Apparatus and method for recovering magnetic foreign matter

Abstract

To provide a recovery device of a magnetic foreign matter which can reduce the magnetic foreign matters deposited in an inside of a tank of a magnet separator, maintain a state for showing recovery capacity of the magnet separator, and reduce a frequency of cleaning work and a frequency of liquid change of coolant liquid and cooling water by enhancing maintainability.SOLUTION: A recovery device includes a magnet separator tank 22 which stores coolant liquid and cooling water containing magnetic foreign matters, a cylindrical drum 23 which is supported horizontally so as to rotate in a state that a part of the drum is immersed with the coolant liquid and cooling water in the tank, a permanent magnet which generates magnetic force around an outer circumference surface of the drum 23, a compression roller 24 which rotates by interlocking with the drum 23, a scraping plate 25 which scrapes the magnetic foreign matters attracted to a cylindrical outer circumference surface of the drum 23. A nozzle 10 generates a water flow in the tank by jetting the coolant liquid and cooling water, and stirs the coolant liquid and cooling water in the tank.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a magnetic foreign matter recovery device and recovery method for recovering magnetic foreign matter discharged during metal cutting or the like. [Background technology]

[0002] It is common practice to use tanks and pumps to remove magnetic foreign matter from machine tools using coolant or cooling water. When using tanks and pumps to remove magnetic foreign matter from machine tools using coolant or cooling water, the magnetic foreign matter that is removed together with the coolant or cooling water is collected using a chip conveyor or magnetic separator. Magnetic foreign matter generated by machine tools is collected using a chip conveyor or magnetic separator, and an appropriate device is used depending on the size of the foreign matter, etc.

[0003] Magnetic separators are often installed in equipment that removes magnetic foreign matter generated during processing on grinders, lathes, induction hardening machines, etc. They are devices that remove magnetic foreign matter contained in coolant liquids and cooling water, and are often used to collect magnetic foreign matter in the form of granular particles of 10 μm to 20 μm.

[0004] The configuration of a conventional magnetic separator is disclosed, for example, in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2, and includes a tank for storing coolant or cooling water, a drum that rotates while partially immersed in the tank, and a permanent magnet that exerts a magnetic force on the drum surface. Magnetic foreign matter mixed in the coolant or cooling water in the tank is attracted to the drum surface, and then scraped off sequentially with a scraping plate. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-29838 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-978 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, conventional magnetic separators have a problem in that magnetic foreign matter that accumulates inside the magnetic separator's tank becomes semi-solid, and when a large amount of solidified magnetic foreign matter flows out at once, the magnetic separator's processing capacity is exceeded, causing clogging. This clogging can cause the magnetic separator to stop, and if coolant or cooling water containing magnetic foreign matter that has not been completely collected flows into the machine tool body, it can lead to a decrease in the machining accuracy of the workpiece or cause pipe clogging, etc.

[0007] Furthermore, while conventional magnetic separators are capable of collecting magnetic contaminants contained in the coolant and cooling water discharged from machine tools, the remaining magnetic contaminants accumulate inside the tank, necessitating periodic cleaning. Furthermore, coolant and cooling water deteriorate during use due to changes in pH, water quality, and concentration, and also deteriorate due to an increase in the amount of magnetic contaminants mixed in, so they must be replaced at regular intervals. These cleaning and replacement tasks must be performed manually by workers, which requires time and money for maintenance, ultimately contributing to the rising cost of the products processed by machine tools.

[0008] The present invention has been made in consideration of these problems, and aims to provide a magnetic foreign matter recovery device that reduces the amount of magnetic foreign matter that accumulates inside the tank of a magnetic separator, maintains the magnetic separator in a state where it can demonstrate its recovery capabilities, and improves maintainability, thereby reducing the frequency of cleaning work and the frequency of changing coolant liquid and cooling water. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to solve the above problems, the magnetic foreign matter recovery device of the present invention is a magnetic foreign matter recovery device that includes a tank for storing liquid containing magnetic foreign matter, a cylindrical drum that is rotatably supported horizontally with part of it immersed in the liquid in the tank, a permanent magnet fixed inside the drum so as to generate a magnetic force on the cylindrical outer surface of the drum, a compression roller that rotates in conjunction with the drum, and a scraping plate for scraping off the magnetic foreign matter attracted to the cylindrical outer surface of the drum, and is characterized by including a water flow generating means that generates a water flow within the tank and agitates the liquid containing magnetic foreign matter stored in the tank.

[0010] This generates a new water flow inside the magnetic separator tank and stirs the coolant or cooling water inside the tank, reducing the amount of magnetic foreign matter that accumulates inside the tank, thereby improving maintainability and reducing the frequency of cleaning work and the frequency of changing the coolant or cooling water.In addition, because the magnetic foreign matter is mixed into the stirred coolant or cooling water, it is possible to maintain a state in which the magnetic separator can fully demonstrate its collection ability.

[0011] Here, it is preferable to provide a water flow direction adjusting means for adjusting the water flow direction of the water flow generated by the water flow generating means, and it is also preferable that the water flow generating means sprays liquid or gas to generate a water flow and is provided with an adjusting means for adjusting the amount of liquid or gas sprayed by the water flow generating means.

[0012] This makes it possible to realize a magnetic foreign matter recovery device that can generate a water flow that is appropriate for the situation, depending on the removal status of the magnetic foreign matter within the tank of the magnetic separator.

[0013] The present invention can also be realized as a method for recovering magnetic foreign matter, which includes a storage step of storing a liquid containing magnetic foreign matter in a tank, an adsorption step of fixing a permanent magnet inside a cylindrical drum supported horizontally and rotatably with part of the drum immersed in the liquid in the tank so as to generate a magnetic force on the cylindrical outer surface of the drum, and rotating a compression roller in conjunction with the drum to adsorb the magnetic foreign matter to the cylindrical outer surface of the drum, and a removal step of scraping off the adsorbed magnetic foreign matter with a scraping plate, and which is characterized by including a water flow generating step of generating a water flow in the tank in which the liquid containing magnetic foreign matter is stored in the storage step, and stirring the liquid containing magnetic foreign matter stored in the tank. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] As described above, the magnetic foreign matter recovery device according to the present invention can prevent magnetic foreign matter from accumulating in the magnetic separator tank, thereby reducing the effort and cost required for cleaning and liquid replacement. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram schematically illustrating a configuration of a magnetic separator according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically showing the flow of coolant and cooling water. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A detailed description of an apparatus and method for recovering magnetic foreign matter according to the present invention will be given below with reference to the accompanying drawings based on an embodiment.

[0017] The magnetic foreign matter recovery device of the present invention is a magnetic separator that discharges magnetic foreign matter generated during processing in machine tools such as grinders, lathes, and high-frequency hardening machines, and is a device that removes and recovers magnetic foreign matter contained in coolant liquid or cooling water.

[0018] Fig. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a magnetic separator according to this embodiment. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing a schematic flow of coolant and cooling water. In Fig. 2, arrows indicate the flow direction of coolant and cooling water to create an agitated state.

[0019] The magnetic separator 20 includes a magnetic separator tank 22 that stores the coolant or cooling water, a cylindrical drum 23 that is supported horizontally and rotatably with part of it immersed in the coolant or cooling water in the magnetic separator tank 22, a permanent magnet fixed inside the drum 23 so as to generate a magnetic force on the cylindrical outer surface of the drum 23, a compression roller 24 that rotates in conjunction with the drum 23, and a scraping plate 25 for scraping off magnetic foreign matter attracted to the cylindrical outer surface of the drum 23.

[0020] Coolant and cooling water containing magnetic contaminants flow from machine tool body 30 through trough 21 into magnetic separator tank 22 of magnetic separator 20. After the coolant and cooling water containing magnetic contaminants flow into magnetic separator tank 22, magnetic separator 20 rotates drum 23 equipped with a permanent magnet, attracting the magnetic contaminants to the surface of drum 23. The magnetic contaminants are then removed and collected by compression roller 24 and scraper plate 25. The magnetic contaminants collected by magnetic separator 20 are primarily particles ranging from 10 μm to 20 μm in size, and some of the magnetic contaminants accumulate in magnetic separator tank 22. The magnetic contaminants that accumulate in magnetic separator tank 22 cannot be collected by magnetic separator 20 with only the configuration described above, and continue to accumulate, necessitating manual cleaning by an operator.

[0021] Therefore, the magnetic separator 20 of this embodiment is equipped with a nozzle 10 that sprays coolant or cooling water to generate a water flow inside the magnetic separator tank 22 and stir the coolant or cooling water inside the magnetic separator tank 22, a header 11 for maintaining a constant water flow generated by the coolant or cooling water sprayed from the nozzle 10, a rotation adjustment mechanism 12 that adjusts the water flow direction to create optimal stirring conditions for the coolant or cooling water inside the magnetic separator tank 22, and a flow rate adjustment valve 13 that adjusts the flow rate of the coolant or cooling water sprayed from the nozzle 10.

[0022] By providing a nozzle 10 as a water flow generating means that sprays coolant or cooling water to generate a water flow inside the magnetic separator tank 22, the magnetic separator tank 22 is agitated by a new water flow, and the magnetic foreign matter is mixed into the agitated coolant or cooling water without accumulating much of the magnetic foreign matter inside the magnetic separator tank 22, thereby improving the recovery capacity of the magnetic separator 20.

[0023] The coolant and cooling water in the magnetic separator tank 22 are stirred by the new water flow, and most of the magnetic foreign matter can be mixed into the coolant and cooling water without accumulating, which prevents magnetic foreign matter from accumulating in the magnetic separator tank 22 and reduces the time and effort required for workers to manually clean and remove the matter.

[0024] Furthermore, since the magnetic separator 20's ability to collect magnetic foreign matter can be improved, deterioration of the coolant and cooling water can be reduced, the period during which the coolant and cooling water need to be changed can be extended, and the working time and costs associated with disposing of the coolant and cooling water can be reduced.

[0025] Furthermore, by providing a rotation adjustment mechanism 12 as water flow direction adjustment means for adjusting the water flow direction of the coolant or cooling water within the magnetic separator tank 22, and a flow rate adjustment valve 13 as flow rate adjustment means for adjusting the flow rate of the coolant or cooling water sprayed from the nozzle 10, it is possible to generate a water flow that is suitable for the removal status of magnetic foreign matter within the magnetic separator tank 22, such as the content of magnetic foreign matter in the coolant or cooling water and the components contained therein. Furthermore, even with magnetic separators 20 manufactured by various manufacturers and which often have different specifications, it is possible to generate a water flow that is suitable for the wide variety of shapes and sizes of magnetic separator tanks 22.

[0026] The magnetic separator 20 operates as follows to collect magnetic foreign matter.

[0027] The coolant liquid or cooling water containing magnetic foreign matter that flows from the machine tool body 30 through the trough 21 into the magnetic separator 20 is stored in the magnetic separator tank 22 (storage process).

[0028] The coolant liquid or cooling water containing magnetic foreign matter stored in the magnetic separator tank 22 is sprayed from the nozzle 10 to generate a water flow in the magnetic separator tank 22, thereby agitating the coolant liquid or cooling water containing magnetic foreign matter stored in the magnetic separator tank 22 (water flow generation process).

[0029] While the coolant liquid or cooling water containing magnetic foreign matter is being stirred in the magnetic separator tank 22, a drum 23 equipped with a permanent magnet is rotated, and the magnetic foreign matter is attracted to the surface of the drum 23 (attraction process).

[0030] Thereafter, the magnetic foreign matter is removed and collected by the compression roller 24 and the scraping plate 25 (removal step).

[0031] From the viewpoint of energy conservation, it is preferable to use the existing pump 32 installed in the tank 31 attached to the machine tool main body 30 to branch off the piping to the nozzle 10. However, if the machine tool main body 30 uses a water flow from the pump 32 for cutting, it is preferable to prepare a separate pump 32 rather than an existing one, since this may affect the accuracy of the cutting. Similarly, if the operating conditions of the existing pump 32 are such that it operates only under specific conditions or it stops while power is being supplied to the machine tool main body 30, it is also preferable to prepare a separate pump 32 rather than an existing one.

[0032] Although the coolant or cooling water in the magnetic separator 20 is used as the material to be sprayed from the nozzle 10, it need not be a liquid as long as it generates a new water flow in the magnetic separator tank 22 and agitates the coolant or cooling water in the tank. For example, air may be sprayed from the nozzle 10 to generate a new water flow in the magnetic separator tank 22. If the machine tool main body 30 already has a unit powered by air, this method does not require the installation of a new power source and can be inexpensively installed. Note that when air is sprayed from the nozzle 10 of the water flow generating means, the flow rate control valve 13, which serves as a flow rate control means for adjusting the flow rate of the coolant or cooling water, must be replaced with a spray rate control valve, which serves as a spray rate control means for adjusting the amount of air sprayed.

[0033] Next, deterioration of the coolant and cooling water will be described.

[0034] Even if the pH value, water quality, concentration, etc. are controlled, coolant and cooling water can easily deteriorate due to factors such as an increase in the amount of cutting chips mixed in, as shown in Table 1. Deterioration of coolant and cooling water refers to a decrease in cutting ability and rust prevention, the generation of a putrid odor, and separation of the liquid.

[0035] Table 1 shows the deterioration factors of coolant and cooling water.

[0036] [Table 1]

[0037] Microorganisms such as bacteria, yeast, and mold can deteriorate coolant and cooling water by assimilating oil components.

[0038] Chips containing magnetic foreign matter can cause deterioration of coolant and cooling water by absorbing oil components and promoting decay.

[0039] Other oil components such as lubricating oil and hydraulic oil can cause deterioration of coolant and cooling water by migrating into the oil components.

[0040] Dilution water can be a factor in the deterioration of coolant and cooling water due to the influence of the components in the water.

[0041] Furthermore, as shown in Table 2, when a large amount of fine magnetic foreign matter is present, this has a significant impact on the deterioration of the coolant and cooling water.

[0042] Table 2 shows the effect of chips on coolant and cooling water.

[0043] [Table 2]

[0044] The type of chips has a greater effect in the following order: non-ferrous metals such as aluminum, steel, aluminum alloy, cast iron, and magnesium alloy.

[0045] The larger the chip size, the smaller the impact, and the finer the chip size, the greater the impact.

[0046] The smaller the amount of chips, the smaller the impact, and the larger the amount of chips, the greater the impact.

[0047] In the magnetic separator 20 of this embodiment, the recovery capacity of the magnetic foreign matter recovered by the magnetic separator 20 can be improved, and therefore the rate of deterioration of the coolant liquid and cooling water as described above can be reduced.

[0048] As described above, in the magnetic separator 20 of this embodiment, the nozzle 10 generates a new water flow inside the magnetic separator tank 22, which stirs the inside of the tank and mixes the magnetic foreign matter into the stirred coolant liquid or cooling water without causing most of the magnetic foreign matter to accumulate inside the magnetic separator tank 22, thereby improving the recovery capacity of the magnetic separator 20.

[0049] In addition, by stirring the magnetic separator tank 22 and allowing most of the magnetic foreign matter to mix with the coolant liquid and cooling water without accumulating, it is possible to suppress the accumulation of magnetic foreign matter in the magnetic separator tank 22 and reduce the labor required for manual cleaning and removal work by workers.

[0050] Furthermore, the improved ability of the magnetic separator 20 to collect magnetic foreign matter will ultimately lead to reduced deterioration of the coolant and cooling water, extending the period during which the coolant and cooling water need to be changed, and reducing the maintenance costs associated with work hours and the disposal of the coolant and cooling water.

[0051] In this case, when adding a mechanism to generate a new water flow, it is preferable to branch off the water flow of an existing pump or the like attached to the machine tool body from the viewpoint of energy conservation, and it is possible to reduce the cost of installing a new pump, etc. Also, depending on the machine tool, the layout may not allow branching off the existing power source. In such cases, it is possible to adopt a method of generating a new water flow, such as using air as a power source.

[0052] The magnetic foreign matter recovery device and magnetic foreign matter recovery method according to the present invention have been described above based on an embodiment, but the present invention is not limited to this, and various design modifications are possible as long as the object of the present invention can be achieved and the gist of the invention is not deviated from, and all of these are included within the scope of the present invention. [Industrial Applicability]

[0053] INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The magnetic foreign matter recovery device according to the present invention is useful as a magnetic foreign matter recovery device for recovering magnetic foreign matter discharged from machine tools used in metal cutting and the like. [Explanation of symbols]

[0054] 10 nozzles 11 Header 12 Rotation adjustment mechanism 13 Flow control valve 20 Magnetic separator 21 Gutter 22 Magnetic separator tank 23 Drums 24 compression rollers 25 Scraping board 30 Machine tool body 31 Tank 32 Pump

Claims

1. A magnetic foreign matter recovery device comprising: a tank for storing a liquid containing magnetic foreign matter; a cylindrical drum that is rotatably supported horizontally with a portion thereof immersed in the liquid in the tank; a permanent magnet fixed inside the drum so as to generate a magnetic force on the cylindrical outer circumferential surface of the drum; a compression roller that rotates in conjunction with the drum; and a scraping plate for scraping off the magnetic foreign matter attracted to the cylindrical outer circumferential surface of the drum, a water current generating means for generating a new water current in the tank to agitate the liquid containing magnetic foreign matter stored in the tank; a water flow direction adjusting means for adjusting the water flow direction of the water flow generated by the water flow generating means, The water flow generating means ejects the liquid containing the magnetic foreign matter stored in the tank to generate a new water flow. A magnetic foreign matter recovery device characterized by:

2. Further, a flow rate adjusting means for adjusting the flow rate of the liquid sprayed by the water flow generating means is provided.

2. The magnetic foreign matter recovery device according to claim 1.

3. A method for recovering magnetic foreign matter, comprising: a storage step of storing a liquid containing magnetic foreign matter in a tank; an adsorption step of attaching the magnetic foreign matter to the cylindrical outer circumferential surface of a cylindrical drum that is supported horizontally and rotatably with a portion of the drum immersed in the liquid in the tank, by fixing a permanent magnet inside the drum so as to generate a magnetic force on the cylindrical outer circumferential surface of the drum and rotating a compression roller in conjunction with the drum; and a removal step of scraping off the adsorbed magnetic foreign matter with a scraping plate, a water current generating step of generating a new water current in the tank in which the liquid containing magnetic foreign matter has been stored in the storing step, the new water current agitating the liquid containing magnetic foreign matter stored in the tank; a water flow direction adjusting step of adjusting the water flow direction of the water flow generated in the water flow generating step, In the water flow generating step, the liquid containing the magnetic foreign matter stored in the tank is sprayed to generate a new water flow. A method for recovering magnetic foreign matter, comprising:

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