Product category:
Boilers, Heat Exchangers, Dryers and Refrigeration
News Release from: Solvair | Subject: Air knives at Signode
Edited by the Processingtalk Editorial
Team on 30 March 2007
Substantial savings from blower powered
air knives
Blower driven air knives supplied by SolvAir have made such dramatic energy savings for Signode at Swansea, that the machines have paid for themselves in just three months
Blower driven air knives supplied by SolvAir have made such dramatic energy savings for Signode at Swansea, that the machines have paid for themselves in just three months Signode is the leading worldwide provider of plastic strapping which it manufactures in its factory in Wales, using compressor powered air knives for drying the materials on the production line
This article was originally published on Processingtalk on 24 Dec 2003 at 8.00am (UK)
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However, the use of compressed air to blow off and dry, has been an increasingly expensive problem that Andrew Freeman, the energy conscious plant engineer, has faced.
With the rising cost of electricity and the compressor forced to run at maximum capacity, Freeman was looking for ways to spend less money and achieve better results.
After consulting SolvAir, he purchased two air knives from the SolvAir Aluminium High Penetration range.
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SolvAir air knives are powered by centrifugal blowers, which use substantially less energy than compressor powered knives, and they are also able to fluctuate their operating speeds according to the demand, "savings of between 40%-80% can be expected against conventional compressed air systems", says Chris Davies, Sales Manager at SolvAir "If the plant is running compressors, it really makes economic sense to look at alternative systems".
An added bonus is that the sound level of the SolvAir system is well below any level deemed unacceptable for workers to be exposed to for a full shift, and below that of a compressor operated system.
So impressed was Andrew Freeman with the system, that he purchased a third unit for another application on the production line.
It was needed to provide a simple solution to excessive water carryover on the strapping on the production line.
The result is that the strapping is now conveyed through the air knife and exposed to a controlled elevated temperature blow off.
Each air knife strips moisture from the minute grooves in the strapping surface.
The warmth of the air also assists the flash drying of any residual surface moisture.
SolvAir air knives create a curtain of air using the coanda effect.
A small amount of pressurised air is passed through a precise, slotted orifice.
As the air exits the orifice, the surrounding air is pulled along with the pressurised air.
This air and surrounding air combine to create a laminar sheet of airflow across the entire length of the air knife.
The velocity of the air exiting the air knife is adjusted by regulating the input air pressure.
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