Have you ever been looking through a catalog or schematic and found that you don’t recognize a pneumatic part? The same problem happens to those who are trying to connect electrical equipment and even hydraulic gear. In any of these situations, it can stop you right in your tracks and even be a little embarrassing,
As far as compressed air-driven equipment goes, SMC Pneumatics has you covered. Anytime you don’t recognize a pneumatic part, you can take a look at our convenient database for more information. In the meantime, you might want to bone up a little more on how certain components work so you can share a few pointers with everyone in your organization. Consider, for instance, the fact that the definition of what a pneumatic ejector is has changed over time.
At one point, compressed air-driven ejectors normally referred to a certain type of device that was primarily used in the plumbing industry. In this particular case, technicians used the term pneumatic ejector to refer to simple mechanisms connected to a holding tank. This tank was designed for collecting sewage.
As soon as it reached a predetermined level a sturdy valve would force pressurized air into the tank. That allowed the tank to eject the material it contained by using the positive airflow. This allows it to serve many different capacities as far as waste removal is concerned.
As you might imagine, technicians have come up with more uses for this kind of equipment besides cleaning up sewage and other types of waste. These are sometimes used for removing byproducts from automated manufacturing workflows. Others have turned to them as a method of moving fluid and powder from one location to another.
Perhaps more importantly, technicians have recycled the term pneumatic ejector to refer to another technology that allows people to generate a vacuum using relatively simple equipment. At one point, this technology was used to power vacuum cleaners. These days, it’s used in almost every type of pneumatic workflow that you can possibly think of.
How Pneumatic Ejectors Generate A Vacuum
Usually, when you think of pneumatic pressure you think of a positive flow. This flow, however, can power a device that in turn will actually reverse the direction and provide a level of suction. In some cases, the force of this can be quite dramatic and noticeable.
A multiple-stage design, like the ZL series, can operate at approximately 150 percent efficiency. This is compared to around 40 percent for most other similar devices. For each 1 scfm of compressed air this particular model of vacuum ejector consumes, it generates 1.587 scfm of suction flow.
Technicians can opt to find them in versions with an onboard vacuum switch as well as a digital readout. Other features of this 1.2mm nozzle device include a built-in suction filter, an exhaust silencer and high-quality one-touch tube fittings.
As you might imagine, this represents a massive savings in power over older technologies. In a majority of situations, it can also represent a fairly dramatic savings in terms of space. ZL series devices offer a special compact design that doesn’t take up anywhere near as much space as most other competing devices.
On top of this, they offer mounting hardpoints from three sides as well as a supply and release valve combination. The check valve combination makes them even easier to interface with. By generating vacuum suction in this way, you could move many different types of materials.
In other cases, you can even power actuators that are designed to run with vacuum power instead of the positive pressure that most people are used to working with when they install a pneumatic system. Best of all, this kind of configuration could theoretically save power over a comparable electrical installation.
Pneumatic Ejectors vs. Electrical Ejectors
Generally, vacuum generators run on electricity in a majority of modern installations. This is quickly changing, however, based on the numbers you saw above. Anyone would have a hard time reaching a 150 percent efficiency rating with an electrical device.
Granted, this doesn’t mean that the system is actually generating power. That would violate the law of the conservation of energy. Rather, it means it’s concentrating the pressure into a certain area. In this area, it tends to be free to exhibit more force than it would otherwise be able to in a comparative area.
Naturally, there are many legitimate use cases for electrical vacuum generators. They’re relatively portable and reasonably affordable. Technicians who are more comfortable working with electrical equipment often swear by them.
Nevertheless, you wouldn’t be able to use one in an area where sparking hazards could cause serious problems. That’s why pneumatic ejectors have become so popular with those who have to bring power tools to a work site. They’ve also become popular with those who are heavily into automation. The reason is that they fit well into any workflow that’s already been streamlined with other compressed air-driven equipment.
Give some thought to how those who use power tools that are driven by compressed air like to carry them from job site to job site. Keep in mind that many people also use pneumatic gear in amusement parks and other areas where safety and cleanliness are of the utmost importance. As a result, there’s always going to be a market for pneumatic ejectors. This will recur regardless of how advanced other competing technologies ever get.
Find Pneumatic Ejectors for Your Business At SMC Pneumatics
Small business owners might have a difficult time finding exactly the part that they need. Representatives of larger enterprise-level firms might want a specialty part that they wouldn’t otherwise be able to get. Sometimes they’re working with a certain piece of equipment that isn’t all that common. That’s where our experts come in to help.
Regardless of which of these situations you might find yourself in, we’re going to do our best to help you out. Contact SMC Pneumatics online today so that our seasoned team of representatives can help you find the parts you need. Get all of your gear working all over again.