ControlAir, a leading manufacturer of precision pneumatic and electro-pneumatic control products, announced the new Type 855BP Miniature Back Pressure Regulator. Type 855BP is a compact relief valve that provides economical, high-performance pressure relief with an adjustable set point. The valve is normally closed and will remain closed until the inlet pressure exceeds the regulator’s set […]
VMAC Releases UNDERHOOD 40 Air Compressor For Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Van
VMAC has released the UNDERHOOD40 – Van Series for 2022 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter vans with a 2.1 L turbo diesel engine. This latest UNDERHOOD40 rotary screw air compressor is engineered specifically for 2019 to 2022 Sprinter vans and produces up to 40 cfm of continuous air at 100 psi (150 psi max). “As customers upgrade their […]
Ayhan and Dr. Karl Busch earn Gold Medal of Honor from district of Lörrach
Three generations of the Busch family were present to witness the honoring of Ayhan and Dr Karl Busch. The couple was awarded for their joint life’s work, their social and cultural commitment and their dedication to the community with the Gold Medal of Honor, the highest award the district of Lörrach bestows. “You revolutionized the […]
Pack Expo heads back to the Midwest
Pack Expo International is scheduled to run from October 23-26 at McCormick Place Convention Center. Pack Expo International, the annual Fall tradeshow and conference dedicated to packaging machinery and related technology, always features a broad variety of pneumatic components and applications. The show, which alternates each year between locations in Las Vegas and Chicago, is back […]
How do you specify electropneumatic flow controllers and regulators?
Electropneumatic flow controllers and regulators are by nature both electrical and mechanical, thus requiring the designer to develop two sets of specifications for the regulator to function properly. The pneumatic or mechanical portion of the device is the same as a standard flow control valve or regulator. As with many things in fluid power, the […]
What is VSD cooling?
In the compressed air world, the hottest thing in the market lately has been the introduction of variable speed drive controlled compressors. Being hot (as in popular) is good — but being hot as in temperature is not so great. These units, if installed appropriately, can stabilize the air pressure, and save significant amounts of […]
Designing optimum pneumatic systems for food & beverage packaging
These tips not only adhere to food safety guidelines, but also serve to improve machine utilization and performance. By Steve Bain, Food and Beverage Industry Segment Manager, Festo Before describing the four pneumatic automation design tips for food and beverage packaging applications, it is a good idea to answer a fundamental question: Why apply pneumatic […]
Dealing with filter gauge issues
Air filters very often have differential gauges installed on them to help compressed air system operators detect when the element needs changing. It is very important for maintenance personnel to change the element when it is required. Having high pressure differential causes the air compressor energy input to increase by about 1% every 2 psi […]
ISO 5599/1 pneumatic solenoid valves from AutomationDirect
AutomationDirect has added new NITRA ISO 5599/1 pneumatic solenoid valve components. These solenoid valves are completely interchangeable with any brand of ISO 5599/1 equipment. ISO 5599 size one and size two components include solenoid valve bodies in 5-way, 2-position configurations with single or double solenoids and 5-way, 3-position, double solenoid valves with a center-pressure, center-closed, […]
Can electropneumatic regulators be used in hazardous locations?
When thinking of hazardous locations, one’s mind conjures an oil/gas drilling rig, refinery, or underground coal mine — all these locations have in the past utilized traditional pneumatics as risk reduction because they do not have a spark risk, which a solenoid’s electrical actuation requires and creates. Expanding our view of hazardous locations, we should […]
Festo marks 50 years in the U.S. with expansions in U.S.-based manufacturing and R&D
Festo U.S., celebrating its 50th anniversary year, announces expansion plans for its 47-acre campus in Mason, Ohio. A new production facility and the expanded research and development center will be dedicated to U.S.-centric automation components, systems, and solutions. Festo, a $3 billion family-owned company, is a global innovation leader in pneumatic and electric automation systems. […]
ITT expands portfolio with acquisition of Clippard cylinder product line
ITT Inc. has announced it acquired Clippard Instrument Laboratories’ product lines of durable, low maintenance, and cost-competitive interchangeable pneumatic cylinders. The product lines include stainless steel, brass and aluminum cylinders and volume tanks. These industry-leading components will expand ITT’s Compact Automation product offering of air cylinders, linear and rotary actuators used in applications such as robotics,…
Why is flow meter contamination important?
Thermal mass flow meters are excellent devices to use when measuring compressed air flow. These devices use a hot wire anemometer method of measuring the velocity of the compressed air in the pipe. Two probes are used, one heated and the other not, and are inserted into the compressed air pipe. The flow of air […]
Compressed air fail: Units conversion
Have you heard the story of the Gimli Glider? An Air Canada flight ran out of fuel on July 23, 1983, at an altitude of 41,000 feet, midway through the flight. The cause? It was a mix up of pounds and kilograms when calculating the weight of fuel to load for the flight. (Give it […]
Compressed air fail: Cycling dryer savings
Your equipment controls can sometimes tell you some good stories if you observe carefully. And sometimes tell of problems. Consider two thermal mass cycling air dryers installed in a foundry. Thermal mass cycling dryers are designed to reduce the energy consumption of the internal cooling system by turning off and on (cycling) the refrigerant compressor […]
Compressed air fail: Blowing reduction
It is very common in an industrial facility to have compressed air blowing applications installed at various locations to provide cleaning of sensing eyes and scanners. But it is important to keep in mind that this blowing demand can add up quickly — especially if there are many of these applications installed within the plant. […]
Pneumatic indexing plungers for automated processes
JW Winco expands its indexing plungers’ range while adding new technical functionality. The latest addition, type GN 817.7, is pneumatically actuated and can be integrated seamlessly into automated processes thanks to state-of-the-art sensors. JW Winco offers a wide assortment of indexing plungers with various features. Their development team consistently succeeds at integrating new functionality that […]
Why is condensate disposal important in compressed air systems?
A wood products company had a two-compressor system installed on a mezzanine. Under the compressors and dryers were the piping and storage receivers. Each tank and each compressor had timer drains installed to expel the condensate that forms when the compressed air cools in the compressor aftercooler, piping, and storage vessels. The outlets of these […]
Compressed air fail: Flowmeter position
A local food company was resizing its compressed air system while renewing its plant operations. To get the sizing correct, the plant maintenance foreman purchased a flow meter to measure the output of the compressors. The meter was installed with a data logger to capture the flow profile of the plant. The readings showed that […]
Pneumatic systems: an introductory primer and actuator selection guide
Norgren pneumatics expert Dietmar Grün provides a thorough introduction to pneumatic systems, addressing application areas, core components, the critical role of pneumatic air preparation and treatment products and pneumatic actuators and key considerations for selecting pneumatic actuators. Contributed by Dietmar Grün, Product Manager, Motion Control, Actuator, Norgren Pneumatic systems harness the energy generated by the […]
Watch out for dangerous blow wands
Despite years of warnings — and the development of OSHA standards — there are still many dangerous compressed air blow wands in service at facilities throughout the world. Countless injuries and even deaths could have been prevented if safer devices were used or the blowing eliminated altogether. Fig. 1 shows a wand used to clean […]
VMAC releases its 2022 “State Of The Mobile Compressed Air Industry Report”
The 2022 edition of VMAC’s State of The Mobile Compressed Air Industry Report has been released, sharing fascinating insights from mobile air users. “We are pleased to release VMAC’s latest research on the mobile compressed air industry,” said Tod Gilbert, President of VMAC Global Technology Inc. “There is a lot of uncertainty with global events […]
Using CAGI data sheets for refrigerated air dryers
If you are shopping for a refrigerated air dryer, it is a good idea to consult the Compressed Air & Gas Institute (CAGI) published data from the manufacturer before you buy. If you buy a non-cycling air dryer, the unit will consume about the same power no matter what — even if the associated air […]
A new era of human-robot collaboration: the first pneumatic cobot
What if there was a robot that was easy to operate, did not require a safety fence and was also attractively priced? That would introduce a whole new era in human-robot collaboration. This new era is now dawning – with the world’s first pneumatic robot from Festo, which was announced by Festo at Hannover Fair […]
Using compressed air hoses safely
Compressed air is often disregarded as a common utility in factories, but risks are high with pressurized air running through pneumatic hoses. Learn how to use these tools safely. Contributed by Mindy Schoeff, Marketing Communications Manager and Ron Hibbler, Applications Manager, Proportion-Air Compressed air is nearly ubiquitous in factories. It’s part of the power behind everything […]