Pneumatic Tips

In process engineering, the exact observance of pressures in vacuum-assisted processes is an important parameter for ensuring optimum efficiency and the best possible product quality. VACTEST vacuum measurement equipment from Busch is designed to combine the latest advances in vacuum measurement technology with exceptional manufacturing quality – providing an innovative and comprehensive portfolio of active […]

Kiel-based compressor manufacturer Sauer Compressors has appointed Dirk Slottke to the management team last month. Slottke takes over responsibility for the sales section and succeeds Harald Schulz, who is retiring after 37 years of meritorious service and almost 20 years on the management board. Dirk Slottke is responsible for the departments of business development, marketing, […]

Kundinger, a Wisconsin and Michigan-based company delivering fluid power, automation, process control and product solutions to a wide range of industries, has been honored by Parker Hannifin as its 2021 Pneumatics Technology Distributor of the Year. Kundinger received this recognition for exceeding overall sales goals by double digits, while bringing the latest products and technologies […]

Festo introduces the SDBT-MSX – the first programmable proximity switch with automatic switching point setting. With an initial detection range of 20 mm, the SDBT-MSX is easy and reliable to install and commission, especially in applications where mounting is difficult. The switch is ideal for all standard applications, including factory automation and the electronics industry/small […]

A press operation used a pulse of compressed air for cleaning operations for 10 seconds, once every 10 minutes.  The compressed air flow to the press during the cleaning was 400 cfm, a quite significant flow, and data logger measurements of the air compressors found that each time the blow happened, a 150-hp compressor would […]

Contributed by Mike Kreklau, Technical Sales at Tsunami Compressed Air Solutions Downtime and inefficiency don’t have to be your production line’s worst enemy. You want shop equipment that comes with no strings attached — no downtime and no maintenance. Maybe that’s a pipe dream, but there are ways to fix many air-related symptoms of an inefficient […]

The operators at a lumber mill were having production problems in two of their machines.  Annoyingly, critical sensing eyes were getting blocked by occasional pieces of bark as the logs went by.  After enduring this for quite a while the maintenance department finally took matters into their own hands. The plant had a welding department, […]

Allied Electronics & Automation is now offering an array of in-stock pneumatic products from Chicago Pneumatic Tools, Duff-Norton, Gefran and Marsh Bellofram Precision Controls. Pneumatic systems use compressed air or gas to generate fluid power and are prevalent in industrial automation applications including food, beverage and medical packaging and automotive, oil and gas and concrete […]

Are you still using open ended compressed air blowing?  Are these blowers simply controlled by a ball valve?  Did you know these tools can turn into dangerous uncontrolled projectiles if accidently dropped when the valve is wide open? They cause noise pollution and present a risk of eye injury when chips of debris are sent […]

Festo introduces the rugged, versatile, and economical DSNB actuator for NFPA mounting applications. The DSNB is ideal for sorting, stacking, insertion, loading, lifting, dispensing, clamping, and gate applications on converting machines. Customers can order the DSNB in 7 bore sizes, 11 variations, and 15 different NFPA mounting configurations, offering maximum flexibility and the advantage of […]

Many industrial sites measure their compressed air quality, or think they do.  When asked to show the dew point of a system with refrigerated air dryers, the compressor operators will typically point to the air dryer display, not knowing that the reading is not really dew point, but the temperature within the air dryer itself.  […]

A large foundry had four large 200-hp air compressors that were water-cooled and were having overheating problems.  The units were capable of inlet modulation control,  where the inlet valve of the compressor closes off the intake to control the output flow.  Use of this control mode reduces the flow output of the compressors and the […]

A building products company purchased a compressor with 1,520 cfm capacity to help with the increased load after a plant expansion. Various dryer sizes were available, but one sized at 1,600 cfm was selected, rather than choosing the next size up, to save purchase costs. Shortly after installation, the production machine operators started complaining about […]

Contributed by Troy Sanders  |  National Sales Manager  |  Fabco-Air When your operation calls for a pneumatic actuator, you’ll find a wide range of products available from various manufacturers. But because no two applications are alike, you must weigh several considerations before selecting and ordering an actuator. This article will discuss the different cylinder types […]

Edwards has introduced EJGO, a next-generation vacuum pump controller with cloud connectivity and control for industrial vacuum pumps and systems. EJGO intelligently manages, commands, directs, and regulates the operation of Edwards vacuum pumps and offers flexible accessibility and outstanding control functionality. The Edwards EJGO vacuum controller is a one‐stop solution with all the necessary pump information […]

During a compressed air assessment, a service provider was reviewing the total capacity of the storage receivers for his report.  Having adequate capacity helps make the compressors run more efficiently and saves energy.  During his checks, he spotted a strange color on one receiver safety valve.  On closer inspection, he noticed that the pressure relief […]

A facilities manager at a building products plant attended a compressed air efficiency seminar sponsored by his local utility. He learned about optimizing air compressors, filters, dryers, and piping. He discovered how to arrange to have a baseline taken of his compressed air system to assess its efficiency. He discovered the excellent savings he could […]

Europe’s overreliance on imported natural gas from Russia has been a shocking wake-up call in light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Last year, the European Union imported more than 400 million cubic meters per day of natural gas — almost 40% of the EU’s total gas consumption — mainly for power generation and heating. Europe…

A building products company was having problems with pressure loss across its main dryers and filters.  Data monitoring showed differential pressure reached as high as 18 psi, causing a large sag in plant pressure, which during peak times caused production outages.  An investigation revealed that the dryer was low on refrigerant, causing the unit to […]

Fabco-Air is pleased to announce its new webstore (shop.fabco-air.com). Partnering with KYKLO, a content and e-commerce solution for the electrical, automation, fluid and energy industries, the Fabco-Air webstore has been designed to be a one-stop shop for all our standard products to streamline the product selection, quoting and ordering processes for customers and distribution partners. […]

By Ron Marshall What is my compressed air’s electric bill percentage? This is a difficult question to answer, because rarely are there any energy meters installed on typical compressed air systems. But there are some hints if we do some research. Years ago, the USDOE did a detailed study of motor systems and found that […]

Machine & Process Safety Assessment Group (MPSA), a division of Airline Hydraulics Corp., launched its new machine safety website, mpsasafety.com, on March 1, featuring faster browsing speeds and a new blog, “Machine Safety Talk.” Site users can easily learn about turnkey machine safety solutions offered through MPSA’s six-step safety process and access best practices, FAQs, […]

Emerson has opened its 2022 ASCO Engineering Scholarship Program to U.S. college and university students studying in the fields of engineering, instrumentation, systems, and automation. The merit-based program rewards students for academic excellence, service to others, and leadership potential. “The ASCO Engineering Scholarship Program, now in its fifteenth year, is a cornerstone of Emerson’s continuing […]

Vacuum technology is essential for safely handling food products without damage or waste. Justin Katz • Manager, Vacuum Automation Components Group • Schmalz Inc. • Raleigh, N.C. The world wastes about 1.4 billion tons of food every year, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. The United States alone annually discards nearly 40 […]

By Justin Fluegel, Contributor Flow in a fluid power system is synonymous with the velocity of an actuator. Electro-pneumatic flow control valves are used in applications where it is important to control the revolutions per minute of a pneumatic motor or speed of the linear actuator in machinery, such as this plastic roll machine.  Both […]