Air Knockers vs AirSweep:
Pros and Cons
Air knockers are like pneumatic hammers.
Compressed air pushes the piston against the vessel wall and makes it vibrate. The shaking and agitation loosen material that cling to the vessel walls.
Air knockers (or air hammers) are used to:
- Shake off excess powder
- Remove products from molds
- Remove water and splatter
- Prevent adhesion of workpieces
AIR KNOCKERS VS AIRSWEEP
Air Knocker
AIRSWEEP®
Functionality
Air Knocker
- Air knockers induce vibration energy to the vessel wall, which transmits into the material to shake it loose
AIRSWEEP®
- Directs smaller, equally powerful bursts of air along the bin wall, lifting material off the wall and back into the flow stream
- Eliminates bridging, ratholing, or sticking problems
- Stimulates up to a 2.44 m (8 foot) diameter circle of material around each nozzle
Noise Level
Air Knocker
- Air knockers can be extremely noisy
AIRSWEEP®
- Makes a quick, ear-friendly “psst” or “pop”
Maintenance
Air Knocker
- Metal and weld fatigue can occur due to vibration or hammering from piston air knocker. Wear and tear on vessel walls can be costly
- Expensive to operate. Air knockers use a lot of air or power to operate
AIRSWEEP®
- No damage, vibration, stress or wear to vessel walls
- Uses as little as 10 CFM of compressed air or gas
- Only needs inspection every 6 months, and replacement of parts after 1,000,000 cycles
- Longest industry warranty – 7 years
Material Control
Air Knocker
- Sticky material remains, and builds up over time on bin walls, even if bridging is controlled
- Periodic shutdowns may still be required to clean bin walls, especially if cross-contamination is an issue
AIRSWEEP®
- Each pulse of the AirSweep sweeps along the bin walls, preventing material from adhering to the sides, or building up
- In general, full clean out of the bin occurs with each batch, ensuring first-in/first-out material flow with no cross-contamination
Are You Just Getting a More Expensive Hammer?
AIR KNOCKERS ARE NOT EFFICIENT FLOW AIDS
POOR MATERIAL CONTROL
- Not effictive for all materials
- Sticky residue can remain on walls
- Does not promote first in/first out flow
EXPENSIVE
- Metal fatigue damages the vessels
- Uses a lot of plant air and electricity
INCONVENIENT
- Causes worker stress and can affect hearing
- Vessels still require periodic manual cleaning
THE SMARTER FLOW AID
AirSweep uses compressed air more efficiently, so you get better flow at less cost
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AirSweep installation was easy, and the units have saved the company a lot of man hours. My experience totally exceeded my expectations – a 10 out of 10!
Stanley RheaHead of Maintenance Department, Flax4Life
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The AirSweep installation was pretty straightforward and I would absolutely recommend it. In fact, we are looking into expanding to use the system in other parts of our plant.
John PappenheimMaintenance Manager, Bunge Milling
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We are experiencing a 62.52% reduction in flour flush and 42.50% reduction in labor, all directly attributed to the AirSweeps…the flush material reduction alone is around $200K. Pretty awesome little devices!
Operations Manager, Manufacturer of 15,000 food ingredients and flavor products to customers in more than 140 countries
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Having sold thousands of Airsweep, to clients who sometimes buy 60 at a time, I can tell you this is the best piece of equipment out there to solve your material flow issues. We have repeat customers who just won’t buy anything else.
Dick Browning, President, Industrial Technologies, Inc.
AIRSWEEP IS TRUSTED BY THE WORLD'S LARGEST BRANDS
- Highest ROI. AirSweep can help you boost productivity, lower your energy and maintenance costs, and save on manpower.
- Low maintenance. You only need to replace parts after 1,000,000 cycles.
- Longest warranty.
7-year warranty on the Airsweep® unit.
Ask us about our money-back guarantee and ROI calculation
Copyright Control Concepts, Inc. , 19 S. Main Street, Brooklyn, CT 06234 • ph: 860-928-6551 • fax: 860-928-9450
