Super Air Knife, Standard Air Knife, Full-Flow Air Knife: What’s the Difference?

EXAIR is the industry leader when it comes to compressed air operated Air Knives. But you might have questioned "what is the difference between the Super, Standard & Full Flow Air Knives?" If you have hopefully the following might help.

Leading the pack is the award-winning Super Air Knife. The Super Air Knife is available in aluminum, Type 303 & Type 316 stainless steel, as well as in PVDF with Hastelloy bolts for extremely corrosive applications. The Super Air Knives are offered in lengths ranging from 3”-108” in both aluminum and SS and from 3”-54” for the PVDF knives. Our quietest (just 69 dBA at 80 PSIG) and most efficient knife (2.9 SCFM/inch) offered by EXAIR, the Super Air Knife, is the newest of the bunch. Not only does the knife consume less air than both the Standard or Full-Flow, but it also entrains more ambient air. The Super Air Knife provides ambient air entrainment at a rate of 40:1 (compared to 30:1 on the others). Also, important to note, is the airflow pattern exits the knife straight from the nozzle outlet. On both our Standard and Full-Flow knives, the air exits perpendicularly to the nozzle.

All Super Air Knives ship from stock with ¼ NPT air inlets and ¼-20 tapped holes along the bottom that can be used for mounting. ¼ NPT air inlets are available at either end as well as along the bottom of the knife. Both the length of the knife and the airflow length are the same when it comes to the Super Air Knife.

Next is our Standard Air Knife. The original Air Knife provided by EXAIR, the Standard Air Knife has been around since the early days. While still an excellent solution, it doesn’t offer as much as the Super Air Knife in terms of mounting options, materials, or sizes. The actual length of the knife for the Standard Air Knives will be 1” longer than the overall airflow width. This is due to the ¼ NPT air inlets located on either side that take up ½” space each. Only the end air inlets are available to supply to the knife, compared to either end and along the bottom for the Super Air Knives. These knives are offered in either aluminum or 303 SS in lengths ranging from 3”-48”.

As mentioned earlier, the Standard Air Knives airflow pattern exits perpendicularly to the nozzle exit. It’s important that this is understood BEFORE planning out the installation. Due to the wind shear produced along the Coanda Profile, the Standard Air Knife is a little bit louder than the Super Air Knife coming in at 80 dBA at 80 PSIG.

Finally, we have the Full-Flow Air Knife. A predecessor to the Super Air Knife, the Full-Flow Air Knife was borne out of a need for a solution where both the length of the knife and the airflow width where the same. Prior to the Super Air Knife, this was the only option that was offered that the length of the airflow pattern would match that of the knife itself.

Moving the air inlets from the ends to the center, the Full-Flow Air Knife has different dimensions than the Standard Air Knife. The differences in dimensions allow it to be the “smallest” profile knife offered off-the-shelf. Just as with the Standard Air Knives, the airflow exits perpendicularly to the nozzle outlet. As such, the sound level is also a little bit higher, coming in at 80 dBA.

The same materials are offered as the Standard Air Knives: aluminum and 303 SS. The Full-Flow Air Knife is available in lengths ranging from 3”-36” in stock.

So there we have it, in effect all models of air knife are useful and we would always recommend the Super Air Knife to any potential new customers as this offers the best in terms of performance, air saving, and noise levels. 

But if space is an issue you might find a Standard or Full-Flow Air Knife fits into your application slightly better.

If you have any doubts please do not hestiate to contact one of our sales team on 01908 221151, sales@goodhanduk.co.uk to discuss your application today.