Tag: coolant vac

When To Use The High Lift Reversible Drum Vac vs. The Reversible Drum Vac

Published on by Brian FarnoLeave a comment

One of my favorite TV shows growing up was Home Improvement with Tim Allen. One of the most memorable parts of the show was when Tim’s character would always state that when doing a job you need … MORE POWER!!!

In real life and within a production environment this is not always true. More often than not more power equals waste and inefficient use of the resources at hand. I know, I sound a lot like Tim Allen’s counterpart in the show, Al Borland. Well, the truth is, Al was usually right.  Here at EXAIR, we offer two different types of Reversible Drum Vac, the standard unit and the High Lift RDV.

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

The standard RDV will pull up to 96″ of water column when in suction mode. This is ideal for water-soluble coolants or other water-based rinses. The unit is paired with a 10′ vacuum/discharge hose to ensure optimal performance. The RDV will fill a 55-gallon drum with water in 90 seconds or less when operated at 80 psig inlet pressure. It will then empty the same drum even faster by discharging liquid at up to 166″ of water column displacement. To do both of these operations, fill or empty the drum the RDV will utilize 19 SCFM of compressed air. This is easily supplied within most industrial applications where that amount of compressed air usage can be overlooked.

EXAIR’s High Lift RDV makes cleaning out pits up to 15′ deep easy and fast.

If Binford manufactured a compressed air liquid vacuum, it would be the High Lift Reversible Drum Vac. This is the, “More Power” version of the RDV and can pull up to 180″ of water column when in vacuum mode. This can pull water-soluble coolants up to 15 feet below grade for those large machining centers that sit over the top of a coolant pit or those large footprint machines where a 20′ hose is needed to reach into and around the parts of the machine to where the coolant or liquid is housed. Another application would be for oil-based coolants or other petroleum-based oils/higher viscosity fluids. This will still discharge liquids at 166″ of water column when in positive displacement. The unit will outperform its predecessor and that comes with higher utilization of compressed air. While operating at 80 psig inlet pressure the unit will consume 43 SCFM of compressed air. This volume of air is still easily located within most industrial environments and is still less than the amount demanded by competitive units that do not offer the reversible feature of the High Lift Reversible Drum Vacs.

When it boils down to it, the High Lift Reversible Drum Vac will perform every task of the standard Reversible Drum Vac and will perform the vacuum portion of those tasks all faster due to the higher level of vacuum. When this higher level of vacuum isn’t needed, when the sump is at ground level and the coolant or liquid is around the viscosity of 50 weight motor oil or thinner then the standard RDV will work ideal for the application and would be the most efficient method to get the job done. When the liquid is higher viscosity or below ground level trying to pull it up out of a pit then the High Lift Reversible Drum Vac is the ideal tool to get the job done. Again, Al Borland had it right, more power is not always needed, sometimes it is better to keep it efficient.

If you would like to discuss your liquid vacuum application or any point of use compressed air application, please contact us. (Heck, I’ll even talk about Home Improvement if you are a fan too.)

Brian Farno
Application Engineer
BrianFarno@EXAIR.com
@EXAIR_BF

 

Best of Home Improvement so 1 eo01 More Power – @shary h – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ts9UONUMlCg

The EXAIR Chip Trapper™ System Extends Machine Coolant Life

Published on by johnball2014Leave 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