Martin® X-Stand Improves Air Cannon Efficiency and Safety

The global leader in bulk material flow technology, Martin Engineering, has introduced a heavy-duty air cannon mounting system.  The Martin® X-Stand is an organization system that safely keeps air cannons away from super-heated or potentially hazardous areas while offering easy service access.  The result is clearer walkways, improved safety, and greater maintenance efficiency for a lower cost of operation.

“Though secure when held in place by pipework, air cannons can be precariously placed around preheaters, hoppers, and drop chutes, making them hard to get around or reach by maintenance crews,” said Sid Dev, Product Manager of Air Cannons at Martin Engineering.  “Some of these applications can also be in high-heat environments in loading zones, so we worked with customers to formulate a more practical and long-term solution. The X-Stand ended up having more benefits than we initially thought!”

Air Cannon X-Stand Specs

The X-Stand is a rugged steel cube frame that comes in 3 sizes to fit the 35-liter, 70-liter, and 150-liter air cannon tanks.  These fit Martin® Hurricane and Typhoon Air Cannons.  The largest model measures 36x36x36 inches (91.5×91.5×91.5 cm) and weighs ~175 lbs (~80kg).

Each cube has a sturdy cross-bar frame designed to distribute weight and absorb vibration from the cannon’s firing.  The central top hole allows easy access to the valve and attachments, while the bottom hole accommodates a standard 4-inch (~10 cm), 150 lb (~68 kg), 8-bolt ANSI (American National Standards Institute) flange to hold the cannon securely in place.  The open sides allow easy access to the flange, hose connection, and tank removal. Solenoid boxes that enable manual firing and control the firing sequence can be conveniently mounted on the side of the rack.

The X-Stand is specially designed to fit different spaces and stack in several configurations for optimum space-saving, safer access, and ease of maintenance.  The air cannons are still secured with a tether for added safety.  X-Stands are delivered in assembled blocks with all the bolts and nuts required to secure them using standard tools.  Air cannons are sold separately.

Air Cannons Prevent Downtime from Clogs

Air cannons are the most effective way to clear material that’s adhered to preheater vessels or silo walls, as well as clogs in hoppers, bins, and drop chutes. Instead of exposing workers to extreme heat, having them beat vessel walls with hammers, or entering dangerous confined spaces, air cannons do the job safely and remotely.

They comprise a 35, 70, or 150-liter tank connected to a compressed air system that delivers a powerful shot triggered from a solenoid box up to 200 feet away.  Pointed in the direction the material flows, the high-velocity air passes through a nozzle across vessel surfaces to dislodge adhered material and clogs, promoting efficient throughput with minimal downtime.

Martin Engineering just celebrated the 50^th anniversary of inventing Air Cannon technology.  It holds the intellectual property for low-pressure cannons and continues to work on incrementally improving the technology for greater efficiency.

The X-Stand Solves Several Issues

Air cannons are commonly secured to a nozzle assembly next to the vessel.  A wire tether ensures the tank doesn’t fall should it suddenly detach from the assembly.  This positioning can make access a challenge, particularly when the units are set close to a hot wall like a preheater or kiln.

The positioning also becomes an issue when air cannons jut into narrow walkways, or workers must step over 4-inch tubing to access maintenance areas.  Since trips and falls commonly top the list of workplace injuries, proper headspace and unobstructed walkways help staff move through the area easily – particularly important when carrying large or unwieldy equipment or replacement parts.

Installing an X-Stand system allows air cannons to be placed in the optimum position and provides the opportunity to rearrange tubing leading to nozzles.  Moreover, equipment can be moved away from areas of extreme heat.  This reconfiguration ensures safe passageways and maintenance access, improving workplace safety.

“Through testing, we’ve found that there is negligible air blast power loss by extending the distance a few feet, and only about 5% power is lost with each elbow in the pipe,” Dev pointed.  “With strategic placement, the X-Stand will deliver safety results that justify any increase in the number of shots per sequence.”

Some air cannon installations require mesh tubing to properly accommodate the tank’s position and handle vibration from firing.  Although commonly made with metal strands, the mesh tubing is considered a wear part that needs changing after long-term exposure to the punishing production environment, heated walls, and constant vibration.  The X-Stand promotes the use of hard pipes with a longer equipment life and less maintenance for added safety and a lower cost of operation.

Use Examples from Field Tests

• A cement plant operator sought to move cannons farther away from the super-heated kiln wall. The X-Stand construction moved the pipes overhead attached to Y-pipe assemblies with Thermo Safety Sheilds.  The increased distance from the wall allowed for regular maintenance in a comfortable environment.  Although nozzle replacement required workers to wear heat suits, the job could be done without downtime.  The process was made faster and safer by merely closing the shield guard to prevent blowback, removing the flange in the Y-Pipe, and quickly replacing the nozzle – a 5- to 15-minute operation, depending on positioning.
• To mitigate molten ash buildup that limited production along a superheated wall in a steel mill, four air cannons were placed to dislodge material and avoid downtime. To precisely place the air cannon shot, the tanks obstructed the inspection doors, preventing them from opening fully.  Moving the tanks to stacked X-Stands a few feet away from the hot wall reduced the heat exposure for maintenance crews and reduced the time and effectiveness of
• One bulk material operation had a hopper/silo raised off the ground to load transport vehicles passing beneath. Seasonal changes would raise moisture levels that cause clogging in the downspout.  A grated walkway around the vessel was partially obstructed by jutting air cannons.  Rather than the standard configuration with the cannons on their sides and valves facing outward, installers set up the X-Stand with the valves facing upward.  Holes were cut in the floor grating, and the pipes were run under the walkway toward the nozzle assemblies.  This ensured the tanks were organized and the walkway was clear while optimizing production.

Improving Safety and Access

After testing, participating operators said they liked the more organized approach in helping to keep congested operational areas as clear as possible.  They were impressed with the cleaner look and the innovative solutions to pipe placement.  Participants in field tests recognized no substantial change in performance from the original configuration.

“Martin is always listening to customers for ideas to improve safety and efficiency,” Dev concluded.  “The X-Stand is a result of that and is the next step to a clean, safe, and efficient bulk handling operation.”