Contact Details
The EcoFilter® Conveyor from Jorgensen Conveyor and Filtration Solutions is the first competitively priced conveyor and filtration system for entry-level and mid-priced turning and machining centers. This patent-pending, self-cleaning design works on larger, higher-priced machines as well.
The second generation EcoFilter® utilizes an innovative two-stage metal chip removal and coolant filtration design. A hinged steel belt conveyor handles primary removal of large chips. In a secondary process, a flow-through filtration cell separates fines from coolant. Heavy duty brushes attached to the bottom side of the belt wipe these fines from the surface of the filter cell, where they flow to the bottom of the conveyor via the patent pending CleanCleat®. Standard angle cleats on the bottom run of the conveyor belt then scrape the separated fine chips back to the top of the belt for discharge.
The EcoFilter® offers numerous advantages that can increase productivity and profitability. It dramatically reduces the number of chips that migrate to the coolant tank, which decreases the frequency of tank cleanout and the amount of downtime required for maintenance at the same time that it greatly improves pump, tooling and coolant life. The environmentally friendly EcoFilter® design uses no consumables, and its single-drive design reduces energy consumption. For convenience, “EcoFilter® Ready” conveyors are available for field conversion to EcoFilter®.
Jorgensen customers report positive results using the EcoFilter® Conveyor. In a high-volume operation that machined aluminum parts on a Vertical Machining Center, a large percentage of chips filled the coolant supply tank, necessitating multiple daily clean-outs of tank baskets and screens, and weekly production downtime to clean out the tank. Chip migration into pump inlets fouled machine supply pumps and caused them to fail, forcing the installation of filters on the inlets. When blinded off, these filters caused the pumps to cavitate, producing foam in the coolant. The system frequently backed up and coolant flooded the shop floor.
With Jorgensen’s EcoFilter® Conveyor in place, the customer enjoyed uninterrupted 24-hour/5-days- per-week production. “The filter cell built into the conveyor has stopped the fines from getting into the tank, and the coolant is no longer foaming up,” the customer stated, adding that, “this new EcoFilter® Conveyor has by far exceeded my expectations. The most problematic machine tool in our shop is now the most hassle free.”
Related Glossary Terms
- centers
centers
Cone-shaped pins that support a workpiece by one or two ends during machining. The centers fit into holes drilled in the workpiece ends. Centers that turn with the workpiece are called “live” centers; those that do not are called “dead” centers.
- coolant
coolant
Fluid that reduces temperature buildup at the tool/workpiece interface during machining. Normally takes the form of a liquid such as soluble or chemical mixtures (semisynthetic, synthetic) but can be pressurized air or other gas. Because of water’s ability to absorb great quantities of heat, it is widely used as a coolant and vehicle for various cutting compounds, with the water-to-compound ratio varying with the machining task. See cutting fluid; semisynthetic cutting fluid; soluble-oil cutting fluid; synthetic cutting fluid.
- machining center
machining center
CNC machine tool capable of drilling, reaming, tapping, milling and boring. Normally comes with an automatic toolchanger. See automatic toolchanger.
- turning
turning
Workpiece is held in a chuck, mounted on a face plate or secured between centers and rotated while a cutting tool, normally a single-point tool, is fed into it along its periphery or across its end or face. Takes the form of straight turning (cutting along the periphery of the workpiece); taper turning (creating a taper); step turning (turning different-size diameters on the same work); chamfering (beveling an edge or shoulder); facing (cutting on an end); turning threads (usually external but can be internal); roughing (high-volume metal removal); and finishing (final light cuts). Performed on lathes, turning centers, chucking machines, automatic screw machines and similar machines.
