76 mm) 2303 2303SS
6″ (152 mm) 2306 2306SS
9″ (229 mm) 2309 2309SS
12″ (305 mm) 2312 2312SS
18″ (457 mm) 2318 2318SS
24″ (610 mm) 2324 2324SS
30″ (762 mm) 2330 2330SS
36″ (914 mm) 2336 2336SS
42″ (1067 mm) 2342 2342SS
48″ (1219 mm) 2348 2348SS

Shim Sets

A Standard Air Knife has a .002″ (0.05mm) gap setting. This gap is set with a shim positioned between the cap and body of the Standard Air Knife. Force and flow through the Standard Air Knife may be easily increased by adding shims to open the gap. Standard Air Knife Kits include a shim set (three additional shims). Shim sets for aluminum Standard Air Knives include a .001″ (0.03mm), .003″ (0.08mm) and .004″ (0.10mm) thick plastic shim. Shim sets for stainless steel Standard Air Knives include (3) .002″ (0.05mm) thick stainless steel shims.

Accessories
Model Description
9076 Air Knife Plumbing Kit for Standard Air Knives size 24″-42″
9077 Air Knife Plumbing Kit for Standard Air Knives size 28″-54″
9060 Universal Air Knife Mounting System
900517 Universal Air Knife Mounting System Stainless Steel 303/304
9055 EFC (40 SCFM), 1/4″ NPT
9056 EFC (100 SCFM), 1/2″ NPT
9057 EFC (200 SCFM), 3/4″ NPT
9064 EFC (350 SCFM), 1″ NPT
EXAIR’s EFC is an electronic flow control that dramatically reduces compressed air costs by turning off the compressed air when no part is present. This minimizes compressed air use for 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. Visit the EFC page for more information.

FAQ’s

What kind of temperature resistance due air curtains offer?2022-04-22T09:07:08+02:00
  • Air curtain made of aluminium with a plastic shim up to 82 °C
  • Air curtain made of aluminium with a stainless steel shim up to 205 °C (custom built)
  • Air curtain made of stainless steel with a stainless steel shim up to 427 °C*
  • Air curtain made of PVDF with a PVDF shim up to 135 °C

*Temperatures above 427 °C can cause intracrystalline corrosion which obstructs the air gap.

Why is the Air Knife’s (air curtain’s) airflow not uniform/laminar?2023-11-08T08:14:30+01:00

Our Air Knives are engineered to provide a consistent and laminar airflow right from the start. If you observe any deviation from this, it may result in the accumulation of contaminants inside the Air Knife. In such cases, we recommend opening and cleaning the Air Knife as per the provided operating instructions.

For Air Knives exceeding a length of 18 inches, it is essential to supply compressed air through multiple input points, with up to 6 inputs required depending on the length, to ensure an even distribution of airflow. Additionally, please note that when dealing with the PVDF Air Knife, material characteristics can also impact the uniformity of the airflow.

A guide for restoring a uniform airflow is available here.

Is a hole not enough? Why should I use air curtains?2022-09-20T15:40:11+02:00

Did you know that a single 3-mm hole consumes as much compressed air as a Super Air Knife model with a length of 152 mm (6″)? Additionally, an air knife offers a low noise level (below 70 dBA given an unobstructed blow-off path) and does not have a dead end (safety at work).

The amortisation period if you replace holes with optimised blow-off nozzles is less than 6 months.

Can the compressed air products be operated with water?2022-09-20T15:39:26+02:00

To be able to answer this question, we need to investigate the specific use case. For example, the Super Air Knife could be operated with water to cool a workpiece or flush away loose residues. Experience shows that the water jet initially has a uniform outflow and then eddies further away from the air curtain. This means that use with water is possible.

If you need 360 ° wetting with water, we recommend our Super Air Wipe annular nozzle. The input pressure is up to 2 bar.

Of course, we also have legacy atomiser nozzles in various designs in our portfolio. They are suitable for cooling, washing, wetting, moistening, lubricating, etc.

We are happy to advise you on the right choice of product.

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