In any machining operation, tool wear is unavoidable. Cutting tools heat up due to friction, and this heat contributes to premature tool wear. As tooling wears, poor tolerances and dimensional inaccuracy are common. Additionally, as the cutting edge dulls, increased cutting force is required, which further increases the amount of heat generated.
Coolants are used to reduce friction and help mitigate some of the wear by reducing heat, but then you’re left with a mess on the part and in the machine itself. The fine mist will create a fog which will stick to the wall and personnel. Also, with the dirty parts, cleaning will take additional manpower and time. What if I were to tell you that there’s a way to safely, effectively, and easily perform machining, grinding, and cutting operations without coolant? I would like to introduce you to EXAIR’s Cold Gun Aircoolant System™.
The Cold Gun utilizes the vortex principle to produce a cold air stream that will provide chip evacuation and cooling at the cutting tool and material. The vortex phenomenon will drop the incoming compressed air temperature by 50°F (28oC). So, if you supply compressed air at 70oF (21oC), it will blow cold air at a temperature of 20oF (-7oC). This means that the removal of chips by using cold air will help reduce the heat buildup within both the cutting tool and the material, which can help prevent thermal creep. Keeping the cutting tool and the material cooler reduces the amount of wear on the tooling and or coating of the tool and has been found to reduce tool wear by over 21%.
The Cold Gun is an ideal alternative to messy and expensive coolant mist systems. It eliminates the cost of purchase and disposal of cutting fluids as well as worker related health problems from breathing airborne coolant or slipping on wet floors. Replacing a coolant-based system also eliminates the need for secondary cleaning operations after milling or drilling.
The Cold Gun is a great system for machining a wide range of materials like plastics and MDF, or for grinding materials that may become contaminated when using traditional coolants or oils. The clean, cold air from the outlet of the Cold Gun keeps the part cool, clean, and dry.
If you have an application that you believe would be well-served from the cold airflow generated by an EXAIR Cold Gun, an Application Engineer will be happy to assist you. We offer a Cold Gun and a High Power Cold Gun which reduces heat even faster. Get one on order today and take advantage of our limited time promotion and receive a FREE Dual Point Hose Kit upgrade for qualified online purchases.
John Ball
Application Engineer
Email: johnball@exair.com
Twitter: @EXAIR_jb