AMPLIFICADOR DE AR versus LINEVAC. QUANDO SE DEVE UTILIZAR CADA PRODUCTO

Air Amplifier vs. Line Vac – When To Use Which Product

by  leeevans@exair.com  on 10/23/2015 4:22 PM

Sometimes distributors will ask me when they should recommend a Line Vac vs. and Air Amplifier. Usually the question comes up during training, and although the two share some dimensional similarities (as far as overall size), they are essentially two different technologies for two different purposes.

An Air Amplifier is deigned to move air.  Large volumes of ambient air, at ratios as high as 25:1, are entrained through the intake of the Air Amplifier and exhausted in a conical airflow pattern.  The exhausted airflow is normally used for blow off and cooling.

A Line Vac is designed to move solid materials.  Compressed air is exhausted at high velocities through a series of orifices machined into the generator or the Line Vac.  This creates a high velocity airstream which conforms to the ID of a conveyance hose or pipe, and is useful for moving solids.  Line Vacs also entrain ambient air, but at a much lower ratio of 2:1.

So when should an Air Amplifier be used?  And when should a Line Vac be used?

An Air Amplifier should be used in applications which need high airflow volumes to blow off a component or to cool a component.  When cooling with an Air Amplifier, the high volumes of ambient air can (and often are) more effective than a cold air solution such as a Vortex Tube.  Air Amplifiers can also be used when a light material, such as cellophane or thin plastic scrap needs to be exhausted from a workspace.

When the material in question has any real mass to it, a Line Vac will most often be the best solution.  A Line Vac should be used when solid materials need to be conveyed from one place to another.  And, Line Vacs should be used when high vacuum is needed within an application.  An Air Amplifier will produce vacuum, but not as much as a Line Vac (this is because of the difference in their operating principles).

Take a look at the charts below to compare Air Amplifier vs. Line Vac vacuum data.

When considering an Air Amplifier to move a material or a Line Vac to provide cooling, be sure to closely examine the application and all variables.  If ever in doubt, run it past on of us here at EXAIR and we’ll be happy to help out.