Metal parts leave washing, plating or machining wet, and coolant left on a surface carries chips and fines with it. SCB supplies air knife systems for water and coolant removal, and vortex cooling for machining operations where heat has to be removed at the cutting edge without liquid coolant.

Where Air Knives Are Used in Metal Processing

Typical positions include the exit of a parts washer, before plating and coating, before laser marking and before inspection or packaging. Flat parts, tubes, profiles and machined components each need a different knife arrangement: bar knives across a conveyor, ring knives around pipes, and multiple knives for complex shapes.

Drying After Washing, Plating and Machining

Water left after washing becomes rust on stored parts and poor adhesion under paint. Coolant left after machining contaminates the next operation and carries chips onto surfaces that should be clean. An air knife removes both without contact and without heat, pushing liquid to the edge of the part instead of atomising it into a mist that settles back on the surface.

Spot Cooling for Cutting and Grinding

Where flood coolant is impractical, for example on dry machining, on materials that cannot tolerate liquid, or on operations where coolant disposal is costly, a vortex tube cold air gun delivers cold air directly to the cutting edge. It has no moving parts, needs only compressed air, and can be aimed at the tool or the workpiece.

Selecting the Right Air Knife and Blower

The knife length is set by the part width, the slot width by the required blow-off force, and the blower by the airflow and pressure needed through the knife and hose. Larger parts and higher line speeds need more air, and complex shapes may need several knives at different angles. SCB engineers size the complete system against the actual part and line speed.