IR Total Air System

Tips On Blast Hose

When searching for a blast hose there are certainly a number of brands out there, however when it is quality and durability you are after, Clemco is the number one choice of all. Clemco uses only the best materials in their hoses, ensuring that you get all that you need in the product that you have purchased.

The rubber inside of your hose can quickly become worn, thanks to the friction against the flow, very similar to what car tires would produce. With Clemco you get high-quality rubber that resists abrasion but it doesn't stop there, as Clemco hoses use reinforced piles of braided strands and a tough outer casing to provide the reliability you are after.

Designed with reinforcing plies that withstand pressure and hold the shape of the hose, the outer casing protects the lies from abrasions and cuts allowing the hoses to stand up to the pressures that they undergo every day.

Along with ensuring that you are purchasing one of the best brands of hoses that are out there, you can also take steps to ensure that you make the life of your hose last much longer. This is easily done with regular inspections of the hose and its couplings. During these inspections you should check for things such as cracks, holes or disintegration of the hose. If damage is discovered it is time to replace the hoses.

Although it may be tempting, do not use tape or similar materials between the couplings. This can cause it to blow off when under pressure, causing serious injury to anyone who is in the way. Screws that do not fit are also a possible cause of injury, causing leaks and wear on the hose. This is possible for screws that are either too long or too short.  To ensure the screws get a good grip, insert a dowel for support to the hose as you tighten the screws.

If couplings look cracked or otherwise worn, they should be replaced as quickly as possible. The nozzle holder should also be replaced if the threads begin to show wear.  If it is discovered that the couplings and hoses are in good condition you can keep using them as you would.

Hoses should lie in a straight line, facing away from the vehicle traffic as well as chemicals and sharp edges. Ensure that the bends gradual as sharp turns will cause rapid wear; this is the number one cause of hose wear. An experienced contractor will use a short length of flexible whip hose for the last few feet before the nozzle and discard this whip hose when it wears.

In addition you should use a blast hose that is at least 3 to 4 times the ID of the nozzle.  This helps control the rate of flow through the hose and ensures that you aren't using a hose that is too close to the nozzle and reducing the amount of wear the hose will sustain.  If the hoses run up scaffolding or structures, secure them every 20 feet and install safety cables to keep the weight of the hose from pulling apart couplings.

Once blasting has occurred you should close the metering valve and blow air through the hose to remove any remaining abrasive.  Moisture and abrasive that is left inside of the hose through the night may collect in clumps, and those clumps can cause restrictions that increase wear the wear and tear of your hose. It is recommended that the coil be gently pulled to prevent kinks. It also enables a clean, dry area away free of oil, chemicals, and paint. A blast hoses should never be placed on racks for prolonged periods as this can cause kinks and worn spots on the outer casing.

While these steps will ensure that your hose needs replacing less often, it is inevitable that replacement will not be necessary at one point or another. Even taking the required precautions, your blast hose will wear out and eventually need replaced, and when it does, you should ensure that you are using only a high quality replacement hose.

New Energy Efficient HOC Dryers

Ingersoll Rand has presented its new green lineup of heat of compression dryers (HOC), which use an energy efficient method to treat the compressed air.

The new HOC dryers not only offer energy efficiency, but also flexibility and reliability in a low-profile form. Wasted heat is converted into energy by the dryers, concluding in dry, oil free air that costs a fraction of mainstream desiccant dryers.

Clean, dry air is essential for an effective and productive compressed air system.  This high-tech, low energy solution is far less expensive to operate than alternative traditional desiccant dryers without losing out on productivity and efficiency, said Christopher Ursillo, marketing manager for air treatment products at Ingersoll Rand. HOC dryers are a great alternative to traditional desiccant dryers, delivering instrument quality air while making use of waste heat from the air compressor.

In order to quantify the HOC’s energy efficiency, you can compare the estimated cost of operating a traditional 1,000 scfm desiccant dryer operating at 8,700 hours a year at $.10/kWh to a comparable HOC dryer. Totaling up the operating costs of electricity and compressed air for purge requirements, the heatless desiccant dryer costs $24,000 yearly to run, and the blower purge desiccant dryer costs $18,000. In the same conditions, Ingersoll Rand’s HOC dryer costs $120 yearly to operate.

No-loss drains that prohibit the waste of compressed air are just one of the featured components of Ingersoll Rand’s HOC dryers. These drains feature a low-pressure drop design that allows the air compressors to run at a lower pressure, thereby conserving energy. Other unique components of the HOC dryer’s drain include stainless steel heat exchangers that provide optimum performance even in the worst conditions, and guaranteed removal of condensation via its automatic drain bypass feature.

The low profile form of the HOC dryers mean that they can be installed in many areas, including those with low overhead clearance. Ingersoll Rand HOC’s low profile design also allows for service personnel to easily service dryers when necessary. The HOC is unique in its class as it was designed to accommodate the use of multiple compressors, allowing its footprint to be reduced as well as installation costs.

Controlling Static Build Up

Who really reads the owner's manual to their new product? Your Clemco owner's manual has information important to the efficient and safe use of our equipment. Doing you research and choosing the right media and equipment are the initial steps to achieve an efficient blast application operation.

The role of the blast equipment is to bring together elements that have materials flowing through hoses or pipes, while the resulting conditions of the activity result in static electricity. Dry air is necessary to an efficient blasting operation, it also adds to the buildup of static electricity. Blast media particles produce static electricity as they are propelled from the gun nozzle, when they move over the item being blasted, and when inside the recovery hose. Cyclone separators spinning media over large surfaces create static charges. If these charges accumulate and are not dissipated, they can cause a spark to occur. In a manual blast operation, if the charge is not eliminated, it will be released when the blast operator touches the blasting cabinet.

The cabinet must be wired to an earth ground in order to keep static electricity from building up. When all of the parts are connected, they all contain the same energy potential.

Properly grounding equipment is essential in light of the risks of static buildup. An electrical neutral or third wire can carry current in some areas, so connecting to a water pipe, electrical conduit or a metal frame building will not control static. Always remove any rust and paint from areas of contact to insure proper conductivity.

Low resistance static grounding cables must be used, at or less than 5 ohms of ground. Permanent ground installations should be checked yearly with an ohmmeter. Portable or temporary ground installations should be checked at startup and whenever the equipment is moved.

Avoiding a zap from your well-grounded cabinet is easy, just touch the blasted item to the metal grate or use a ground clamp to help dissipate any static being build up from the media ejection from the nozzle. Also, all rubber mats are nit the same. Rubber mats must be designed to withstand static charges and be connected to the earth ground. ZERO cabinets are all assembled with special hoses that rescue static thru its use of conducive material, and similar results can be achieved by using wire spiral exhaust hoses. The wire works to keep the hose from falling in on itself, and also dissipated electricity when grounded on either end. Shoes can also convey static electricity and should be inspected by the wearer to ascertain they will not supply a charge.

Grounding is the main way to reduce injury and loss of efficiency. Using these methods, the blast cabinet can be a safe operating space.

Service Department