posted on June 29, 2011 14:31
At first glance, specifying air knives, manifolds and centrifugal blowers for cleaning and drying applications seems pretty straightforward. Collect the operating parameters relating to pressures, flows and energy consumption. Run the calculations for blower and equipment efficiency. Review the technical data tables and range charts. Select the properly sized system. Yet, there’s more to it than empirical data and equations.
Selecting an appropriate drying system is a scientific process supported by human experience. According to Rick Immell, International Sales Manager for Paxton, “the performance of a drying system as it relates to pressure, flow and energy consumption is very much a science, and it is supported with concrete empirical data.” However, it’s not just science. “It is only with years of exposure to different applications, processes, set-ups and industries that we can fine-tune the speculative part of incorporating and guaranteeing the performance of custom-configured air knives, nozzles, manifolds, blowers and accessories in precisely the correct configuration,” says Immell.
Recently, a major supplier of convenience foods asked Paxton Products to provide a drying solution for a few of their packaging lines. They were having trouble with moisture on the product after it left the drying station. After examining the existing system and determining that the air delivery devices the client was using were not the best choice for the items they were trying to dry, Paxton engineers were able to provide the client with a system that more efficiently delivers the air they have available by selecting the proper air knives and sizing them to maximize the blowers’ potential. As a result, Paxton was asked to provide additional solutions for other problematic production lines within the facility.
With its 300 years of experience, Paxton’s air management team – including applications and design engineers, production and customer service personnel – has been exposed to the nuances of many thousands of different applications, processes and set-ups across a broad spectrum of industries. As a result, the Paxton team consistently provides customers with precisely configured cleaning and drying solutions and guaranteed performance. A properly sized system will neither overheat or over-amp, resulting in greater system reliability and longevity, lower energy costs and reduced maintenance costs.
“Unlike many of our competitors, Paxton works from the solution standpoint instead of working from the concept that an off-the-shelf system will meet a customer’s needs,” says Jeem Newland, Application Engineer for Paxton. “When providing a custom-engineered system, we first look at the customer’s needs or wants.” From there, Paxton considers design factors such as line speeds, part size, part shape, properties of fluid or debris being removed, footprints, texture, temperature and more. By reviewing all of the factors that contribute to a client’s system, Paxton is able to provide the customer with a smaller footprint, guaranteed performance and peak energy efficiency. Their cumulative experience to select the proper air delivery devices that will fit the customer’s need delivers maximum return on the system investment. The result? Customers who continue to rely on Paxton for their drying needs.