Clean with compressed air

Most industries use compressed air to clean during the production process or to clean the working station. Air blow guns are often used, especially when cleaning workbenches or floors, but in many cases air nozzles or air knives can be much more effective when it comes to repeated blowing. Today, many companies are trying to automate all manual blowing. When installing an air nozzle or air knife, it is often possible to get consistent and qualitative results.

Customer case

Cleaning sawdust and dust from MDF boards

Industry: Wood products

To achieve good results when painting MDF boards, the surface must be completely free from sawdust and debris. The company’s existing solution consisted of its own air knife and air nozzle designs, but it lacked knowledge about how to design efficient air knives. Thus, the existing solution meant e.g. high sound levels in violation of the company’s policy, as it was actively engaged in reducing noise levels in production.

Solution
The custom SILVENT 300 air knife was designed by Silvent engineers, who through their broad experience and expertise, are able to provide efficient blowing with compressed air. For maximum sound level reduction, it was necessary to adjust the blowing force, blowing pattern, blowing distance and blowing angle based on the unique application. It was also possible to adjust the supply pressure after installation, which meant additional savings.

Result
A custom air knife from Silvent was installed to reduce the high sound levels and optimize the use of compressed air. This also meant the supply pressure could be reduced significantly. Measurements carried out before and after the installation showed that noise levels were reduced by 10 dB(A), which the ear perceives as a halving of the sound level. The installation also led to energy savings of 25%.

Blowing off steel sheet in a reversing cold rolling mill

Industry: Steel and metalworking

An emulsion is applied for cooling and lubrication when cold rolling steel. If this emulsion is not removed after rolling, it can cause problems such as streaks, stains and rust on the surface of the steel. The company’s existing solution failed to remove the emulsion satisfactorily. This affected the surface finish and led to deviations that were difficult to remedy afterwards. The deviations led to an increasing number of rejects, more material consumption and greater costs for the company.

Solution
The Silvent AirPlow is specially designed to improve quality in the steel and aluminum industries. The high velocity of the steel sheet and the amount of emulsion means that the shape of the blow-off equipment is crucial for results. To provide the best possible results, Silvent’s engineers make sure that all AirPlows are optimized to each application. The AirPlow also reduced overall energy consumption compared to the earlier solution.

Result
The installation of a SILVENT AirPlow resulted in a significant improvement in the surface finish of the steel sheet. Blowing-off the steel with compressed air directly after rolling is a common method for achieving a clean, dry surface. The plow shaped blow-off was more successful in removing the emulsion from the center of the steel sheet all the way out to the edges. The amount of rejected material was reduced and all of the steel produced could be sent to the galvanizing process.