Choosing the Right Industrial Vacuum for your Machine Shop
The industrial vacuum cleaning solution is dependent on the particular metalworking center (or application) and on the material to be recovered. An analysis of the machining center should be performed to determine the type of material(s) to be recovered, the volume of material to be recovered, and the frequency of use.
The material to be recovered will most often be a combination of liquids and solids. The liquids/fluids will typically be coolants and lubricants such as cutting oils. Emulsion will form when a there is a mixture of two or more liquids that are normally immiscible.
The solids to be recovered will typically be a collection of small debris, metal chips, to the cleanup of lathes and cutting and grinding machines. Typical material encountered includes dust, sludge, lubricants, fiber, abrasives materials, grindings, turnings, punch outs, metal chips and slag.
Coolants
For vacuuming coolants and chips away from a machining center, specialized liquid recovery vacuums, equipped with chip baskets and liners, preserve the integrity of the coolant and permit recovered fluids to be pumped back into the system. These vacuums reduce the accumulation of chips and fines in the sump and keep workers safer by cutting down on bacterial and fungal growth. These systems are also ideal for larger metalworking jobs, such as highspeed milling of aircraft wings, where fluid must be removed from cavities in order to take precision measurements.
Sump Vacuum Cleaner
A Sump Vacuum cleaner is a type of industrial vacuum used specifically for cleaning out machine sumps, parts washers, tanks and storage containers. It is designed to quickly vacuum up usrd industrial coolant, chips and sludge from machine sumps or tanks. It also separates the chips, swarf and shavings from the liquid; and collects all the recovered debris in a filter bag or basket. Most sump vacuums also have a "pump out" function to easily pump the filtered liquid back out. This facilitates the recycling of the recovered coolant and prolong its useful like. Sump vacuums minimize machine tool downtime and reduce production and disposal costs.
Metal Chips
In wet cutting, chip baskets in liquid recovery vacuums capture and separate chips from metalworking fluids. In dry cutting, dry vacuums are used to remove debris from machining centers. Abrasion-resistant hoses are important when vacuuming chips.
Tiger-Vac offers several models with SDOH Self Dumping Overturning Hoppers which are ideal for the recovery of chips mixed with liquids. The metal chips are separated from the oil inside the hopper. The metal chips are recovered in the upper part of the hopper and the oil is deposited at the bottom of the hopper. There is a metal screen that separates the upper part of the hopper from the lower part of the hopper. The oil is emptied using the drain valve. The recovered metal chips are easily emptied using a forklift to lift and dump the contents of the hopper. There is no manual lifting required. The manually operated dumping mechanism is easy to use.
Sludge and Swarf
Removal of sludge from sump pits and waterjet cutting tables is another common application for industrial vacuum systems in the metalworking industry. This sand-like semi-solid material forms when residual particulates and chips settle in the bottom of a sump. This sludge is an ideal breeding ground for harmful bacteria and fungus that endangers workers’ health, shortens the life of metalworking fluids, interferes with machine function and can eventually plug fluid lines. According to tool manufacturers, dirty machine coolant can reduce tool life by as much as 10 percent.
Some shops still clean sump pits manually. Because this is a nasty job, sometimes pits don’t get cleaned as often as they should, causing unnecessary wear on machinery and extended periods of downtime during sludge removal. Using a continuous duty vacuum that facilitates high volume recovery of as much can not only reduce the downtime necessary to remove sludge but can also protect workers from ergonomic issues associated with shoveling masses of sludge.
Metallic Filings or Shavings
Metallic filings or shavings removed by cutting or grinding tools should be cleaned with an industrial vacuum system. The use of an abrasion resistant suction hose and appropriate accessories is very important for this application.
Punch Outs
Waste metal formed by punching holes in sheets can be collected using industrial vacuum cleaners. A continuous duty vacuum with large airflow and high vacuum are required to continuously suck the punches from trays or pickup points.
Mill Scale
The flaky surface of hot rolled steel, when scattered about, is effortlessly picked up with a portable vacuum system. But when in piles, a heavy duty continuous duty vacuum is better equipped for the job.
Slag
These granular or irregular shaped abrasive chunks, byproduct of submerged arc welding, generally need a heavy duty continuous duty solution. It is fairly common to automate the process of removing slag with a vacuum system.
Flux
This fine powder is a source for fugitive dust that comes from large scale automated welding. An industrial vacuum or portable dust collector for fine powders is required. With specialized vacuum accessories, flux powder can be recovered and reused.
Grindings
The debris from manually grinding metals is difficult to capture and becomes a fugitive dust problem. Depending on the material, dry vacuums are sufficient to clean up grindings at the end of the shift. If it is a combustible dust a dust ignition proof or dust ignition protected vacuum system may be necessary to remove grindings immediately.
Shot-Blast Media
Shot peening and abrasive blasting can create slip hazards and ergonomic issues. If machines leak or the media lodges in parts and falls out in the plant, it is like walking on ice. Because the material is heavy, manual cleaning methods carry the risk of back injury. Continuous duty, heavy duty vacuums, capable of generating high vacuum pressure, are necessary for recovery shot-blast media.
Abrasive Media (Dry)
Non-destructive abrasive media such as corn starch, walnut shell products and plastic grit are combustible dust hazards and require vacuums designed for use in hazardous locations (Hazloc). The dust may also contain hazardous materials such as cadmium or silica, requiring the use of a HEPA-filtered vacuum.
Abrasive Media (Wet)
Abrasive flow machining (AFM) media has viscoelastic or rubber-like properties. An industrial vacuum system eliminates the need to shovel the media and collects it for reuse.
Carbon Fiber
Dust created from machining carbon fiber is fine, slippery and conductive. It can be harmful to electronics and can create slippery conditions, thus requiring frequent vacuuming. The best vacuum for cleaning carbon fiber dust would be a pneumatic (air-operated) industrial vacuum grounded and static conductive, or an electrically operated vacuum which is NRTL certified for use in Class II – Division 2 – Group F hazardous locations
Continuous Duty
Continuous duty vacuum systems are designed to withstand 24/7 operation and to handle some of the toughest materials, including heavy steel shot or mounds of fine powders.