Tag: Coolant Filter

A Referral for the Chip Trapper: Made by EXAIR, and Used by EXAIR.

Published on by johnball2014Leave a comment

Being that EXAIR is a manufacturing plant, we also have CNC equipment that utilizes coolant to reduce tool wear.  The downtime for cleaning and replacing the coolant was too long.  To speed things up, as time is money, EXAIR created a system to clean the coolant and replace it back into the sump.  I want to share the features and benefits that we see in using our EXAIR Chip Trapper. 

One of the biggest issues with coolants is the breakdown of the fluid.  This can be caused by bacterial growth, tramp oils, and a lack of filtration.  Since we began using our Chip Trapper System in our machining area, we’ve seen some great improvements.  I spoke with our lead machinist, and he gave me the following points: 

  • The complete coolant change-out went from every 4 months to once a year. 
  • Reduced the number of barrels of coolant concentrate from 10 barrels to 4 barrels per year.  Roughly $5,000 in annual savings
  • Bacterial growth is dramatically reduced as the Chip Trapper aerates the coolant.
  • Filter bags will remove the chip fines and tramp oils, keeping the coolant fresh. 
  • The time to get the CNC machines back to operational status and making parts went from 2 hours to ½ hour.

CNC machines now come with spindle coolant features.  This new technology helps with 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 keeps the coolant in the spindle while spinning at a high rate of speed.  The rotary union is very expensive and costly to replace.  They 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 the machine fails.  The Chip Trapper will help reduce this chance and keep your machine from incurring extreme expenses.

Chip Trapper Cut Away

The unique feature of the Chip Trapper is the vacuum pump.  The vacuum units do not have any moving parts, so they are maintenance-free, quiet, and long-lasting.  Without electric motors, the operator will be safe from electrical shock.  They only require compressed air to operate.  We offer two types: the Chip Trapper System and the High Lift Chip Trapper System.  The Chip Trapper System is a great tool for coolant sumps on the floor level.  The High Lift Chip Trapper System has a bit more power to draw in liquid from sumps below floor level and for fluids with higher viscosity.

EXAIR has three different volumes to select.  We have 30 gallon (113 L), 55 gallon (208 L), and 110 gallon (416 L) drums.  The system comes complete with a drum dolly, a 20 foot compressed air line, a shut-off valve, a chip wand, two 5 micron washable filter bags, and a vacuum hose.  The filter bags can be replaced with ones of a different micron to increase efficiency or filter life.  We have 1-micron, 25-micron, 100-micron, and 200-micron filter bags.  If you are not sure which would work best for your coolant, EXAIR does offer a sample pack that will include one of each micron rating, model 901060-SP.  And if it gets really messy in the machine shop, you can add a Spill Recovery Kit to clean up the liquid off the floor.

If you would like to know more about the EXAIR Chip Trapper System, an Application Engineer will be happy to help you.  You can take advantage of the features and benefits that the Chip Trapper provides: ease of use, extended coolant life, no electric motors to fail, and quick change-over.

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

EXAIR Chip Trappers Make Short Work of Coolant Maintenance

Published on by Russ BowmanLeave a comment

“Build a better mousetrap, and the world will beat a path to your door,” words attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson, means that even if there are established methods of doing something, an improved method will garner success.  It may or may not be true with mousetraps – there are over 4,400 U.S. patents for various designs. The tried-and-true spring loaded bar on a small wood plank seems to still be the most popular by far, however. Likely due to its simplicity, availability, and low cost.

There are also a good many machines on the market to clean & filter machine tool coolant.  Some are made to be permanent attachments to the coolant sump for continuous filtration.  Others are made for portability, and are used to pump out the sump, filter the coolant, and pump it back in.  These can be impressively comprehensive, and that’s often reflected in the knowledge required to operate them, as well as the price tag.

Like anything else, if you need all the “bells and whistles,” I’m sure those machines are worthy every penny.  If you just want clean coolant and you have a few minutes to spare every week or so, look no further than the EXAIR Chip Trapper System.  Here’s how it works:

  • Roll the Chip Trapper to your machine.
  • Pump the coolant out of your sump, stirring it with the pickup wand to get chips & debris sucked up with the coolant.
  • Pump the filtered coolant back in to your sump.
  • If you’ve got another machine tool, roll the Chip Trapper over to it, and repeat.  If not, you’re done.  Unless the Filter Bag’s full, in which case, you’ll want to empty it for the next time.

The vacuum hose (1) is attached to the barbed connection of the Chip Trapper (2). The directional flow control valve on the top of the drum (3) and knob on the pump (4) are set to the “fill” position. The air supply valve is opened to permit compressed air at 80-100 psig (5.5-6.9 BAR) to flow through the pump which pulls the liquid through the hose, then into the reusable filter bag (5). When all liquid is in the drum, the air supply is turned off. The filtered liquid can then be pumped out by setting the directional flow control valve on top of the drum and the knob on the pump to the “empty” position. Once the air supply valve is opened, the air pushes the liquid back through the hose while all solids remain in the reusable filter bag.

There’s no moving parts, and it’s compressed air operated, so there’s nothing to wear out or burn out.  If you keep on top of emptying and cleaning the Filter Bag, the Chip Trapper will operate darn near indefinitely, maintenance free.  Oh, and to explain why I started this blog with the quote I referenced, the folks at Design News Magazine thought it was so innovative, they gave it their “Golden Mousetrap” Award when we rolled them out.  Since then, we’ve incorporated three sizes for 30, 55, and 110 gallon drums.  We also developed a High Lift version that generates 180″ H2O suction lift, for when the standard Chip Trapper‘s 96″ H2O lift isn’t enough.

EXAIR Corporation has a long history of making compressed air products that help a wide variety of industries get the most out of their processes, and the Chip Trapper is one of the most visible, and successful, examples of that.  If you’d like to find out more, give me a call.

Russ Bowman
Application Engineer
EXAIR Corporation
Visit us on the Web
Follow me on Twitter
Like us on Facebook

Dirty Coolant in, Clean Coolant Out – EXAIR’s Chip Trapper Extends Coolant Life

Published on by Tyler DanielLeave a comment

In a machine shop one of the most dreaded tasks is always cleaning out the coolant sumps of the CNC machines. Over time, chips and shavings can make their way up into the coolant lines resulting in a clog. The coolant flow slows down or stops entirely, resulting in premature wear of expensive cutting tools, imperfections in the parts, or unacceptable product finish. When this occurs, if it is even noticed right away, the machine has to be stopped and valuable production time must be spent identifying the location of the clog and removing it.

Another problem, one anyone working around CNC machines can attest to, is the rancid coolant smell that is a result of bacteria building up in the stagnant cutting fluid. Regularly cleaning this oil can reduce this smell, prevent premature tool wear or costly shutdowns, as well as extend the overall life of your coolant.

ctrhlctr_heroi_770x620

There are some machines out there capable of cleaning the oil and removing any chips or shavings, but these tend to be very expensive and not very effective. We tested a few different methods here at EXAIR in our machine shop. As a result of these tests we determined that the best foot forward would be to develop something ourselves. Enter the EXAIR Chip Trapper. Using either a standard or High Lift Reversible Drum Vac to provide the vacuum source, the Chip Trapper is capable of filling or emptying a 55 gallon drum in less than two minutes. It is able to pick up both the liquid coolant as well as any chips or shavings that are suspended in the coolant. The liquid is forced through a filter bag inside of the drum which contains any solid materials while allowing the coolant to filter out into the drum. Switching the knob on the Reversible Drum Vac and the directional flow valve to empty will allow the clean coolant to be pumped back out of the drum and reused.

After implementing the Chip Trapper in our own shop, we were able to increase the life of the coolant by 6x. In addition to the increased coolant life, a process that used to take up to 2 hours per machine now takes less than 10 minutes. The Chip Trapper quickly and easily pays for itself.

The Chip Trapper is available in either 30, 55, and 110 gallon systems. It’ll also come with (2) 5 micron filter bags, other filter bags are also available ranging from 1 micron up to 200 micron filtration. Using a simple detergent, the filter bags can be washed out, cleaned, and reused multiple times. With no motors or impellers to clog or wear out, as well as no electricity requirement or shock hazard, the Chip Trapper comes with our standard 5-year Built to Last Warranty. Do yourself (and your machine operators) a favor and get a Chip Trapper on order today. They’re in stock, ready to ship and start saving you time and money!

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

Liquid Handling With Compressed Air: An Overview

Published on by Russ BowmanLeave a comment

There are some very good reasons to consider an EXAIR compressed air operated Industrial Housekeeping Product for liquid applications:

*Durability. No moving parts means nothing to wear or get damaged.
*Safety. No electricity means no dragging an energized cord through a wet area.
*Convenience. All you need is a supply of compressed air.
*Reliability. If you supply it with clean, dry air, it’ll run darn near indefinitely, maintenance free.

Depending on the needs of the application, we have different models to choose from:

Reversible Drum Vacs

If you’ve got a closed top steel drum that’s in good condition, look no further than the Reversible Drum Vac System.  It comes with everything you need to turn that drum into a powerful, 2-way liquid pumping system.  This is great if you just need to park the drum in one spot and suction out a sump or tank on a regular basis, using its 10 foot Vacuum Hose & Suction Wand.  They’re in stock for your existing 30, 55, and 110 gallon drums.  A 5 Gallon Mini Reversible Drum Vac System is also available; it includes the drum as well.

Reversible Drum Vac Systems come in sizes from 5 to 110 gallons.

If you’d like a little mobility, and a way to clean up floor spills, then the Deluxe Reversible Drum Vac System might be what you’re looking for.  It adds a Drum Dolly and our Spill Recovery Kit…it consists of a floor-length wand and a dual squeegee tool.  It also comes with a set of plastic tools (crevice tool, small skimmer, and two 20″ extensions) and a Tool Holder with clips for the tools, and magnets to attach to the drum.  We keep them in stock for your existing 30 and 55 gallon drums.  It also comes in the 5 Gallon Deluxe Mini Reversible Drum Vac System (drum included.)

 

Deluxe Systems add a Spill Recovery Kit, and a Dolly for your drum.

For a complete system, the Premium Reversible Drum Vac Systems have everything you need for most any liquid drum transfer job: they add a drum, lid & latch ring, as well as a compressed air supply hose & shutoff valve, and an upgrade to Heavy Duty Aluminum Tools.  They’re available with 30, 55, or 110 gallon drums; in stock.

Premium Reversible Drum Vac Systems come with everything you need, right out of the box.

Any of the 30, 55, or 110 Gallon systems are also available with our High Lift Reversible Drum Vac.  These provide for increased performance with more viscous liquids, and/or when the liquid needs to pumped from a depth of up to 15 feet.  They are outfitted identically to the standard Reversible Drum Vac Systems, except they come with a 20 foot Vacuum Hose.

The High Lift Reversible Drum Vac System converts a drum and dolly into a mobile pumping system.

As versatile as the Reversible Drum Vacs are, we also incorporate them into another 2-way pumping system, designed to help you get maximum life and performance from machine tool coolant and cutting oils:  The award-winning Chip Trapper Systems.

The vacuum hose (1) is attached to the barbed connection of the Chip Trapper (2). The directional flow control valve on the top of the drum (3) and knob on the pump (4) are set to the “fill” position. The air supply valve is opened to permit compressed air at 80-100 psig (5.5-6.9 BAR) to flow through the pump which pulls the liquid through the hose, then into the reusable filter bag (5). When all liquid is in the drum, the air supply is turned off. The filtered liquid can then be pumped out by setting the directional flow control valve on top of the drum and the knob on the pump to the “empty” position. Once the air supply valve is opened, the air pushes the liquid back through the hose while all solids remain in the reusable filter bag.

Powered by the Reversible Drum Vac, the Chip Trapper System draws the incoming liquid into the drum through a Filter Bag, which retains (or “traps”) any particulate as the drum fills with liquid.  Then, the freshly filtered liquid can be immediately pumped back out, while the particulate remains in the bag.  Once the bag is full, simply remove the drum lid, unhook the bag, empty it out, and return it to service.  The Chip Trapper System comes with two Filter Bags, in fact, so you can clean one while you use the other.  They are available, from stock, in 30, 55, and 110 gallon sizes.  They are all three available in High Lift configuration as well, with a 20 foot Vacuum Hose.

If you’d like to find out more about safe, reliable and effective liquid handling with EXAIR’s compressed air operated Industrial Housekeeping Products, give me a call.

Russ Bowman
Application Engineer
Find us on the Web 
Follow me on Twitter 
Like us on Facebook