Our E-Vac Vacuum Generators are probably most commonly used in pick-and-place applications, in conjunction with our Vacuum Cups.
From a lightweight manual operation to an automated system with large or heavy objects, the EXAIR E-Vac Vacuum Generators can solve the application.
The Adjustable E-Vacs, however, have a unique feature – a relatively large throat diameter – that makes them well suited for suctioning up liquids. And I recently had the pleasure of helping a caller with just such an application. They make machinery for the automotive industry, and in one particular operation, coolant gets left behind in ‘pockets’ of a particularly unwieldy piece. They can drain most of it at the machine, but what gets left behind in these pockets makes a real mess as it goes to the next fabrication point, and, although it’s a small amount in each pocket, it adds up to a finite amount of wasted coolant. It’s not practical to use an electric shop vacuum, but an operator could easily use a handheld device to suck up these little puddles.
Enter the Adjustable E-Vac…with the wide throat diameter I mentioned above and compact design, they were able to install a short suction hose (via a threaded push-in connector) to the vacuum port, and a little longer discharge hose to the exhaust port, and they have a quick and easy, portable, maneuverable coolant transfer system. Here’s a short video I made in the Demo Room, once upon a time, showing how it works:
Saving air. Saving coolant. Saving money and time, one compressed air application at a time. If you have one you’d like to discuss, give me a call.
Russ Bowman
Application Engineer
EXAIR Corporation
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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.
Over the last 3 months, I have been in contact with a customer, keeping track of an application that involved the EXAIRE-Vac. The customer had reached out to us looking for some advice on how to solve a process problem. The operation is a drawing/stamping process, and the when the part exits the machine there is coolant that resides in a deep draw section, approx 0.4″ in diameter by 3.5″deep. About 1 oz of coolant per part is retained, and over many 1000’s of parts, would add up to lost dollars and messy clean up.
The customer was looking for an automated process that would be able to draw out the coolant and direct the liquid back to the coolant reservoir, all while maintaining the current machine run rate. We settled in on the model 840015 Adjustable E-Vac Generator. The Adjustable E-Vac has a straight through pathway from suction through to discharge, allowing for fast evacuation times. A simple turn of the unit changes the vacuum and flow levels to best match the needs of the application. The Adjustable E-Vac coupled to a solenoid valve controlled by the stamping machine resulted in the automatic system the customer was looking for.
Adjustable E-Vac Family
The customer ordered a unit, and based on the preliminary bench testing, it was approved for a production run trial. After some tweaking in the production environment, the unit was performing to spec, and was then subjected to a 100,000+ part run. The results were a success! Instead of the parts exiting onto an inclined conveyor, relying on gravity to drain and causing coolant to collect under the conveyor, the coolant could be removed in a controlled manner and sent back to the reservoir. Less mess and no coolant loss.
EXAIR manufactures (3) types of E-Vacs – Low vacuum generators for porous materials, high vacuum generators for non-porous materials, and the adjustable type for flexible vacuum performance. They are available in multiple sizes, to best match the vacuum requirements, while using the least amount of compressed air.
To discuss your application and how the EXAIR E-VAC can benefit your process, feel free to contact EXAIR and myself or one of our other Application Engineers can help you determine the best solution.
