Coolant purification system for machine tools

Abstract

This prevents the accumulation of chips and sludge in the coolant tank of machine tools. [Solution] A coolant purification device for a machine tool, comprising a filter 1022 for removing foreign matter from the coolant and a suction section 20 for drawing in the coolant, wherein the suction section 20 comprises an upper surface portion 201 located below the filter 1022 and having an opening into which the coolant flows in, a lower surface portion 202 located below the upper surface portion 201 and having an opening 204 into which the coolant flows out and being smaller than the upper surface portion 201, and an inclined surface portion 203 having a plurality of inclined surfaces 2031, 2032, 2033, 2034 connecting the upper surface portion 201 and the lower surface portion 202.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a coolant purification device for a machine tool.

Background Art

[0002] Machine tools for machining a workpiece (workpiece to be machined) with a tool, such as a machining center and a lathe, are known. Such machine tools use a coolant (cutting fluid) for the purpose of lubricating and cooling the tool and discharging chips and sludge. The coolant supplied to the machining chamber where the workpiece is machined is discharged from the machining chamber together with chips and sludge, and the discharged coolant flows into a tank disposed below the machine tool and is temporarily stored therein, and is then supplied again to the machining chamber by a pump. In this tank, chips and sludge are removed from the coolant. The coolant discharged from the machining chamber where the machining of the workpiece is performed is discharged from the machining chamber together with chips and sludge, and the discharged coolant flows into a tank disposed below the machine tool and is temporarily stored therein, and is then supplied again to the machining chamber by a pump. In this tank, chips and sludge are removed from the coolant.

[0003] Here, it is known that the tank is composed of a rectangular box-shaped liquid storage tank, includes a hopper for receiving the coolant discharged from the machine tool, and stores the coolant to precipitate and accumulate foreign substances (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0004] Also, it is known to use a filtering member to remove chips and sludge from the coolant, and then swirl the coolant in the tank to collect the sludge floating on the liquid surface (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

[0005] Also, an inclined surface and a suction inlet portion are formed below this inclined surface, and fine chips heavier than the coolant are precipitated by the inclination of the inclined surface, and the coolant with a high content rate of these chips is sucked from the suction inlet portion and passed through an in-line filter to filter the chips (see, for example, Patent Document 3).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0006]

Patent Document 1

[0007] When pumping coolant containing metal chips and sludge, it is difficult to remove all of them. Therefore, even if metal chips and sludge are removed from the pumped coolant, there is a risk that metal chips and sludge will accumulate in the tank.

[0008] The purpose of this disclosure is to suppress the accumulation of chips and sludge in the coolant tank of a machine tool. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] One aspect of this disclosure is, A filter to remove foreign matter from the coolant, The suction section for drawing in the coolant, A coolant purification device for a machine tool, The aforementioned suction section is, An upper portion provided below the filter and having an opening through which the coolant flows in , A lower portion is provided below the upper portion, has an opening through which the coolant flows out, and is smaller than the upper portion. A sloping section having a plurality of inclined surfaces connecting the upper section and the lower section, Equipped with, This is a coolant purification device for machine tools. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to this disclosure, it is possible to suppress the accumulation of chips and sludge in the coolant tank of a machine tool. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This figure shows an example of a machine tool according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] This figure shows an example of the schematic configuration of a coolant tank according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a cross-sectional view of the area shown in A1 of Figure 2, magnified. [Figure 4] This is a perspective view showing the schematic configuration of the suction section according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] This is a perspective view showing the schematic configuration of the funnel portion of the suction section according to the second embodiment. [Figure 6] This is a perspective view showing the schematic configuration of the funnel section of the suction unit according to the third embodiment. [Figure 7] This is a cross-sectional view of the funnel portion according to the third embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] One embodiment of the present disclosure is a coolant purification device for a machine tool, comprising a filter for removing foreign matter from the coolant and a suction section for drawing in the coolant, wherein the suction section comprises an upper surface portion provided below the filter and having an opening into which the coolant flows in, a lower surface portion provided below the upper surface portion and having an opening into which the coolant flows out and being smaller than the upper surface portion, and a slanted surface portion having a plurality of inclined surfaces connecting the upper surface portion and the lower surface portion.

[0013] The coolant falls into the suction part through the filter. In the filter, foreign matters such as chips and sludge are removed. However, it is difficult to remove fine chips and sludge with the filter. Therefore, the coolant falling into the suction part contains fine chips and sludge. Therefore, if the flow rate of the coolant passing through the filter is low, there is a risk that foreign matters will accumulate. On the other hand, in the suction part, the coolant flows along a plurality of inclined surfaces toward the opening of the lower surface part, so that the decrease in the flow rate of the coolant can be suppressed. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the deposition of foreign matters below the filter.

[0014] Further, the coolant purification device of the machine tool may further include a pump that sucks the coolant from the opening of the lower surface part and a filtering device that removes foreign matters from the coolant sucked by the pump. By sucking the coolant with the pump and filtering this coolant with the filtering device, fine chips and sludge can be removed.

[0015] Further, the coolant purification device of the machine tool may further include a coolant storage part that stores the coolant upstream of the filter. The coolant storage part includes a partition wall between the coolant storage part and the filter, and the coolant passing over the partition wall may flow into the filter from above the filter. By temporarily storing the coolant in the coolant storage part, the foreign matters contained in the coolant precipitate. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the deposition of foreign matters in other locations. Further, since the coolant passing over the partition wall flows into the filter, it is possible to suppress the foreign matters deposited in the coolant storage part from flowing into the filter.

[0016] Further, the plurality of adjacent inclined surfaces are respectively connected via a curved surface, and the plurality of inclined surfaces and the The inclined surface and the lower surface may be connected via curved surfaces. When the inclined surface and the lower surface are formed by flat surfaces, an intersection is formed by connecting the two flat surfaces, and foreign matter tends to accumulate near that intersection. In contrast, by connecting the two flat surfaces via curved surfaces, the accumulation of foreign matter can be suppressed.

[0017] Furthermore, the coolant purification device for the machine tool may further include a shielding plate that is recessed below the opening in the upper surface through which the coolant flows, and has a surface positioned above the inclined surface and parallel to the inclined surface. In this case, the flow velocity of the coolant when it flows between the shielding plate and the inclined surface will be increased, which will further suppress the accumulation of foreign matter.

[0018] Embodiments of this disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, unless otherwise specified, the dimensions, materials, shapes, and relative arrangements of the components described in these embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure to those specific components.

[0019] <First Embodiment> Figure 1 shows an example of a machine tool 1 according to the first embodiment. The machine tool 1 may be, for example, a machining center or an automatic lathe. However, the machine tool 1 is not particularly limited as long as it is a machine tool that uses coolant. Coolant is a cutting fluid that performs lubrication, cooling, and cleaning. A coolant tank 10 for storing coolant is provided at the bottom of the machine tool 1. The coolant tank 10 has the function of temporarily storing the coolant discharged from the machining chamber of the machine tool 1 and then supplying coolant back to the machining chamber.

[0020] Figure 2 shows an example of the schematic configuration of a coolant tank 10 according to the first embodiment. The dotted arrows indicate the direction in which the coolant flows. The coolant tank 10 has a roughly rectangular bottom 11 and four wall sections 12 rising from the outer edge of the bottom 11, forming a box shape with an open top. Casters 13 are provided near each of the four corners of the wall sections 12. These casters 13 allow the coolant tank 10 to be pulled out from the bottom of the machine tool 1. The coolant tank 10 has a filter section 100 and a flow path section 50. The coolant flows into the filter section 100, moves from the filter section 100 to the flow path section 50, and is discharged from a pump 16 located in the flow path section 50 toward the machining chamber or the like.

[0021] The filter section 100 is equipped with a first basket 101 and a second basket 102 for removing relatively large chips contained in the coolant. The first basket 101 and the second basket 102 are formed in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped with an open top. The first basket 101 and the second basket 102 have a grid-like mesh on their bottom or walls, for example, and chips and sludge are removed from the coolant as it passes through this mesh. The coolant is supplied to the first basket 101 by falling from the top of the first basket 101 due to gravity.

[0022] The filter section 100 is provided with a weir 103 that divides the filter section 100 into the first basket 101 side and the second basket 102 side. The weir 103 is a plate-shaped member that rises from the bottom 11 and is fixed to the wall section 12 and the partition 17, which will be described later. The height of the weir 103 is lower than the height of the wall section 12 and the partition 17. The second basket 102 is positioned lower than the upper end of the weir 103 so as to be in contact with the weir 103. The weir 103 is an example of a partition wall.

[0023] The coolant that has passed through the first basket 101 is temporarily stored in a coolant storage section 104 located at the bottom of the first basket 101. The coolant storage section 104 is formed by a bottom 11, two walls 12, a partition 17, and a weir 103. When the liquid level of the coolant stored in the coolant storage section 104 reaches the height of the weir 103, the coolant flows over the upper end of the weir 103 towards the second basket 102. The coolant that has passed over the upper end of the weir 103 flows into the interior of the second basket 102. In the coolant storage section 104, the flow area of ​​the coolant is relatively large. As a result, the coolant flow velocity is relatively low, causing chips and sludge contained in the coolant to settle. Then, coolant with relatively few chips and sludge is supplied to the second basket 102. In the second basket 102, chips and sludge are further removed. The mesh provided in the second basket 102 may be formed to have a finer mesh than the mesh provided in the first basket 101. The first basket 101, the second basket 102, and the coolant storage section 104 are configured to be cleaned without having to remove the coolant tank 10 from the machine tool 1. On the other hand, when cleaning the flow path section 50, it is necessary to remove the coolant tank 10 from the machine tool 1.

[0024] Figure 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the area shown as A1 in Figure 2. The dotted arrows indicate the direction in which the coolant flows. The filter section 100 has one or more outlets 105. The outlets 105 are openings provided in the partition 17 to connect the filter section 100 and the flow path section 50.

[0025] The second basket 102 has a handle 1021 at its top, and can be removed by pulling this handle 1021 upwards. The first basket 101 is also equipped with the same handle. A mesh 1022 is formed on the bottom surface of the second basket 102, and coolant that passes through the mesh 1022 falls to the bottom of the second basket 102. A suction section 20 is provided at the bottom of the second basket 102 to collect the coolant and supply it to the suction pipe 106. A mesh 1024 is also formed on the side wall 1023 of the second basket 102, and coolant that passes through this mesh 1024 flows into the flow path section 50 from the outlet 105. The mesh 1024 on the side wall 1023 has a finer mesh than the mesh 1022 on the bottom surface. Therefore, most of the coolant that flows into the second basket 102 passes through the mesh 1022 on the bottom surface. Note that net 1022 is an example of a filter.

[0026] Furthermore, the machine tool 1 is equipped with a filtration device 32 that removes chips and sludge from the coolant, and a pump 31 that supplies coolant to the filtration device 32. The filtration device 32 is a device that removes chips and sludge from the coolant, for example, by using centrifugal force. The coolant that has passed through the mesh 1022 at the bottom of the second basket 102 is sent to the filtration device 32 via the suction pipe 106, and from the filtration device 32 it is supplied to the flow path section 50 near the outlet 105 via the pump 31.

[0027] The flow path section 50 has a pump 16 and a partition 17 rising from the bottom 11. The outer edge of the flow path section 50 is formed into a roughly rectangular box shape by the three walls 12 and the partition 17. The pump 16 pumps the coolant inside the coolant tank 10 towards the processing chamber, filtration device, etc.

[0028] The partition 17 is a plate-shaped member fixed to the bottom 11. This fixing may be done by welding, adhesive, rivet, or bolt. When viewed from above the machine tool 1, the partition 17 is formed such that, for example, the coolant flow path alternately bends to the left and right. However, the shape of the partition 17 is not limited to this. The coolant that flows into the flow path section 50 from the outlet 105, and the coolant that flows into the flow path section 50 after being filtered by the filtration device 32, flows along the flow path formed by the partition 17 to the pump 16.

[0029] Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the schematic configuration of the suction section 20 according to the first embodiment. The suction section 20 is composed of a funnel section 21, a first flow path section 22, and a second flow path section 23. The funnel section 21 is positioned below the second basket 102 and is formed in a funnel shape. The funnel section 21 is composed of an upper surface section 201, a lower surface section 202, a slanted surface section 203, and an outlet 204. The upper surface section 201 is a rectangular, flat member formed parallel to the bottom of the second basket 102 so as to be in contact with the bottom of the second basket 102. The upper surface section 201 has an opening on the center side. It is formed in an annular shape. This opening is formed over a wider area than the mesh 1022 on the bottom surface of the second cage 102. As a result, the coolant that has passed through the mesh 1022 on the bottom surface of the second cage 102 falls into the opening in the upper surface portion 201.

[0030] The top surface portion 201 is composed of a first side portion 2011, a second side portion 2012, a third side portion 2013, and a fourth side portion 2014. The first side portion 2011 and the third side portion 2013 are arranged parallel to each other, and the second side portion 2012 and the fourth side portion 2014 are arranged parallel to each other. In addition, the second side portion 2012 and the fourth side portion 2014 are arranged perpendicular to the first side portion 2011. One end of the first side portion 2011 is connected to one end of the second side portion 2012. The other end of the second side portion 2012 is connected to one end of the third side portion 2013. The other end of the third side portion 2013 is connected to one end of the fourth side portion 2014. The other end of the fourth side portion 2014 is connected to the other end of the first side portion 2011. The opening in the upper surface portion 201 is formed by the inner edges of the first side portion 2011, the second side portion 2012, the third side portion 2013, and the fourth side portion 2014.

[0031] The lower portion 202 is a rectangular, flat plate-like member formed below the upper portion 201. The lower portion 202 is formed to be smaller than the opening of the upper portion 201. Each side of the lower portion 202 is formed to be parallel to each side of the opening of the upper portion 201. The discharge port 204 is a hole formed in the center of the lower portion 202.

[0032] A slanted portion 203 is connected to the inner edge of the opening of the upper portion 201. The slanted portion 203 is composed of a first slanted portion 2031 connected to the first side portion 2011, a second slanted portion 2032 connected to the second side portion 2012, a third slanted portion 2033 connected to the third side portion 2013, and a fourth slanted portion 2034 connected to the fourth side portion 2014. The first slanted portion 2031, the second slanted portion 2032, the third slanted portion 2033, and the fourth slanted portion 2034 are each formed in a trapezoidal shape. The first slanted portion 2031, the second slanted portion 2032, the third slanted portion 2033, and the fourth slanted portion 2034 are flat plate-shaped members that are inclined so that they approach the discharge port 204 as they go downwards.

[0033] The first inclined surface 2031 has its upper base connected to the inner edge of the first side 2011 and its lower base connected to the first side 2021 of the bottom surface 202. The second inclined surface 2032 has its upper base connected to the inner edge of the second side 2012 and its lower base connected to the second side 2022 of the bottom surface 202. The third inclined surface 2033 has its upper base connected to the inner edge of the third side 2013 and its lower base connected to the third side 2023 of the bottom surface 202. The fourth inclined surface 2034 has its upper base connected to the inner edge of the fourth side 2014 and its lower base connected to the fourth side 2024 of the bottom surface 202. The first inclined surface 2031 is connected to the adjacent second inclined surface 2032 and fourth inclined surface 2034, and the third inclined surface 2033 is connected to the adjacent second inclined surface 2032 and fourth inclined surface 2034.

[0034] The first flow path section 22 is a hollow rectangular parallelepiped member positioned below the discharge port 204. The shape of the first flow path section 22 is not limited to a rectangular parallelepiped; for example, it may be formed in a pipe shape. The first flow path section 22 is positioned horizontally along its longitudinal direction, with a first opening 221 on the upper surface of one end and a second opening 222 on the upper surface of the other end. The first opening 221 at one end of the first flow path section 22 is connected to the discharge port 204, and the second opening 222 at the other end of the first flow path section 22 is connected to the second flow path section 23. The second flow path section 23 is, for example, a pipe fixed to the upper surface of the other end of the first flow path section 22. One end of the second flow path section 23 is connected to the second opening 222 at the other end of the first flow path section 22, and the other end of the second flow path section 23 is connected to the suction pipe 106. The lower surface of the first flow channel section 22 is fixed to the bottom section 11, and the funnel section 21 and the second flow channel section 23 are supported by the first flow channel section 22.

[0035] The cooler passed through the mesh 1022 on the bottom of the second basket 102 and fell into the opening of the top part 201. The coolant flows down the slope 203 and is discharged from the outlet 204 into the first flow path 22. The coolant that flows into the first flow path 22 from the first opening 221 flows inside the first flow path 22 and is discharged from the second opening 222 at the other end into the second flow path 23. Furthermore, the coolant flows through the second flow path 23 and into the suction pipe 106. From the suction pipe 106, the coolant is returned to the flow path 50 near the outlet 105 via the filtration device 32 and the pump 31. In this way, by operating the pump 31 and supplying the coolant that has fallen into the suction section 20 to the filtration device 32, more chips and sludge contained in the coolant can be removed. By configuring the discharge rate of the pump 31 to be equal to the discharge rate of the pump 16 in the flow path 50, almost all of the coolant that falls over the weir 103 into the second basket 102 can be sucked from the suction section 20 into the pump 31. This prevents the coolant from passing through the mesh 1024 on the side wall 1023 of the second cage 102.

[0036] Here, the coolant falling from the second basket 102 into the suction section 20 contains fine chips and sludge that could not be removed by the first basket 101, the second basket 102, and the coolant storage section 104. If the coolant is simply sucked up by the pump 31, these chips and sludge may accumulate on the bottom 11 below the second basket 102. That is, areas where the coolant flow velocity slows down are likely to occur on the bottom 11 below the second basket 102, making it easier for chips and sludge to accumulate in those areas. In contrast, with the suction section 20 according to the first embodiment, the coolant discharged from the second basket 102 can be quickly collected by the funnel section 21 and sent to the filtration device 32. Therefore, the accumulation of chips and sludge on the bottom 11 below the second basket 102 can be suppressed. As a result, the frequency of cleaning the coolant tank 10 can be reduced.

[0037] <Second Embodiment> Figure 5 is a perspective view showing the schematic configuration of the funnel portion 21 of the suction portion 20 according to the second embodiment. The other configurations are the same as in the first embodiment. In the funnel portion 21 according to the second embodiment, the connection between the first inclined surface 2031 and the second inclined surface 2032, the connection between the second inclined surface 2032 and the third inclined surface 2033, the connection between the third inclined surface 2033 and the fourth inclined surface 2034, the connection between the fourth inclined surface 2034 and the first inclined surface 2031, the connection between the first inclined surface 2031 and the bottom surface 202, the connection between the second inclined surface 2032 and the bottom surface 202, the connection between the third inclined surface 2033 and the bottom surface 202, and the connection between the fourth inclined surface 2034 and the bottom surface 202 are each connected via a curved surface 30. The cross section of this curved surface 30 is formed to be, for example, a circular arc centered on the center side of the funnel portion 21.

[0038] Here, as in the funnel portion 21 according to the first embodiment, if the members are connected such that an intersection line is formed at each of the connection points between the first inclined surface 2031 and the second inclined surface 2032, the second inclined surface 2032 and the third inclined surface 2033, the third inclined surface 2033 and the fourth inclined surface 2034, the fourth inclined surface 2034 and the first inclined surface 2031, the first inclined surface 2031 and the bottom surface 202, the second inclined surface 2032 and the bottom surface 202, the third inclined surface 2033 and the bottom surface 202, and the fourth inclined surface 2034 and the bottom surface 202, then chips and sludge tend to accumulate along and near these intersection lines. On the other hand, as in the funnel portion 21 according to the second embodiment, by forming a curved surface 30 at all connection points, the accumulation of chips and sludge near each connection point can be suppressed. Therefore, the frequency of cleaning can be reduced. In the example shown in Figure 5, the inclined surface 203 includes a flat surface, but the inclined surface 203 may be entirely formed as a curved surface. Similarly, in the lower surface 202, part or all of the lower surface 202 may be formed as a curved surface.

[0039] <Third Embodiment> Figure 6 is a perspective view showing the schematic configuration of the funnel portion 21 of the suction portion 20 according to the third embodiment. Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of the funnel portion 21 according to the third embodiment. Figure 7 shows the second side portion 201 This is a cross-sectional view obtained when the center of the funnel portion 21 is cut by a plane perpendicular to 2 and the four sides 2014. The other configurations are the same as in the second embodiment. The funnel portion 21 according to the third embodiment is provided with a shielding portion 40.

[0040] The shielding portion 40 is recessed downward from the opening in the upper surface portion 201 and is formed to be parallel to the first inclined surface portion 2031, the second inclined surface portion 2032, the third inclined surface portion 2033, the fourth inclined surface portion 2034, the lower surface portion 202, and the curved surface 30. The shielding portion 40 is fixed to at least one of the upper surface portion 201, the lower surface portion 202, and the inclined surface portion 203. The shielding portion 40 is also formed to have a gap with the first inclined surface portion 2031, the second inclined surface portion 2032, the third inclined surface portion 2033, the fourth inclined surface portion 2034, the lower surface portion 202, and the curved surface 30. Coolant flows through this gap, which reduces the flow area and thus increases the flow velocity of the coolant. This prevents chips and sludge from accumulating in the funnel portion 21. A hole through which coolant can flow may be provided in a part of the shielding portion 40. [Explanation of symbols]

[0041] 1 Machine tools 10 Coolant Tank 11 Bottom 12 Wall 17 dividers 20 Suction section 21 Funnel part 22 First flow channel section 23 Second flow path section 100 Filter section 102 Second basket 103 Weir 104 Coolant reservoir 105 Exit 106 Suction pipe

Claims

1. A filter to remove foreign matter from the coolant, The suction section for drawing in the coolant, A coolant purification device for a machine tool, The aforementioned suction section is, An upper portion provided below the filter and having an opening into which the coolant flows, A lower portion is provided below the upper portion, has an opening through which the coolant flows out, and is smaller than the upper portion. A sloping section having a plurality of inclined surfaces connecting the upper section and the lower section, Equipped with, Coolant purification device for machine tools.

2. A pump for drawing the coolant from the opening in the lower part, A filtration device for removing foreign matter from the coolant sucked up by the pump, It also has, The coolant purification device for a machine tool according to claim 1.

3. Upstream of the filter, a coolant storage section for storing the coolant is further provided, The coolant storage section is provided with a partition wall between it and the filter. The coolant that has passed the partition flows into the filter from the top of the filter. The coolant purification device for a machine tool according to claim 1.

4. The adjacent plurality of inclined surfaces are connected via curved surfaces, The plurality of inclined surfaces and the lower surface are each connected via curved surfaces. The coolant purification device for a machine tool according to claim 1.

5. A shielding plate is provided below the opening in the upper surface through which the coolant flows, and is recessed, further comprising a shielding plate having a surface positioned above the inclined surface and parallel to the inclined surface, The coolant purification device for a machine tool according to claim 1.

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