Compressed air in your production – Practical application examples, Part 2

Compressed air applications that save time and money – there are so many possibilities – certainly one that is individually tailored to your production!

In our article series „Compressed air in your production – Practical application examples“, we regularly present practical application examples that we are already implementing with our VORTEC compressed air products at our customers' sites.

What's in it for you? You'll gain expertise, new ideas, and inspiration for your production, and perhaps discover a completely new application for your manufacturing. Is your application, or a similar one, not listed? Contact us; we're only presenting a fraction of the possible solutions here and would be happy to analyze your specific compressed air situation with you.

Use Case 1: Cooling substrates during plasma spray coating – vortex tube

THE CASE: During plasma spray coating processes, substrates often require up to 300 passes, during which they are exposed to deposition temperatures of 480–3000°C. Under such conditions, the substrate can overheat, leading to thermally induced stress gradients, coating spalling, excessive strain, oxidation, and occasionally, part deformation. Conventional liquid CO2 cooling systems were too expensive for use in multi-station spray systems, and airflow systems lacked the necessary cooling capacity to significantly reduce the substrate temperature.

SOLUTION: Cooling air from the vortex tubes cools the substrates and prevents unwanted thermal reactions. Even at excessively high temperatures, destructive thermal decomposition is avoided, and the spray coatings maintain consistent quality.

SUMMARY: Vortex tubes are used in various combinations on hundreds of laboratory and prototype systems. Smaller vortex tubes are handled at the end of a robot arm using a plasma gun, while larger models are mounted in fixed structures.

Products that can be used for the solution:

Vortex tubes 208 BSP-25H VORTEC Tube

Use Case 2: The cold air gun increases production in sandblasting cabinets by 40%

THE CASE: Workers who clean parts in a sandblasting cabinet in a nickel plating plant without external power often have to take frequent breaks to rest their hot, sweaty hands.

SOLUTION: The company manager mounted a Type 606 cold air gun to the side of the sandblasting cabinet, connected an air line, and replaced the Flexline nozzle with a flexible vinyl hose directed at each glove pocket. The cold air gun instantly delivers cooling air to each glove pocket, keeping the worker's hands cool throughout the day.

SUMMARY:

Production increased by 40% because workers required fewer breaks. Cold air is a simple, cost-effective solution to the widespread industrial problem of overheating. Effortless to install thanks to its magnetic base, the built-in silencer in the cold air gun ensures a quieter working environment. Furthermore, the unit requires virtually no maintenance.

Products that can be used for the solution: