Sweetening and cleaning system for lapping machines

Abstract

A sweetening and cleaning system that is used with one or more lapping machines to sweeten a lapping compound in a sweetening mode, and to clean parts of the system itself and parts of the one or more lapping machines with a cleaning compound in a cleaning mode. The system includes a virgin receptacle for holding the lapping compound, a cleaning receptacle for holding the cleaning compound, a waste receptacle for holding waste, and at least one pump.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD[0001]This invention relates to lapping machines and more particularly to sweetening and cleaning systems for lapping machines.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]Lapping machines are conventionally used to rub two surfaces together with an abrasive lapping compound between them. In the automotive industry, gears are often lapped together to, among other things, produce smooth surfaces and tight tolerances between the gears. Over time the lapping compound can become contaminated and less effective, and build-up can accumulate in piping components.[0003]One example of a slurry managing system is U.S. Pat. No. 5,799,643 to Miyata et al. The system is used with wire saws for cutting wafers. A mixing tank mixes base oil from a dispersing tank with abrasive grains from a hopper to produce a mixed slurry. The mixed slurry is held in a reserve tank before it is pumped through the wire saws and then to a slurry waste tank. From the waste tank, the waste is decanted and filtered,...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0004]One aspect of the invention includes a sweetening and cleaning system that can be used with one or more lapping machines to sweeten a lapping compound in a sweetening mode, and to clean parts of the system itself and parts of the one or more lapping machines with a cleaning compound in a cleaning mode. The system may comprise a virgin receptacle to hold the lapping compound, a cleaning receptacle to hold the cleaning compound, a waste receptacle to hold waste, and at least one pump to pump the compounds and the waste throughout the system.

[0005]Another aspect of the invention provides a method of sweetening and cleaning one or more lapping machines which may comprise a virgin receptacle for holding a lapping compound, a cleaning receptacle for holding a cleaning compound, and a wast

Problems solved by technology

Over time the lapping compound can become contaminated and less effective, and build-up can accumulate in piping components.

This slurry managing system, however, does not have both a sweetening and cleaning mode.

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