Tag: air cooling

Cold Gun Provides Cooling For CNC Router

Published on by Lee EvansLeave a comment
20160829_114406
This CNC needs a way to cool the drill and blow away chips created during machining

Precision control with CNC’s means we can achieve a near-identical output in product dimensions and quality.  And, it also means we can create an identical problem every time the machine is used.

Case in point, the CNC shown above is used to machine a 5mm piece of aluminum, but was plagued with problems preventing it from performing to its full potential.  The problem, was that when the machine would plunge into the aluminum, the plunging speed would produce excessive heat leading to a deterioration in performance and quality.  The temporary solution for such a condition is to slow down the machining speeds, but this reduces the efficiency and throughput of the machine.

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A Cold Gun can install directly onto this machine, providing cooling and light chip removal as needed

The real solution for this type of condition is to provide some sort of cooling for the drill head, and if possible, a means to remove the chips and debris from the machining area as well.  Fortunately, both of these are possible through the use of a Cold Gun Aircoolant System.

A Cold Gun in this application will provide cold air at temperatures below freezing to cool the drill, and the airflow from the Cold Gun will simultaneously clear the small chips and debris from the machining area.  And, these improvements to the application keep the workspace completely dry.  There’s no need to add a coolant collection system or to create additional work through cleaning coolant from the machined pieces once they’re complete.

If you have an application in need of a dry-cooling solution, or if you’d like to explore the possibility of removing liquid cooling from your CNC, contact an EXAIR Application Engineer.  We’ll be happy to help.

Lee Evans
Application Engineer
LeeEvans@EXAIR.com
@EXAIR_LE

Calculating Air Flow to Cool Manufacturing Processes

Published on by Lee EvansLeave a comment
IMG_7065
This application needed a way to cool steel plates from 150C to 70C

I’ve written before about using ambient air to cool an application, calculating the required airflow to maintain a temperature.  And, I was recently contacted by an end user in India in need of a way to cool electromagnets in a similar application.

The need was to reduce the temperature of high manganese steel plates (dimensions of 1800mm x 800mm x 500mm) from 150°C to less than 70°C, using air at 40°C.  These steel plates have a specific heat of 0.5107896 J/g°C, weigh 120kg each, and protect the coil and insulation of the electromagnets in this process.  So, just as was the case in previous applications, we started with the process shown below.

heat load calc process
Heat load calculation process

In doing so, we calculated a heat load of 279,245 BTU/hr., which will require an air volume of 1,805 CFM to cool as needed.  (Click the image below for an expanded view of the calculations)

Electromagnet calculations
Heat load calculations

The recommendation to provide this cooling was the use of (6) 120022 Super Air Amplifiers, operated at 80 PSIG and installed along the length of the plates to distribute airflow.  As we can see in the chart below, each 120022 Super Air Amplifier will move an air volume of 341 CFM at the outlet of the unit, making (6) of these units suitable for this application.  And, if we consider entrainment of additional ambient air at distances away from the outlet of the 120022 Super Air Amplifier, we can consider these units may cool the steel faster than the 1 minute cycle time used for calculation purposes.

air amp chart
Super Air Amplifier performance chart

This application is a great example of how an engineered compressed air solution can remove process disturbances effectively, and efficiently solve problems.  If you have a similar application or even one that is entirely different, contact an EXAIR Application Engineer.

Lee Evans
Application Engineer
LeeEvans@EXAIR.com
@EXAIR_LE

Calculating Air Volume for Cooling

Published on by Lee EvansLeave a comment
Motores_en_el_robot
Robot motor in need of cooling

 

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Accompanying information about motor in need of cooling

Usually, when discussing application solutions we can make recommendations for proper product based on experience, empirical test data, and application parameters.  Sometimes, though, we need to take things just a little further and aim to dial in the recommended solution before any testing ever occurs.

I recently had an exercise in this, involving the need to cool the robot motor shown in the photo above.  This motor, existing in two forms (one weighing 23kg and the other weighing 25kg) is currently operating, creating heat, and registering a temperature of 90°C.  The desired operating temperature is 60°C, and we can safely assume an ambient temp. no higher than 35-40°C.

The questions posed to me were:  “Which product should be used to cool this motor?  And, how do you know?”  So, I took a certain degree of liberty (though not much) in considering the motor in question is comprised of copper windings, and these windings comprise the total weight of the motor.

Considering this, our knowns for this application were:

Weight:                              23kg and 25kg

Material:                            Copper

Starting temp:                   90°C

Ending temp:                    60°C

 

What we didn’t know was:

Specific heat of copper:                  (determined to be 0.385 Joules/g°C)

Amount of airflow to cool this motor by 30°C:                     XXX cubic feet per minute

 

This airflow was determined using the process shown below, and the resulting calculations shown below.

heat load calc process
Process to calculate the required airflow in a cooling application

 

heatcalcs
The calculations used to determine the required airflow in this application

 

Super Air Amplifier Performance Specs
Performance specifications of our Super Air Amplifiers

The end result was confirmation that EXAIR model 120022, our 2” Super Air Amplifier, can use just 15.5 SCFM of compressed air at 80 PSIG to produce an airflow to cool this motor.  And, thanks to the skills of the team here at EXAIR we have the numbers to back up that claim.

If you have an application with a similar need and think we may be able to help, contact an EXAIR Application Engineer.

Lee Evans
Application Engineer
LeeEvans@EXAIR.com
@EXAIR_LE

EXAIR Cabinet Coolers Nominated for Product of the Year

Published on by Brian FarnoLeave a comment

We have just found out that four of our new problem solving products have been nominated for Plant Engineering’s Product of the Year (Please Vote for us HERE).  The first candidate I would like to showcase is in the Automation & Controls category.  The Electronic Temperature Control for Dual Cabinet Cooler Systems effectively turn the compressed air supply to the Cabinet Coolers on and off as needed to maintain a constant temperature inside of a hot enclosure. Using the air intermittently to maintain a specific temperature is the most efficient way to operate.

Please Vote!
Please Vote!

The ETC Dual Cabinet Cooler Systems work in conjunction with EXAIR’s UL listed Cabinet Cooler Systems which provide cooling for your electrical enclosures without the use of refrigerant based coolants or fans.   The Cabinet Cooler Systems utilize a compressed air driven Vortex Tube which uses compressed air. This cold compressed air is exhausted into the enclosure which results in a cool working environment for your electronics. Warm air from inside the enclosure is vented safely back out of the cabinet through built in exhausts and the compressed air is only utilized when the internal air temperature reaches the digitally set temperature on the ETC.

How the EXAIR Cabinet Cooler System Works
How the EXAIR Cabinet Cooler System Works

Another added benefit of the ETC on the Cabinet Cooler system is the real time readout of the internal air temperature of your enclosures.  This is on top of the push button set point which will give you a +/-2°F ambient temperature inside of your enclosure.

EXAIR ETC Dual Cabinet Cooler System
EXAIR ETC Dual Cabinet Cooler System

The ETC Dual Cabinet Cooler Systems are designed for larger heat loads ranging from 3,400 BTU/hr. to 5,600 BTU/hr.   The units are available in NEMA 12, NEMA 4, and NEMA 4X ratings.   This means whether you are in a fairly clean environment or a dirty, hot, muggy environment, EXAIR has you covered.

If you would like to discuss either the ETC or the Cabinet Cooler Systems, please contact an Application Engineer.   If you would like to vote for our products, please check out the Plant Engineering Product of the Year page here.

Brian Farno
Application Engineer Manager
BrianFarno@EXAIR.com
@EXAIR_BF