FAQ

Our internal sales and customer service department have experience in supplying Air Knife Systems to over 40 countries worldwide. Our global operations are supported by our EU wide distribution supply network and our UK based customer service team.

Please contact SolvAir for more details or help.

An Air Knife is a pressurized air plenum chamber, containing continuous slots, through which air is ejected in a way that creates a high-intensity, uniform and therefore laminar air flow.

Air Knives are available in a range of shapes, sizes and materials, but are usually made from aluminium or stainless steel. The design means that typically one side is shaped into a point that resembles a knife edge, and this is where Air Knives get their name from.

Read more about the History of Air Knives and how they work.

Air Knives are designed to direct a high-velocity, high flow linear stream of air onto the surface of objects. This air stream is powerful enough to strip moisture, dust/debris, and create an air curtain that protects the object from contamination.

SolvAir’s systems use Centrifugal Air Blowers to create a constant flow of air. The impact air velocity can range from a gentle breeze to-greater than Mach 0.6 = 454 mph = 731 kph = 40,000 fpm = 203 m/sec.

Read more about the History of Air Knives and how they work.

Air Knives are often the most efficient and effective method of removing or controlling foreign substances on any surface. They are also powerful enough to create sterile environments for objects to pass through, or create a hold down force to assist in mechanical bonding of materials to surfaces.

The potential that Air Knives provide across industry is therefore enormous. They are used today in automotive manufacturing, food and beverage production, breweries, electronics, manufacturing, heavy industry, pharma, medical and nutraceuticals, and rubber and plastics.

Read more about the industries SolvAir works in, or explore Air Knives by application.

Air Knife Systems are flexible and adaptable systems that are designed, built and installed to meet a wide range of industrial needs, such as cleaning, drying and quality control of objects. Commonly, these objects move along a conveyor, but Air Knife Systems can also be designed for stationary objects.

SolvAir’s Air Knife Systems generate their own high-velocity air flow by using high-performance centrifugal blowers connected to air devices such as Air Knives or Air Nozzles. They are highly energy efficient, demonstrating significant energy savings in comparison to compressed air, heating or manual interventions.

Air Knife performance is affected by a series of variables, including the cross-sectional dimensions, length, gap distance and air inlet connection positions in their design. These measurements are determined by what the system is required to do.

Poorly designed and built Air Knives, or Air Knives incorrectly configured to the application, will result in poor performance.

SolvAir test all of our components and systems in our in-house facility. We also collaborate with leading experts, such as our recent SoloJet Air Nozzle study with Cranfield University.

SolvAir offer a range of High-Performance Centrifugal Blowers, suitable for a wide range of industrial uses. Our Blowers are available in a range of power (from 0.75kw to 15kw), flow rate (up to 2378 m³/hr), and pressure (up to 274 mbar).

SolvAir are the UK and European distribution centre for Paxton blowers. All our Centrifugal Blowers are constructed with the utmost attention to detail using the highest quality parts.

Each blower unit is rigorously tested for vibration, noise and overall performance, and comes with an industry-leading 3 year warranty.

Our blowers are designed to run continuously, and are able to run well at 24/7 operation, delivering air flows to 2,378 cubic metres per hour and pressure to 274 millibar for true high performance.

In terms of starting and stopping blowers, the frequency that this is done should be kept to a minimum, as each start demands peak power load and places stress on drive components.

All our Centrifugal Blowers are constructed with the utmost attention to detail using the highest quality parts. Each unit is rigorously tested for vibration, noise and overall performance, and comes with an industry-leading 3 year warranty.

Paxton Blowers are constructed for longer service life, comprising the highest quality parts held to strict tolerances. Each unit is rigorously tested for vibration, noise and overall performance.

With scheduled maintenance, Paxton blowers last for years, and in the highly unlikely event they fail within the first three years of life, are covered by a 3-year warranty.

Dependant on the site conditions, a blower operating 24/7 will usually require a service interval of 6 months taking around 1 hour by site engineers following our maintenance instructions. Outside intervention by specialist engineers is typically not necessary.

With scheduled maintenance, your blower can last for years.

SolvAir offer a free site audit for new and existing customer sites situated in the UK if you would like the status of your blower checked.

For EU and Global enquiries please contact us.

We deal with any client’s system issues as a priority, minimising any disruption to the lowest extent possible.

SolvAir also offer a maintenance and repair service for customer sites situated in the UK. We provide our clients with a temporary blower whilst we repair and service their faulty one.

For EU and Global enquiries please contact us.

SolvAir offer site audits, to review our customers’ existing equipment, and advise on any improvements available.

Our on-site support is targeted at saving energy and money for our clients, whilst maintaining the high performance of their systems across many years.

SolvAir offer the full range of services – from design, through to installation, commissioning, as well as after sales support. Our engineers also fully advise on the optimum set up for your needs and facility.

We ensure that your installation is completed to the highest standards – this means we guarantee your system is installed so it performs at the highest levels.

Our engineers plan, build and test your system prior to delivery, so that when we install it, this can be completed within one day.

We always seek to minimise disruption to your business, and so if necessary, can undertake installations outside of normal working hours.

Our facility means we have in-house expertise, together with state of the art engineering equipment, to ensure that we build your Air Knives to the precise measurements needed for your facility.

We are also able to build Air Nozzles and Air Manifolds to your requirements, as well as Circular Air Knives for applications involving tubes for example.

We are also a global trading partner of Paxton, servicing regions further afield including the Middle East, Africa and South America.

SolvAir also has our own range of products that compliment and enhance the Paxton range.

Solvair have expertise in designing, building and installing bespoke Air Knife Systems for a variety of applications and industries.

Bespoke Air Knife Systems will guarantee the highest performance for your application, meaning less downtime through returns, and fewer disruptions overall. Our expertise ensures your systems see improvements in your outputs, budget and energy efficiency targets.

The blower does the work, and its impeller sits inside the housing, often in a different room from the knife itself. There are no moving parts at the working face.

Pressure is the real difference. Compressed air leaves a nozzle at several bar, hard enough to injure on contact and, if it breaks the skin, to force air into the bloodstream. An Air Knife System runs at a fraction of that, under 250 mbar, and delivers a smooth laminar sheet rather than a jet.

It is a better neighbour on the line, too. Compressed air chills sharply as it expands, where blower air does not, and with no pressurised hoses there is nothing to whip loose or trail across a walkway. The air is oil-free, so nothing is carried onto the product.

We do however offer consultation and a full quotation free of charge on all enquiries. Where it helps, and where requested, we also offer site visits and demonstration units so you can see the result on your own product before committing.

Tell us about your line and we will be happy to help!

Our electric blowers produce high-volume air at low pressure for the job in hand. Compressed air is generated at high pressure, stored, and then throttled back down to do the same low-pressure work, and most of the energy is lost on the way – see energy savings.

Systems can be run through remote control panels and adjusted with variable frequency drives (VFD), so output, and crucially energy costs, are precisely matched to the requirements of your production line rather than left running flat out.

Electrical supply

Blowers are wired directly: 400V three phase, 50Hz for the UK and Europe, and we can meet other supply requirements where needed. Aria-Pak blower packages run on single phase, 240V 50Hz.

They can also be wired with a control panel and/or VFD inline. Either can be blower-mounted or supplied loose, so it can be sited wherever suits the facility.

The saving comes from how the air is made. Compressed air is generated at high pressure, stored, and then throttled down to do a low-pressure job, and most of the energy goes on the way. A blower makes only the air the application needs, at the pressure it needs it.

Full figures and the payback arithmetic are on the energy savings page.