5 REASONS WHY COMPRESSED AIR IS SAFER THAN AIR KNIVES

Compressed Air Health and Safety Risks

The usage (and misuse) of compressed air poses major health and safety dangers. The force of high-pressure compressed air exiting a nozzle can be as harmful as being struck by a solid object.

If air bubbles enter the bloodstream and reach the heart or brain, compressed air can cause industrial injuries and even death.

Air knives are far less dangerous than compressed air. (They are also up to 90% less expensive to operate.) Here are five reasons why air knives are the safest option...

1. NO EMERGENCY STOP IS REQUIRED FOR AIR KNIVES

Blower-driven air knives work at such low pressure that they don't require an emergency stop button.

That's one less thing to specify, maintain, inspect on a regular basis, or be concerned about. It simplifies the internal 'politics' of specifying more equipment for your production line (in both senses of the word).

This ease of use and lesser risk make it easier to meet the strict safety criteria established in the EU's Machinery Directive and its UK equivalent.

There's an old procurement adage that goes, "Nobody ever got fired for buying Microsoft." (The original version of this remark, referring to IBM, dates back to the 1970s). Nobody ever got a P45 for choosing the safe option.

And an air knife is exactly that: safe, predictable, and cost-effective.

A comprehensive guide to air knives and air knife technologies.

2. NO EXTERNAL MOVING PARTS IN AIR KNIVES

Air knives, unlike other manufacturing line gear, do not have any external moving elements that could trap or hurt fingers or hands. The whirling impeller of the blower, which generates air pressure, is safely stowed away inside the air knife housing. To access to it, you'd have to disassemble the machine.

In some systems, the air blower may be located in a different room from the plenum (blade) that supplies the airflow. In any case, the impeller is well away from the air knife operator and anyone else in the area.

But that's no excuse to be complacent. We take air knife performance and safety extremely seriously at ACI, therefore we're constantly exploring for new ways to reduce noise and displacement of water or debris (such as breadcrumbs during a food coating process).

To lower noise levels, air knife systems like our premium LNL are entirely enclosed. There are noise-reducing guards around the EP10A blower, as well as baffle plates at the entry and exit locations.

The LNL Drying System is used for beverage labeling and packaging.

In industries such as food processing, packaging/labelling, plastics/rubber, and metal processing, 90% of our air knives are used to remove moisture.

As a result, the LNL's tough stainless steel casing prevents blown moisture from contaminating other areas. The stainless steel legs are adjustable, and the base is tapered for drainage.

3. LITTLE PRESSURE THEREFORE, THE AIR IS NEITHER TOO HOT NOR TOO COLD.

Air that is instantly depressurised swiftly cools, whereas air that is suddenly pressurized quickly heats up. This is known as adiabatic cooling in thermodynamics. It explains why the airflow from a compressed air nozzle feels so chilly...uncomfortably cold.

As previously stated, air knives operate at low pressure. As a result, the air within the blower is not as hot as the air inside a compressor. (Another advantage of air knives in terms of safety.)

As a result, the low-pressure airflow from an air knife plenum does not have the same coldness as compressed air. This is important not only for safety, but also because excessively cold air may not be appropriate for your application. This is a critical factor in industries such as food processing and aerospace.

The temperature of the air emitted from an air knife blade will be roughly 30-40°C. That is roughly the temperature of a bath.

One of the many aspects we evaluate when designing a customized air delivery solution to meet your particular needs is air temperature (and how it is affected by altitude).

Air Knife Component ACI

4. AIR KNIVES DO NOT HAVE SHARP EDGES.

An air knife produces a clean, even blade of air, resulting in pure laminar airflow with no turbulence. This improves performance and reduces costs by eliminating wasteful high spots and underperforming low spots in the smooth carpet of air.

An air knife blows moisture away swiftly and efficiently. However, it does not cut like, say, a CNC cutting tool. As a result, the term "knife" can be misleading in this context.

There are no sharp edges on an air knife. Neither the plenum (blade) nor the housing are affected. ACI air knives are also constructed with no nooks and crannies, making them easy to keep clean and sterile in industries like food preparation. (Learn more about our air delivery solutions for the food industry here.)

Air knives are an excellent piece of equipment to have on your production line because they are safe and trustworthy. Compressed air systems, on the other hand, pose the risk of hoses whipping around under high pressure if they become detached. Hoses left lying around might potentially be a tripping hazard.

5. WILL THE AIR FROM AN AIR KNIFE CUT ME?

This is a question we are occasionally asked. It's understandable given the 'knife' portion of the product's name.

No, we're happy to confirm that passing your hand through the airflow discharged by an air knife will not cut it. The air pressure is safe and reassuringly low.

GET HEALTH AND SAFETY ADVICE ON AIR KNIVES FROM EXPERTS

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