Month: July 2015

Beat the Heat: Cold Gun Air Coolant Systems Extend Tool Life with No Messy Coolant

Published on by Dave WoernerLeave a comment

In most drilling, machining, and cutting operations a flood of coolant is used to remove heat from the work piece and the tool. This coolant is sprayed, and after it impacts the tool or part it sprays everywhere. In some case there is no way around using coolant due to required cutting speed, specific heat of the part, or the need for lubrication. In other applications coolant is prohibited from touching the work piece due to application requirement. This means that the tool and the work piece operate at a higher temperature and could damage the tool or work piece.

Cold Gun
Cold Gun, Model Number 5315, In Use

EXAIR Cold Gun Air Coolant System drop the temperature of compressed air by 50 degrees Fahrenheit. This air is then blown on a tool and work piece to take way most of the heat generated during machining. Used in combination with a tool that can handle a higher temperature like a high performance carbide the Cold Gun can deliver reliable machining without the mess of coolant.

Normally in dry machining you also loss coolant’s ability to clear chips from the work area. These chips can trap heat and further increase the temperature of the work area. The chips will also work harden with repeated cutting causing more wear on the tool and a bad surface finish on the part. With a flood of coolant the chips are washed away, but with dry machining air must be used to clear the work area. EXAIR 5315 Standard Cold Gun features (2) 1″ wide nozzle that can be used to cool and the produce enough air flow to prevent chip build up. If you are looking for more information on dry machining, Brian Boswell wrote a thesis on the topic.

Dry machining doesn’t just replicate the machining with a flood coolant it can improve the process. Extended exposure to airborne lubrication mists present potential health risks to machinists. Coolant is becoming more expensive to dispose of after it has been used this is only going to increase over time as environmental regulation become greater. Removing the coolant from your process can ease your environmental impact while still maintaining the quality machining your customers require.

Dave Woerner
Application Engineer
@EXAIR_DW
DaveWoerner@EXAIR.com

Heavy Duty Dry Vac is a Perfect Fit for This Application

Published on by John BallLeave a comment

A milling company contacted me for help to improve their scrapping operations.  They had 8 machining stations that were used to machine cast iron.  The chips were removed from the machines by a conveying system and dumped into a wheel barrel next to each machine.  Throughout the day, the CNC operator would have to remove the wheel barrel to the scrap recycling area.  The operator would then shovel the chips from the wheel barrel into 55 gallon drums for storage.  The company had concerns with safety ergonomics, and they wanted to improve the efficiency of the operation.

I suggested the Heavy Duty Dry Vac.  The vacuum generator is made from a hardened steel construction which is very resistant to wear.  It has a higher vacuum level to pick up heavier material at a faster rate.  With the cast iron chips having a bulk density between 130 – 200 lb/ft^3 (2082 – 3204 Kg/m^3), this was the right tool for the right application.  He purchased the model 6297, the Deluxe Heavy Duty Dry Vac System.  It included the 55 gallon lid vacuum system, heavy duty aluminum tools, drum dolly, 10 foot (3 meter) anti-static vacuum hose, and 20 foot (6.1 meter) compressed air hose.  Now, with their new product and new procedure, the CNC operator was able to place the Heavy Duty Dry Vac lid system onto a 55 gallon open drum, turn the unit on, and vacuum the cast iron chips from the wheel barrel.  Once the drum was full, he could swap lids to an empty drum to repeat the operation.

Heavy Duty Dry Vac in operation
Heavy Duty Dry Vac in operation

EXAIR was able to address both concerns.  It was faster, saving them down time and improving operation efficiency; and, it was safer, eliminating the need to shovel and improving health ergonomics.  Because of the wide range of products that EXAIR offers, we can help you with saving money and overall safety.  If you would like to discuss any of your issues with our Application Engineers, you can contact us at your convenience.

John Ball
Application Engineer
email: johnball@exair.com
Twitter: @EXAIR_jb

Farewell from Professor Penurious

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Myself, Dan Preston (AKA: Professor Penurious) and My Amazing Wife
Myself, Dan Preston (AKA: Professor Penurious) and My Amazing Wife

Life rarely ever goes as any of us plans it.  It’s full of peaks and valleys, and, on occasion, plateaus of peace and serenity.  Sometimes life is spontaneous and fun! Other times, chaotic and painful.  Some things, like who you fall in love with and spend the rest of your life with can’t be planned out ahead of time.  Some things, like education, careers, and retirement, can be.  And sometimes, things beyond us change those plans completely.  Occasionally, it’s for the worse, but I am inclined to think that, for the most part, it’s for the better.  So it goes.

After serving for 10 years as the Engineering Manager for EXAIR corporation, I will be pursuing a new course in life.  It wasn’t one that I sought, but rather, it sought me.  Friday, July the 10th marked my retirement from engineering. Today, I started training for the full time ministry.

When I first came to EXAIR, there was no doubt in my mind that it was answered prayer.  I had worked for small companies and Fortune 500 companies alike before coming here, and there was no doubt in my mind where I wanted to settle down and spend the rest of my engineering life.  I wanted to work for a small, family owned business that genuinely cared for its employees, that actually manufactured durable goods here in Cincinnati, and that was close to home.  I was blessed to find all three.

The work here at EXAIR was always interesting.  Developing new products, redesigning existing ones, tracking down root causes of failure and cost accounting are just some of the things I did here as an engineer.  And although designing custom products was always my favorite part of the engineering side of this job, where else could I get paid to be Professor Penurious? Good times indeed.

But what I really learned while working for the smartest guy I’ve ever known, is how a successful organization is run, en masse.  From the outwardly perceivable things like manufacturing, procurement, marketing, sales, order entry, accounting, etc. to the unquantifiable, like how to treat employees, customers and vendors.  Like the rest of life, sometimes it goes according to plan, and sometimes you fly by the seat of your pants.  But if you’re always honest, diligent and sincere, you can rest easy at night knowing you’ve done the right thing.  These are skills I’m confident will serve me well in my new job, and I’d like to thank all of you, especially Bryan Peters, for helping me learn them.

I had no intention of leaving EXAIR one second before I turned 59 ½ (if the stock market was good to me…)  I quickly became good friends with everyone here and even during difficult times, I knew this was the job for me.  It’s not that I wanted to leave here, far from it!  But my path forward is clear and undeniable.  I will miss the interesting customers and helpful suppliers, but mostly, I’ll miss the wonderful people I worked alongside this last decade.  I can say sincerely and without hesitation that I love each and every one of you.

EXAIR has changed my life for the better.  I hope that in some way, I have done the same for EXAIR.  So it goes.  So I go.

Dan Preston
Engineering Manager (ret.)
EXAIR Corporation

Removing Oil From A Conveyor In South Africa

Published on by Lee EvansLeave a comment

About three years ago, during the summer of 2012, I discussed an application with a palm oil producer who needed to clean and dry palm fruits as part of their oil production process.  I remember the application well because I knew nothing about palm fruits and came to learn of their popularity on other continents.

Now, years later and again from another continent, our South African distributor has a similar need.  However, rather than removing the cleaning residue from the outside of a palm fruit, this application needed to address the control and collection of the extracted palm oil on a production line.

The need in this application is the collection of spilled and residual oil that is filled into large containers and provided to culinary facilities.  The end user needed a way to keep any spilled oil from contaminating the process downstream, and a method to collect the oil once it was within a controlled space/container.

Conveyor with oil 1
Compromised conveyor line

To block the oil from travelling any further into the process, we recommended a series of 316 Stainless Steel Super Air Knives aimed at the conveyor belt, blowing opposite the direction of container travel.  This setup operated at the right pressure can not only keep the oil from any downstream components, but also blow the oil into a specified container.

Once the oil is removed from the conveyor and collected in a hopper, trough, or similar container, it can be removed with a High Lift Reversible Drum Vac.  Our High Lift Reversible Drum Vac is suitable for viscous fluids such as oils, coolants, and paints up to 1400 centipoise.  The High Lift Reversible Drum Vac can then be used to pump the oil into a final container, or back into the process for cleaning and recycling.

Its always great to pull from a previous application when speaking with an EXAIR customer.  And, with our full team of Application Engineers, we have plenty of applications to reference.

Lee Evans
Application Engineer
LeeEvans@EXAIR.com
@EXAIR_LE