Tag: chip vacuum

The EXAIR Chip Trapper™ System Extends Machine Coolant Life

Published on by John BallLeave a comment

Have you realized that you spend too much time cleaning out your CNC machine?  Do you find that It is messy and backbreaking work?  Do you spend too much money replacing the coolant in your system?  If you answer yes to any of these, EXAIR has a product for you; the Chip Trapper System.

EXAIR created this product to reduce the down time and extend the life of your coolant.  This device will save you money and time with productivity, coolant, and repairs.  In this blog, I will go over some of the features and benefits with the Chip Trapper Systems.

EXAIR offers two types, the Chip Trapper and the High Lift Chip Trapper.  They are designed to move fluid into the drum to be filtered, and to allow the clean fluid to be placed back into the sump.  The Chip Trapper works great for quick coolant cleaning at the floor level.  The High Lift Chip Trapper is ideal for cleaning viscous fluids as well as for reservoirs below the floor level.

Both types use a pneumatic two-way pump to move the fluid.  They come in three different drum sizes, 30 Gallon (114L), 55 Gallon (208L), and 110 Gallon (418L). So, you can clean large sump tanks with only one cycle through the cleaning system.  They come standard with a 5-micron bag filter that can hold over 5 gallons of material.

EXAIR can also offer filter bags in 5 other micron ranges from 1 micron up to 200 micron.  And if you are not sure on the other filtration ranges, EXAIR offers a filter sample pack, model 901060-SP, that includes one of each type.

Chip Trapper Cut Away

The Chip Trapper System includes the drum, the two-way pneumatic pump, a drum dolly, a directional flow valve, 10 feet (3m) of vacuum hose, 20 feet (6m) of compressed air hose, a chip wand, a shut off valve, and two additional filter bags.  All you need to do is to attach the Chip Trapper System to a filtered compressed air source.

The High Lift Chip Trapper offers a more powerful pneumatic pump which can fill a 55 gallon (208L) drum in 85 second from 15 feet (4.5m) below.  And, instead of the 10 feet (3m) vacuum hose, it will come with a  20 feet (6m) vacuum hose.

The unique features with the Chip trappers are the abilities to clean the CNC sump very quickly and with less mess.  Also, by using compressed air to pump the coolant in and out of the drum, it will aerate the coolant.  This will reduce bacteria growth and extend the life of the coolant. Thus, saving you money with those more expensive coolants.

Another benefit is that the pneumatic pump does not have any moving parts to wear out.  So, it will last you a long time without worrying about motor failures or loud noises.

You can watch the video of the operation here:

A list of some benefits that you will see if you purchase the Chip Trapper System is as follows:

  • The number of complete coolant change-outs are reduced.
  • The speed to get the CNC machines back operational to make parts.
  • Reduce the number of barrels of coolant concentrate per year.
  • Bacterial growth dramatically reduced as the Chip Trapper aerates the coolant.
  • Filter bags will remove the chip fines and some tramp oils keeping the coolant fresh.
  • Quiet and long lasting
  • A complete system that is easy to use.

As an added note, some CNC machines come with a spindle coolant feature.  This new technology helps in the need to increase speeds and feed rates.  The coolant is pumped to the top of the machine and fed directly through the spindle.  This type of spindle uses a rotary union which allows the coolant to the spindle as it spins at a high rate of speed.  The rotary unions are very expensive and costly to replace.

These spindles are very susceptible to dirty coolant.  If a seal within the rotary union begins to leak inside the machine, you will not be able to diagnose the problem until they have a machine failure.  The Chip Trapper with help eliminate this chance and keep your machine from an extreme expensive breakdown.

When your machine is not operating, your productivity is lost.  The EXAIR Chip Trapper Systems can be that product for you to get you back up and running is a short period of time, extend your coolant life, and keep the area clean and safe.  A win-win proposition in saving money and time.

For U.S. and Canadian customers, EXAIR offers a 30-day unconditional guarantee to try.  And, for a limited time.  an end-user will get a free EXAIR Vac-u-Gun, a $112.00 value, with any purchase of a Chip Trapper or High Lift Chip Trapper.

If you want to learn more about the EXAIR Industrial Housekeeping Products, you can contact an Application Engineer.  We will be happy to help you.

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

 

EXAIR’s Powerful Chip Vac for Keeping Your Plant Clean and Safe

Published on by Tyler DanielLeave a comment

March brings with it the first day of spring and April seems to have brought that first day where I believe spring could actually be here consistently. I don’t know about you, but boy am I ready for some warmer temperatures!! Naturally, spring is the time of year that we roll up our sleeves and do some of the deep-cleaning we’ve been putting off all winter.

Though, for any manufacturer or processor, “spring cleaning” is a year round affair.

Lucky for you, EXAIR has an entire line of Industrial Housekeeping Products that’ll get your shop tidied up for spring. In this blog, I’d like to dive into the Chip Vac. With its powerful suction, it’s an ideal solution for fast and efficient cleaning.

premcv400
Chip Vac cleaning up a floor spill

EXAIR’s Chip Vac is a compressed air operated industrial duty vacuum designed specifically for vacuuming up chips and shavings. The powerful vacuum is suitable for use with metal, wood, or plastic chips and is designed to thread into the 2” NPT bung on standard drum lids. The Chip Vac can handle dry or wet chips from fixtures, floors and work surfaces of machining centers, lathes, saws, mills, and a variety of other industrial equipment.

Electrically powered vacuums or shop vacs are not designed to be operated in a rugged industrial environment. Filters clog, motors wear out, and you find yourself frequently replacing them. EXAIR’s Chip Vac has NO moving parts to wear out, doesn’t require maintenance, and needs nothing but a source of compressed air to operate. In addition, the sound level produced is half of that produced by an electric vacuum.

The Chip Vac is sold in systems both with and without the drum. EXAIR has 5, 30, 55, and 110 gallon systems available for a wide range of applications. If you already have spare drums in your facility, the Chip Vac is also available with just the lid assembly, Chip Vac, 10’ hose, tools, and filter bag to attach to the top of your own drums.

All systems will include a drum lid with a locking ring that easily fits onto the top of a standard open top drum. It’s easy to remove and place onto another drum so that different materials can be easily kept separate for recycling. Recycling companies will pay a premium price for pre-sorted chips and shavings. With the Chip Vac, it’s as easy as removing the lid and placing it onto a new drum in between jobs.

Don’t waste your time this spring fooling with and replacing electrical vacuums. Get yourself a vacuum designed for the job. One that’ll last year after year! With these systems in stock, ready to ship with an order by 3:00 ET, an unconditional 30 day guarantee and backed up by our 5-Year Warranty, there’s no reason not to give one a try!

Tyler Daniel
Application Engineer
E-mail: TylerDaniel@EXAIR.com
Twitter: @EXAIR_TD

EXAIR Reversible Drum Vac Fills A 55 Gallon Drum in 90 Seconds Flat, And Empties It Just As Fast

Published on by Russ Bowman2 Comments

There are a few ways to get the liquid out of a drum:

  • You can use a pump.  Some pumps are even made to mount straight onto the lid of the drum.
  • You can siphon the liquid out, if you can get the drum higher than where you want to put the liquid.  And if you have the time.
  • You can turn the drum over.  I used to do field service in chemical plants…some of them had drum handlers on fork trucks that could pick up and tilt the drum to pour the liquid out.  Some of them pushed the drum over and simply let the liquid spill into a pit or below-grade sump.

But pumps break down.  Siphoning is finicky and slow.  I’m loath to knock the skills of the fork truck operator that can pour out a drum like a sommelier pours a fine wine.  And I’ll never forget the first time I saw an operator half-roll/half-dance a drum to the edge of that pit and let the liquid dump as he dropped it precisely where he wanted it…however, even in the context of the inner recesses of a chemical plant, it was simple, but inelegant.

EXAIR has an engineered solution that preserves the simplicity, though: the Reversible Drum Vac.  Thread the standpipe into the bung connection and the RDV itself into the vent, and that drum is now a two-way pumping system, able to be emptied via a 10 foot long Vacuum Hose in as little as a minute and a half.  Turn the knob on the RDV to switch modes, and you can fill that same drum just as fast.

With a simple turn of the knob, the Reversible Drum Vac can fill or empty a 55 gallon drum in 90 seconds!

 

 

 

 

 

 

The EXAIR Reversible Drum Vac Systems come with a variety of configurations and options:

  • Made to fit an existing 30, 55, or 110 closed top steel drum in good condition.
  • Mini Reversible Drum Vac System comes with a 5 gallon drum.
  • Deluxe Systems add a Drum Dolly and a set of tools.
  • Premium Systems add a drum (30, 55, or 110 gallon,) an upgrade to Heavy Duty Aluminum Tools, and a 20ft compressed air supply hose with shutoff valve and pressure gauge.
  • High Lift Reversible Drum Vacs generate a suction head of 180″H2O for maximum lift.  They’re also specified for higher viscosity liquids.

Below is a great video that showcases just how easy it is to from installing the Reversible Drum Vac to using the Reversible Drum Vac and just how fast the RDV operates.

If you’re looking for a fluid handling solution for liquids in drums, give me a call and we’ll talk about which Reversible Drum Vac System is right for you.

Russ Bowman
Application Engineer
EXAIR Corporation
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EXAIR Heavy Duty HEPA Vac™ for Dusty, Abrasive or Heavy Materials

Published on by John BallLeave a comment
Heavy Duty HEPA Vac Family

 

When it comes to industrial vacuums, wouldn’t it be nice to have a durable, long lasting vacuum that is quiet?  There is such a vacuum that has these qualities; the EXAIR Heavy Duty HEPA Vac System.  This vacuum system has no moving parts, no motors to fail, or bearings to wear.  They only require compressed air to operate.

The Heavy Duty HEPA Vac is used to vacuum dusty materials, solid materials, sand, and even heavier materials like steel shot.  The vacuum generator is made from a hardened alloy construction to resist wear and abrasion, and it is designed to create a powerful vacuum level measuring -60” H2O (-15 KPa) at 80 PSIG (5.5 Bar).  To accommodate the multiple types of industrial applications, EXAIR offers the Heavy Duty HEPA Vac Systems in three different options and in three different drum sizes.

The design of the Heavy Duty HEPA Vac is based on, like the name states, the HEPA filter.  HEPA stands for High Efficiency Particulate Air filter.  It has a 99.97% efficiency at 0.3 micron.  We designed the filter to have a large amount of surface area by pleating the media.  This will extend the life of the filter as well as retain very fine dust contamination inside the drum, not in the surrounding air.  The HEPA filter and vacuum generator are uniquely designed to be incorporated in a modified drum lid that will fit onto a standard 55-gallon, 30-gallon, or 110-gallon drum (209L, 114L, or 418L respectively).   It is also quiet, overall the noise level is only 82 dBA at 80 PSIG (5.5 bar).  Measure that against any electric vacuum.

Model 6199

The Heavy Duty HEPA Vac Systems come in three different packages to best fit your application.  The standard package comes with the drum lid described above and a latching ring to attach to your drum.  It also comes with 10 feet (3m) of an anti-static hose, 20 feet (6m) of a compressed air hose, an aluminum chip wand, a hose hanger, a gauge, and a manual operational valve.  For additional protection, the kit will include a Pre-Filter.  This will wrap around the HEPA filter to capture the “big” items to keep the HEPA media filtering the fine particles.  The standard package is available with three different drum sizes.  For example, model 6199 is for the 55-gallon drum (209L), model 6199-30 is for the 30-gallon drum (114L) and model 6199-110 is for the 110-gallon drum (418L).

Model 6299

The next package is the Deluxe Heavy Duty HEPA Vac System.  This option will include all the items in the standard option plus it adds the heavy-duty aluminum tools, a tool holder and a drum dolly.  The upgraded aluminum tools include a floor tool, crevice tool, skimmer tool with detachable brush, and a two-piece double bend wand.  They can be easily attached to the vacuum hose for quick cleaning of material spills.  The Deluxe system is a great option for getting into tight areas, hard-to-reach places, and large floor areas.  This option is also available in three drum sizes.  For example, model 6299 is for the 55-gallon drum (209L), model 6299-30 is for the 30-gallon drum (114L) and model 6299-110 is for the 110-gallon drum (418L).

Model: 6399

If you do not have a drum to use in your facility, no problem.  EXAIR offers a steel drum in the Premium Heavy Duty HEPA Vac Systems.  The Premium package has all the items in the Deluxe package plus a heavy-duty steel drum.  We offer the Premium option for all three sizes as well.  For example, model 6399 will include the 55-gallon drum (209L), model 6399-30 will included the 30-gallon drum (114L) and model 6399-110 will include the 110-gallon drum (418L).

EXAIR offers some additional items to adjust the Heavy Duty HEPA Vac to perform better in other applications.  We have the Filter Protector which is a very inexpensive filter to help protect the HEPA media.  For materials that are very light and buoyant, like powder paint, the Filter Protector can capture much of this material before it gets to the HEPA media.  Another item that we can offer is the 20 feet (6m) anti-static vacuum hose.  If you need to reach at greater distances with your tools to do a thorough cleaning, this hose can be purchased with your system.

If you get tired of throwing away your electric vacuums for burned up motors, you should try the EXAIR Heavy Duty HEPA Vac System.  They will definitely extend the useful life, make it much quieter to operate and vacuum heavier materials quickly.  For U.S. and Canadian customers, EXAIR offers a 30-day unconditional guarantee to try the units.  Also, for a limited time.  an end-user will get a free EXAIR Vac-u-Gun, a $112.00 value, with any purchase of a Heavy Duty HEPA Vac System.  If you want to learn more about our Industrial Housekeeping Products, you can contact an Application Engineer at EXAIR.  We would be happy to help you.

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