Tag: High Lift Chip Trapper

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

Industrial Housekeeping Promo: Free Vac-U-Gun

Published on by codybiehleLeave a comment

Are you in need of a new vacuum system or upgrade your new old system? Well now’s the time to do it! Starting March 1st, 2021 and running through May 31st, 2021, we are offering a free Vac-U-Gun system with any order of one of our Industrial Housekeeping Vacuum Systems. Our Vac-U-Gun system is a versatile tool that can help you clean up surfaces and transfer the material from point A to point B. The Vac-U-Gun can also be used as a powerful blow gun simply by unscrewing the generator and flipping it around. Best of all these units have no moving parts meaning they will run almost indefinitely and are maintenance free.

Vac-U-Gun System

Our industrial housekeeping products are designed to either handle dry solids or liquid.

If you need to handle solid material our Chip Vac system is the perfect choice. The system can handle both dry and damp material and transfer it into one of our standard open top steel drum (or use one of your own drums). If you are working with a heavier or abrasive material then look no further then the Heavy Duty Dry Vac which provides superior performance and abrasion resistance for use with materials as garnet, ground glass, blasting and tumbling media.

Chip Vac system From left to right: 5gal, 30gal, 55gal, 110gal

For your dustier applications we offer the Heavy Duty HEPA Vac system, which uses the same vacuum generator as the Heavy Duty Dry Vac but provides a higher level of filtration. The HEPA rated filter meets the requirements of 99.97% filtration at the 0.3 micron level.

Heavy Duty HEPA Vac system from left to right: 30gal, 55gal, 110gal

If liquids are what you need the Reversible Drum Vac system which can pump 55 gals in 90 secs is an good choice. The Reversible Drum Vac also comes in a High Lift version which can be used to pump liquids that have a much thicker viscosity and move liquids up to 15’ deep. When it comes filtering out solids from your liquid we also have the High Lift Chip Trapper and the Chip Trapper system. The Chip Trapper systems allow you to filter out solids suspended in the liquid; this is perfect for filtering out chips from your coolant tanks for machining.

Chip Trapper System from left to right: 30gal, 55gal, 110gal

If you need to clean up both liquids and solids, choose our new EasySwitch Wet-Dry Vac system. The EasySwitch allows you to easily switch the unit from being able to vacuum up solids to being able to suck up liquids (hence the name). All you have to do is remove the HEPA filter from the latch on the lid. There are no tools involved, no springs or cumbersome closures. Switch from liquids to dry materials in less than 15 seconds.

The New EasySwitch Wet-Dry Vac system

If you have any questions about compressed air systems or want more information on any of EXAIR’s products, give us a call, we have a team of Application Engineers ready to answer your questions and recommend a solution for your applications.

Link to our Promotion Page

Cody Biehle
Application Engineer
EXAIR Corporation
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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
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EXAIR Video Blog: Replacing Industrial Vacuum Drum Lid Gasket

Published on by Russ BowmanLeave a comment

Today’s video blog shows the replacement of a drum lid gasket on an EXAIR Industrial Vacuum.

Russ Bowman
Application Engineer
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