Cold Air Guns and vortex tubes are popular spot cooling products that are used in a wide variety of applications, ranging from cooling cutting tools such as band saw and circular saw blades, router bits, lathe tools, HSS drills and milling cutters used for machining of metals, plastics, paper and wood. They are also commonly used to cool parts, dehumidify gas samples, cool sensors, test thermostats and many other applications where an instant and reliable supply of clean cold air is required. Vortex tubes and Cold Air Guns have no moving parts and use only a clean dry source of compressed air for creating cooling capacities up to 6000 btuh (1758 watts).

When considering a solution it is important to look into every stage of the implementation, not just the final result. Often times the solution can be improved upon, or the process can be altered, to improve the final outcome. For this compressed air solution we had the pleasure of working with a manufacturer of industrial valves for numerous chemical companies. They noticed that their cooling time had been increasing over time and their goal of cooling the valve molds in 15 minutes or less, was now closer to 45 minutes.

A major tire manufacturer for the automobile industry, reached out to us with manufacturing troubles. They were having a tough time with white sidewall rubber grinding, which is the white, rubber ring that’s inserted into the tire mold. A thin, black layer of rubber forms over the surface of the ring when the molding is complete. To remove the thin, black layer they use a grinding wheel, but in normal operations the wheel becomes hot, loads up with melted rubber and produces a significant amount of smoke. They were currently using air jets, in an attempt to cool the rubber, but this process failed to cool the rubber fast enough and generated too much noise.

A great article by Eli Plaskett, from Modern Machine Shop, showing the versatility and effectiveness of our Vortex Tubes. There are some great tips on how to make the most out of your compressed air solution. 
This technology offers an alternative to traditional liquid coolants by providing a clean stream of air as cold as -30°F to cool cutters and workpieces during machining.

The thermostats on our enclosure coolers are another way that Vortec is trying to help customers save time and money. We understand that compressed air usage can be costly, and one of the easiest ways to save money is by ensuring that compressed air is used only when necessary. Automation is increasingly growing, because it allows for ease of use and ensures that you can “set it and forget it.” Our thermostats help to reduce compressed air usage, providing an efficient and cost saving method for cooling your enclosure. Here is a look into how our thermostats work.

Meet Sy. Sy handmakes every Vortex Cooler (electric and manual) that comes out of our facility. He makes sure that every single one is to the right specifications and measurements that are required to meet the standards that Vortec promises to deliver. Whether we receive 20 orders or 200 orders, every single Vortex Cooler must pass through his hands.

Vortec recently received a call from one of our loyal customers inquiring about our vortex tubes. They were curious to see how long vortex tubes lasted before they should consider replacing them. Naturally, this peaked my interest, “Well hypothetically they should last forever if they are properly maintained. Why, how long have you had one?” Turns out, they have had one of our vortex tubes for over 45 years! Mind you, we were founded in 1961 (56 years ago) so this wasn’t the first vortex tube we ever built, but it’s not far off.

I have worked 33 years at Vortec and I am proud of our many accomplishments, but I must say this might be the one I am most excited about. We have continuously received feedback from manufacturers about the need for specific hazardous location enclosure coolers. Numerous industrial environments, from petrochemical plants to food manufacturing to foundries, have needed proper cooling equipment.

At United Airlines’ Technical Operations facility in Orland, FL, Bob Kosanke supervises over 550 mechanics. As Aircraft Maintenance Supervisor, Kosanke bears responsibility for handling a rigorous series of checks each airplane must pass before being approved to return to flight rotation. One of the tools these aviation mechanics rely on to move the planes efficiently through the maintenance process is Vortec’s Dual-Force Vac Drum Pump.

A manufacturing engineer, at a large diesel engine manufacturer, called me looking for a cooling solution. They needed to speed up cooling of a hot 3” diameter cam gear that is a shrink fit onto the engine’s crankshaft. They were using four cold air guns from a competitor of ours to cool the gear and they needed a solution that would allow them to increase the cooling capacity, quickly adjust the cold air temperature and reduce the cooling cycle time.