Good air knife design starts with the production line, not with a fixed catalog shape. A PCB cleaning line, food packaging line, bottle drying station, LCD glass cleaner, metal strip washer, textile process, and hardware parts washer all need different airflow behavior. Some lines need wide and even surface drying. Some need focused air into holes. Some need 360-degree coverage around a pipe or cable. Some need corrosion resistance near chemicals.
That is why QXY Machinery does not treat air knives as one standard product. The company builds air knife solutions from a large product base, then adjusts the structure, material, length, slot, inlet, hole pattern, and layout around the customer's working conditions. For industrial buyers, this matters because the wrong air knife design often leads to weak drying, high energy use, splashback, noise, product movement, or repeated maintenance work.
QXY Machinery has more than 15 years of focused experience in the air knife field, with R&D, design, production, and sales integrated in one system. The company has developed over 15 standard air knife types and supports custom air knife design for line-specific requirements.
An air knife is not only an outlet slot. It is an airflow tool that must match the product, liquid load, line speed, installation space, and final quality target. A buyer may ask for stronger air, but the real issue may be slot width, mounting distance, angle, inlet balance, or the wrong product type.
For example, a standard slot air knife can dry many flat surfaces, but it may not clear water trapped inside PCB through-holes. A side air knife can target bottle shoulders or label zones, but it may not dry a full flat sheet. A ring air knife can dry around a cable or tube in one pass, while a tornado air knife may be better for recessed or irregular surfaces.
QXY's design logic is practical: identify the wet zone, understand where the water or debris must go, then choose the air knife structure that can do the job with stable airflow and manageable energy use.
In industrial equipment, innovation should show up in the product structure. QXY Machinery's air knife design capability is built around factory calibration, adjustable designs, multiple materials, custom sizing, and application-specific airflow patterns. The goal is not to make a product look complex. The goal is to make the air work better on the customer's line.
QXY holds national patent certifications on adjustable air knife designs. The company's standard aluminum alloy air knife uses a dual-deflector internal structure to support uniform exit velocity, with a factory airflow uniformity target of +/-5% across the knife length. These details matter on wide drying lines where one weak zone can leave water spots or wet edges.
QXY also develops product forms for specific problems: small hole air knives for PCB through-hole drying, air-to-air knives for simultaneous two-sided drying, ring air knives for round products, tornado air knives for complex surfaces, and chemical-resistant designs for harsh environments.
Many production lines cannot use the same air knife. A dry packaging line may need a lightweight aluminum alloy air knife. A food or pharmaceutical line may require stainless steel. A PCB chemical process may need PVC or stainless steel near acid and alkaline solutions. A highly corrosive environment may require titanium alloy.
QXY Machinery's product range includes aluminum alloy air knives, stainless steel air knives, PVC air knives, titanium alloy air knives, small hole PCB air knives, tornado air knives, ring air knives, air-to-air knives, and other custom configurations. This variety gives buyers more than a choice of size. It gives them a way to match the product structure to the real risk on the line.
A broad model range also reduces forced compromises. Instead of using one standard slot knife for every task, engineers can choose a structure that fits the product shape, surface geometry, moisture location, material environment, and machine space.
Customization is not only about making the air knife longer. Length is important, especially on wide conveyors, but a useful custom air knife may also need a specific slot width, inlet direction, inlet quantity, material, hole pattern, mounting direction, or surface finish.
QXY standard aluminum air knives include 150, 300, 450, 600, 800, and 1000 mm lengths, with custom lengths available up to 6 m. The standard slot gap range is 0.5-2 mm for many industrial drying tasks, set at the factory according to order. For knives longer than 600 mm, dual inlets are commonly used to support better pressure distribution.
For PCB applications, QXY's small hole air knife uses a dual-row pattern with 1 mm holes: one row of straight holes and one row of angled holes. This design is made for water trapped in through-holes where a normal slot knife may not reach effectively.
Application need | QXY design option | Why it matters |
Wide surface drying | Custom length slot air knife, dual-inlet layout over 600 mm | Helps cover the full conveyor width and reduce weak zones. |
PCB through-hole drying | Small hole air knife with dual-row 1 mm hole pattern | Targets water trapped in holes and fine board features. |
Food, beverage, pharma | 304/316 stainless steel air knife | Supports washdown, hygiene, and corrosion resistance needs. |
Chemical proximity | PVC, stainless steel, or titanium alloy design | Matches acid, alkaline, chloride, or strong chemical exposure. |
Round products | Ring air knife with custom inner diameter | Provides 360-degree coverage around cables, tubes, pipes, and bottles. |
Complex surfaces | Tornado air knife or multi-angle layout | Improves reach into recesses, edges, and irregular product geometry. |
Custom air knife design is easier when R&D and production work together. A sales-only supplier may be able to change length, but real customization often needs engineering decisions: inlet placement, slot tolerance, material behavior, mounting direction, blower matching, and quality checks before delivery.
QXY Machinery integrates R&D, design, production, and sales. This helps the team move from customer problem to product specification without separating the design conversation from manufacturing reality. For buyers, that reduces the risk of ordering a product that fits the drawing but fails on the line.
In-house production also supports repeatability. When a factory calibrates slot width, checks airflow uniformity, and understands how the product is used, future replacements or modified versions can stay closer to the original working design.
A good custom air knife inquiry should include more than length. Buyers should send product photos or drawings, conveyor width, product width, line speed, liquid type, wet-zone location, required dry surface, available blower or compressed air supply, installation space, material requirements, and cleaning environment.
For drying problems, it also helps to describe the failure mode. Does water remain on the edge? Does it stay inside holes? Does mist settle back after blow-off? Does the product move under airflow? Does one side dry better than the other? These details guide the design choice more accurately than a simple request for 'more wind'.
When the working condition is clear, QXY can recommend whether the line needs a standard model, modified standard model, or fully custom air knife design.
Design item | QXY reference capability |
Standard product range | 15+ air knife types covering aluminum, stainless steel, PVC, titanium, small hole, tornado, ring, and air-to-air designs |
Custom length | Standard 150/300/450/600/800/1000 mm; custom up to 6,000 mm |
Slot width | 0.5-2 mm standard for many industrial drying tasks; set at factory per order |
Airflow uniformity | +/-5% across knife length for QXY standard aluminum air knives |
Inlet configuration | 50 mm standard inlet; dual inlets commonly used for knives over 600 mm |
Working pressure | 2-6 psi (0.14-0.42 bar) for blower-driven systems |
Working distance | 20-50 mm for many drying and blow-off applications |
Custom features | Slot width, length, hole pattern, inlet direction, inlet quantity, material, and layout matching |
QXY Machinery (Shenzhen Qixingyuan Machinery Equipment Co., Ltd.) is a high-tech enterprise integrating R&D, design, production, and sales, specializing in drying, dust removal, and water-blowing solutions for industrial applications. With over 10 years of focused expertise in the air knife field, QXY Machinery has developed a mature technical foundation and a complete in-house R&D system.
QXY Machinery has independently developed dozens of air knife models spanning aluminum alloy, stainless steel, PVC, titanium alloy, small hole PCB air knives, ring air knives, tornado air knives, and air-to-air configurations. The company supports standardized production line requirements and custom-engineered air knife design for PCB manufacturing, LCD glass cleaning, food processing, beverage packaging, pharmaceutical production, printing, textiles, and hardware manufacturing.
QXY Machinery operates a complete production system supported by ample raw material supply and strict quality management. Stable processing capabilities and professional technical expertise enable reliable products, precise application support, and efficient after-sales service.
-> Contact QXY Machinery to discuss custom air knife design for your production line.
Q: What does air knife design include?
A: Air knife design includes length, material, slot width, hole pattern, inlet quantity, inlet direction, internal structure, mounting layout, and matching with the blower or air source.
Q: Can QXY Machinery customize air knives?
A: Yes. QXY supports custom air knife length, slot width, hole pattern, inlet configuration, material selection, and application-specific layouts based on the customer's production line.
Q: How many air knife types does QXY offer?
A: QXY produces over 15 standard air knife types, including aluminum alloy, stainless steel, PVC, titanium alloy, small hole PCB, tornado, ring, and air-to-air air knives.
Q: Why is R&D capability important for air knife design?
A: R&D capability helps match the air knife to the process instead of only changing size. It affects airflow uniformity, slot structure, inlet design, material selection, and application-specific problem solving.
Q: What information should I provide for a custom air knife?
A: Send product photos, conveyor width, product width, line speed, wet-zone location, liquid type, required dryness, air source, installation space, and material or washdown requirements.
Q: Which air knife material should I choose?
A: Aluminum alloy is suitable for many dry-zone industrial lines. Stainless steel is preferred for food, beverage, pharmaceutical, washdown, or corrosive environments. PVC or titanium may be considered for stronger chemical exposure.
Q: Can QXY design air knives for PCB through-hole drying?
A: Yes. QXY's small hole air knife uses a dual-row 1 mm hole design with straight and angled holes to help remove water from PCB through-holes and fine board features.
Need a custom air knife solution? Send us your application details, material requirement ，or air source type . Our engineering team will help you select the right model.
Shenzhen Qixingyuan Machinery Equipment Co., LTD.
info@airknifecn.com
Building 8, Wanfeng Third Industrial Zone, Xinqiao Street, Bao'an District, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
