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To get the most from high-productivity machine tools, parts and scrap must be moved efficiently and reliably. Selecting the right conveyance solution for your particular application is not only essential to success; it can literally mean the difference between backlog and breakdown vs. productivity and profits.

With the trend toward higher-capacity machine tools in metalworking applications, the conveyor being used must be dependable and rugged because material must often be conveyed repeatedly throughout the plant. This makes the efficient handling of parts and scrap even more vital. Jams or slow-downs in conveyors can easily offset machine tool productivity, but a reliable conveyor system that employs the right balance of equipment can promote smooth, uninterrupted production flow.

Manufacturers typically approach conveyor systems in a customized manner. While many systems can and do incorporate standard, off-the-shelf components, the design of each system is ultimately determined by the nature of the product, available floor space, type and performance of production machines and, often, ambient temperatures or other unusual conditions. Although specific application requirements are being addressed through this design process, one major flaw remains: Coolant cleaners and conveyor systems, both necessary to effective removal processes, usually remain as separate systems.

To meet the needs for chip removal and filtration, some suppliers have introduced combination units that feature a coolant cleaner integrated with a conveyor. For example, one configuration of the conveyor, tank and coolant cleaner provides a system that removes the chips from the machining envelope and processes the coolant to remove fine ferrous contaminants to 12 micron particle size.

When designing a conveyance solution for moving small ferrous parts, stampings, scraps or chips, a permanent magnetic chip and parts conveyor is the best system. In this type of system, permanent magnets moving inside a liquid-tight, submersible housing attract, hold and convey products and materials. No moving external parts exist to jam, break or endanger personnel. The conveyor mechanism is completely enclosed. Powerful ceramic or rare earth magnets inside the conveyor housing glide the material along the surface of a stainless steel faceplate. The working face is self-cleaning and excess fluids drain readily back into a sump.

A wide variety of conveyor configurations, in many sizes and widths, can be assembled from standard sections. This makes it easy and economical to install special units to service hard-to-reach areas under presses, mills, cutoff saws or other machines. Standard conveyors are available as straight horizontal units or with an angled incline up to 90 deg. Models are also available with large, sweeping radii to elevate long, difficult-to-handle scrap or parts.

Advances in materials and the use of UHMW polyethylene track by some manufacturers has essentially eliminated maintenance issues related to conveyor tracks. With no external moving parts, magnetic chip and part conveyors are typically the lowest maintenance of all types of conveyors.

Industrial demands for higher production rates and closer tolerances at lower costs have spurred the development of newer, more powerful coolant cleaners. These cleaners keep machine tools running longer and more accurately, with lower costs per unit. The total economic payback of coolant cleaners also includes the savings on traditional paper or bag filter media, the extended life of the cutting tools, a better finish and tighter tolerances on the parts being machined, the savings in labor and maintenance associated with changing traditional media and maintaining traditional filtration equipment, and the increased machine uptime from lower maintenance requirements.

Permanent magnetic coolant cleaners remove grinding swarf and turning fines, helping machine tools run longer and maintain accuracy, with lower costs per unit produced. Indexing units, with either a smooth-faced or extended pole roll, are used when both ferrous and non-ferrous contaminants are present. Rare earth coolant cleaners develop magnetic fields many times stronger than Alnico or ceramic magnets. While additional strength improves the removal of very fine iron particles from a broad array of coolants and other liquids, there is only a minimal increase in size.

Coolant cleaners are designed to provide unmatched extraction of ferrous particles generated by the heavy demands of grinding and metalcutting operations involving surface grinders, gear grinders, honing and lapping machines, broaches, milling and drilling machines, face grinders, oil-reclaiming machines and wherever clean coolant is needed. Utilizing the appropriate method of cleaning and filtering coolant will make a positive impact on any metalworking facility by decreasing costs and increasing safety.

Powerful ceramic magnetic coolant cleaners remove ferrous particles as small as 15 microns to extend the life of coolant, cutting tools, grinding wheels, pumps and other filtering devices. These units come in several sizes and can handle up to 600 gpm of water-soluble coolant. Rare-earth magnetic coolant cleaners remove ferrous particles down to 3 microns by utilizing a powerful magnetic field that maximizes removal of fine ferrous particles from coolant. This type of unit can handle up to 120 gpm of water-soluble coolant.

Radial-design magnetic circuits extract ferrous particles to help meet tolerances and improve surface finish. Permanent ceramic magnetic indexing units, available with either a smooth-faced or extended-pole roll, can be used when both ferrous and non-ferrous contaminants are present. Non-indexing models are ideal for applications where little or no non-magnetic contaminants are present in the coolant. All of these different types of units can be easily installed on new or existing machines to provide years of maintenance free operation.

Carefully designed chip and scrap removal systems will increase total operation productivity. Advanced combination units that remove the chips from the machining operation and process the coolant to remove fine ferrous contaminants, offer the ultimate in efficiency.

Since your product, plant, equipment and personnel are unlike any other, your materials handling system must be unique too. It should be designed and engineered to conform to your special requirements by people who not only specialize in the materials handling equipment you need, but also in the forces of magnetism.

If the application is more complex, consider a partner who offers a test facility where:

By choosing a partner and utilizing their test facility, upon delivery of the system all potential productivity-slowing kinks can be engineered away and new promises of enhanced productivity are ready for delivery.

John Mackowski is a product manager at Eriez Magnetics®, 2200 Asbury Road, Erie, PA 16506, 888-300-3743, eriez@eriez.com, www.eriez.com.