Adjustment device, adjustment method, and manufacturing method

Abstract

This adjustment device (10) comprises: a container (12) having a liquid inflow part (18) and a liquid outflow part (20); and a porous filter (14) that supplies a liquid from the liquid inflow part (18) to the liquid outflow part (20) via pores. Solid metal particles are captured in the pores. The porous filter (14) increases the specific resistance value of the liquid after passing through the pores to be greater than the specific resistance of the liquid before passing through the pores.

Description

Technical Field

[0006] , ,

[0005] ,

[0007] , ,

[0001] The present invention relates to adjusting the specific resistance value of a liquid containing metal ions.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, it is known that there are various fields that require liquids with a low metal ion content.

[0003] For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2013 - 132735 discloses a wire electrical discharge machining machine that uses an ion exchange resin to maintain the specific resistance value of a machining fluid higher than a predetermined value and reduce the ion concentration in the machining fluid. Ion exchange resins are used not only in wire electrical discharge machining machines but also in various fields. For example, ion exchange resins are used in semiconductor manufacturing, alcohol manufacturing, pharmaceutical manufacturing, pure water treatment, sewage treatment, power generation treatment, removal treatment of calcium, etc. in boilers, refined sugar treatment, etc.

[0004] Also, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2019 - 98225 discloses a water purification system that insolubilizes metal ions in water and removes the insolubilized metal components from water by filtration.

[0005] Also, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2005 - 213200 discloses a removal device that removes metal compounds in a surfactant by an apparatus in which an ion exchange resin packed column and a functional filter unit are connected by a constituent member of a specific material.

[0006] Also, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2006 - 95391 discloses a wastewater treatment device that treats wastewater containing metal ions.

Summary of the Invention

[0007] However, in the case of Japanese Patent Publication No. 2013-132735 or Japanese Patent Publication No. 2005-213200, it is necessary to replace the ion exchange resin. Also, in the case of Japanese Patent Publication No. 2019-98225, an insolubilizing agent is required to make the metal ions insoluble. As a result, the running costs for adjusting the resistivity of the metal ions tend to increase. Therefore, there was a need to reduce the concentration of metal ions in the liquid without using ion exchange resin or insolubilizing agents.

[0008] The present invention aims to solve the problems described above.

[0009] A first aspect of the present invention is an adjustment device for adjusting the resistivity of a liquid that does not contain solid metals but contains metal ions, comprising: a container having a liquid inlet and a liquid outlet; and a porous filter housed in the container, which supplies the liquid from the liquid inlet to the liquid outlet through pores, wherein solid metal particles are captured in the pores, and the porous filter increases the resistivity of the liquid after it has passed through the pores compared to the resistivity of the liquid before it has passed through the pores.

[0010] A second aspect of the present invention is a method for adjusting the resistivity of a liquid that does not contain solid metals but contains metal ions, wherein the liquid is flowed through the pores of a porous filter in which solid metal particles are trapped, thereby increasing the resistivity of the liquid after it has passed through the pores compared to the resistivity of the liquid before it has passed through the pores.

[0011] A third aspect of the present invention is a manufacturing method for manufacturing an adjustment device that does not contain solid metals but contains metal ions for adjusting the resistivity of a liquid, comprising: a recovery step (P1) of recovering a filter for removing processing debris generated by processing a workpiece with a machine tool from the machine tool; and a storage step (P2) of housing the filter in a container having an inlet and an outlet for the liquid.

[0012] According to the above embodiment, the concentration of metal ions in a liquid can be reduced without using an ion exchange resin or an immobilizing agent. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the adjustment device according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a flowchart showing the flow of the manufacturing method for producing the adjustment device. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the adjustment device in a modified form. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a flowchart showing the flow of the adjustment method using modified examples. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0014] [Embodiment] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the adjustment device 10 according to an embodiment. The adjustment device 10 comprises a container 12 and a porous filter 14.

[0015] Container 12 is a container for housing the porous filter 14. Container 12 has a container body 16, a liquid inlet 18, and a liquid outlet 20.

[0016] The container body 16 has a filter housing space FS inside. The filter housing space FS is a space capable of housing a porous filter 14. The container body 16 may have an opening and closing lid for housing the porous filter 14 in the filter housing space FS. Alternatively, the container body 16 may be separable into multiple pieces to house the porous filter 14 in the filter housing space FS.

[0017] The liquid inlet 18 communicates with the filter housing space FS. The liquid inlet 18 has an inlet hole 18-1 and an inlet conduit 18-2. The inlet hole 18-1 is a hole that penetrates the container body 16 from the outer wall to the inner wall of the container body 16. The inlet conduit 18-2 covers the outside of the inlet hole 18-1 and is a conduit that extends outward from the outer wall surface of the container body 16. The inlet conduit 18-2 may be formed integrally with the container body 16, or it may be joined to the container body 16 by a joining member. The inlet conduit 18-2 may also be removed.

[0018] The liquid outlet section 20 communicates with the filter housing space FS. The liquid outlet section 20 has a water outlet hole 20-1 and a water outlet conduit 20-2. The water outlet hole 20-1 is a hole that penetrates the container body 16 from the outer wall of the container body 16 to the inner wall of the container body 16. The water outlet conduit 20-2 covers the outside of the water outlet hole 20-1 and is a conduit that extends outward from the outer wall surface of the container body 16. The water outlet conduit 20-2 may be formed integrally with the container body 16, or it may be joined to the container body 16 by a joining member. The water outlet conduit 20-2 may also be removed.

[0019] The porous filter 14 is a porous body having pores. Examples of porous bodies include filter paper and filter cloth. Solid metal particles are trapped in the pores. The metal particles include at least one of iron, aluminum, copper, zinc, cemented carbide, tungsten, molybdenum, carbon, titanium, silicon, manganese, chromium, phosphorus, sulfur, and nickel. The metal particles may also be machining waste generated from machining a workpiece with a machine tool. If the metal particles are machining waste, the porous filter 14 may be a filtration filter that has been used in the past to remove machining waste generated from machining a workpiece with a machine tool.

[0020] The machine tool is a wire electrical discharge machining tool, a shaped electrode electrical discharge machining tool, a micro-hole electrical discharge machining tool, a cutting machine, or the like. The wire electrical discharge machining tool is a device that processes a workpiece by means of an electric discharge generated between a wire electrode and the workpiece. The shaped electrode electrical discharge machining tool is a device that processes a workpiece by means of an electric discharge generated between a shaped electrode and the workpiece. The micro-hole electrical discharge machining tool is a device that rotates a bar electrode with a circular cross-section and processes a workpiece by means of an electric discharge generated between the tool and the workpiece. The cutting machine is a device that processes a workpiece using a tool.

[0021] The porous filter 14 supplies the liquid from the liquid inlet portion 18 to the liquid outlet portion 20 through the pores. When the liquid supplied to the liquid inlet portion 18 does not contain solid metal objects but contains metal ions, the specific resistance value of the liquid after passing through the pores of the porous filter 14 becomes larger than the specific resistance value of the liquid before passing through the pores.

[0022] The adjustment method of the adjustment device 10 is to flow a liquid that does not contain solid metal objects but contains metal ions through the pores of the porous filter 14 in which solid metal particles are trapped, so as to increase the specific resistance value of the liquid.

[0023] The inventors have found that when clear water is passed through the pores of a porous body in which machining chips are trapped, the specific resistance value of the clear water increases. The machining chips are solid metal particles generated by machining a workpiece by a machine tool. The clear water is a liquid from which machining chips have been removed from the machining fluid, and does not contain solid metal objects but contains metal ions.

[0024] As described above, in this embodiment, a porous filter 14 in which solid metal particles are trapped in the pores is provided. The porous filter 14 increases the specific resistance value of a liquid that does not contain solid metal objects but contains metal ions after passing through the pores compared to before passing through the pores. Thereby, the metal ion concentration of the liquid can be reduced without using an ion exchange resin or an insolubilizing agent.

[0025] FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the flow of a manufacturing method for manufacturing the adjustment device 10. Note that FIG. 2 shows the flow of the manufacturing method when a filtration filter that was previously used to remove machining chips generated by machining an object to be machined by a machine tool is used as the porous filter 14. The manufacturing method of the adjustment device 10 includes a recovery step P1 and a housing step P2.

[0026] The recovery step P1 is a step of recovering the filtration filter from the machine tool. The filtration filter is disposed on a flow path through which the sewage, which is a processing liquid containing machining chips, flows. The filtration filter recovered in the recovery step P1 is a filtration filter that has been used at least once (through which the sewage has flowed).

[0027] The housing step P2 is a step of housing the filtration filter in the container 12. For example, when the container main body 16 has an opening / closing lid, the filtration filter is housed in the filter housing space FS of the container main body 16 through the opening / closing lid. Also, for example, when the container main body 16 is separable into a plurality of pieces, the plurality of pieces are joined so that the filtration filter is housed in the filter housing space FS.

[0028] According to the above manufacturing method, the adjustment device 10 that reduces the liquid metal ion concentration can be manufactured without using an ion exchange resin or an insolubilizing agent. Also, the filtration filter can be recycled as the porous filter 14.

[0029] The adjustment device 10 of the present embodiment can be installed in various devices that require a liquid with a low metal ion content. For example, the adjustment device 10 is installed at a necessary location in the above wire electrical discharge machining machine, water purification system, or removal device. Taking the wire electrical discharge machining machine as an example, the installation method of the adjustment device 10 will be described.

[0030] In a wire electrical discharge machining (EDM) machine, there is a pipeline that guides the machining fluid from the clean water tank to the machining tank. The clean water tank is a water tank that stores clean water, which is the machining fluid from which machining debris has been removed. The machining tank is a water tank that stores the machining fluid for immersing the workpiece. When the adjustment device 10 is installed in the above pipeline, for example, the pipeline is divided into an upstream section and a downstream section. The end of the upstream section (downstream end) is connected to the liquid inlet 18 of the adjustment device 10. On the other hand, the downstream section (upstream end) is connected to the liquid outlet 20 of the adjustment device 10.

[0031] When the adjustment device 10 is installed in this manner, the porous filter 14 makes the resistivity of the clean water supplied to the processing tank greater than the resistivity of the clean water supplied from the clean water tank. Therefore, the concentration of metal ions in the processing fluid stored in the processing tank can be reduced without using ion exchange resin.

[0032] Furthermore, the reciprocal of resistivity [Ωm] is the conductivity [S / m], and there is a correlation between resistivity [Ωm] and conductivity [S / m]. Therefore, resistivity [Ωm] can be substituted for conductivity [S / m]. When resistivity [Ωm] is substituted for conductivity [S / m], the relationship between the values ​​is reversed. For example, "increasing resistivity [Ωm]" is synonymous with "decreasing conductivity [S / m]".

[0033] [Variation] The above embodiment may be modified as follows.

[0034] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the adjustment device 10 according to a modified example. In Figure 3, components equivalent to those described in the embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals. Note that in this modified example, explanations that overlap with those in the embodiment are omitted.

[0035] In this modified version, a bypass conduit 22, a switch 24, a resistivity meter 26, and a controller 28 are newly provided.

[0036] The bypass pipeline 22 is a pipeline that bypasses the porous filter 14 and connects to the liquid inlet 18 and the liquid outlet 20.

[0037] The switch 24 is a device that switches the liquid supply destination between the bypass pipeline 22 and the porous filter 14. The switch 24 may be a three-way valve or two on-off valves. If the switch 24 is a three-way valve, it is installed at the connection point CP between the bypass pipeline 22 and the inlet pipeline 18-2 of the liquid inlet section 18 (see Figure 3). If the switch 24 is two on-off valves, one of the two on-off valves is installed in the inlet pipeline 18-2 upstream of the connection point CP, and the other of the two on-off valves is installed in the bypass pipeline 22 near the connection point CP.

[0038] The resistivity meter 26 measures the resistivity of the liquid supplied to the liquid inlet 18. The resistivity meter 26 may be installed in the liquid inlet 18 or at the liquid supply source. For example, when the adjustment device 10 is installed in an electrical discharge machining (EDM) machine (wire EDM, die-sinking EDM, or small-hole EDM), the liquid supply source is a clean water tank.

[0039] The controller 28 controls the switch 24. The controller 28 has a processor such as a CPU or MPU, and one or more memories such as ROM, RAM, or hard disk. The controller 28 compares the resistivity value of the liquid measured by the resistivity meter 26 with a predetermined threshold. If the resistivity value is below the predetermined threshold, the controller 28 controls the switch 24 so that the liquid supply destination switches to the porous filter 14. On the other hand, if the resistivity value is above the predetermined threshold, the controller 28 controls the switch 24 so that the liquid supply destination switches to the bypass pipeline 22.

[0040] The adjustment method for the adjustment device 10 according to this modified example is performed as follows. Figure 4 is a flowchart showing the flow of the adjustment method according to the modified example. The adjustment method according to the modified example includes a supply step P11, a measurement step P12, and a switching step P13.

[0041] The supply process P11 is a process of supplying a liquid containing metal ions but no solid metals to the switch 24. In this process, for example, an on-off valve provided in the pipeline leading from the liquid supply source to the liquid inlet 18 of the adjustment device 10 is opened.

[0042] Measurement step P12 is a step in which the resistivity value of the liquid supplied to the liquid inlet 18 is measured. The resistivity value is measured by a resistivity meter 26 installed in the liquid inlet 18 or the liquid supply source, etc.

[0043] The switching process P13 is a process in which the liquid supply destination is switched to either the bypass pipeline 22 or the porous filter 14 based on the measurement results. The switching of the liquid supply destination is performed by the controller 28. In this process, ratio If the resistance value falls below a predetermined threshold, the liquid supply destination is switched to the porous filter 14. On the other hand, if the resistivity value is above a predetermined threshold, the liquid supply destination is switched to the bypass pipeline 22.

[0044] The supply process P11, the measurement process P12, and the switching process P13 are carried out continuously from the start to the end of adjusting the resistivity of the liquid.

[0045] According to the above modified example, liquid can be supplied to the porous filter 14 only when necessary. Therefore, the lifespan of the porous filter 14 can be improved compared to when liquid is constantly supplied to the porous filter 14.

[0046] In this modified example, the resistivity meter 26 may be replaced with a conductivity meter. The conductivity meter measures the conductivity of the liquid supplied to the liquid inlet 18. When the resistivity meter 26 is replaced with a conductivity meter, the controller 28 compares the conductivity of the liquid measured by the conductivity meter with a predetermined threshold. If the conductivity exceeds the predetermined threshold, the controller 28 controls the switch 24 so that the liquid supply destination switches to the porous filter 14. On the other hand, if the conductivity is below the predetermined threshold, the controller 28 controls the switch 24 so that the liquid supply destination switches to the bypass pipeline 22.

[0047] 〔invention〕 The inventions and effects that can be understood from the above description are described below.

[0048] (1) The present invention relates to an adjustment device (10) for adjusting the resistivity of a liquid that does not contain solid metals but contains metal ions, comprising: a container (12) having a liquid inlet (18) and a liquid outlet (20); and a porous filter (14) housed in the container and supplying the liquid from the liquid inlet to the liquid outlet through pores, wherein solid metal particles are captured in the pores, and the porous filter makes the resistivity of the liquid after passing through the pores greater than the resistivity of the liquid before passing through the pores.

[0049] This makes it possible to reduce the concentration of metal ions in a liquid without using ion exchange resins or insolubilizing agents.

[0050] (2) The present invention relates to an adjustment device, wherein the metal particles may include at least one of iron, aluminum, copper, zinc, cemented carbide, tungsten, molybdenum, carbon, titanium, silicon, manganese, chromium, phosphorus, sulfur, and nickel. This makes it possible to appropriately increase the resistivity of a liquid that does not contain solid metals but contains metal ions.

[0051] (3) The present invention relates to an adjustment device, wherein the metal particles may be machining waste generated by machining a workpiece using a machine tool. This makes it possible to appropriately increase the resistivity of a liquid that does not contain solid metals but contains metal ions.

[0052] (4) The present invention relates to an adjustment device, wherein the porous filter may be a filter that has been previously used as a filtration filter to remove processing debris generated by the processing of a workpiece by a machine tool. This allows the filtration filter to be recycled.

[0053] (5) The present invention may also include an adjustment device comprising: a bypass pipeline (22) that bypasses the porous filter and connects the liquid inlet and the liquid outlet; a switch (24) that switches the destination of the liquid supply to either the bypass pipeline or the porous filter; a resistivity meter (26) that measures the resistivity of the liquid supplied to the liquid inlet; and a controller (28) that controls the switch so that the destination of the liquid supply switches to the porous filter when the resistivity of the liquid falls below a predetermined threshold, and controls the switch so that the destination of the liquid supply switches to the bypass pipeline when the resistivity of the liquid is above a predetermined threshold. This allows the liquid to be supplied to the porous filter only when necessary. Therefore, the lifespan of the porous filter can be improved compared to when the liquid is constantly supplied to the porous filter.

[0054] (6) The present invention relates to a method for adjusting the resistivity of a liquid that does not contain solid metals but contains metal ions, wherein the liquid is passed through the pores of a porous filter in which solid metal particles are trapped, thereby increasing the resistivity of the liquid after it has passed through the pores compared to the resistivity of the liquid before it has passed through the pores.

[0055] This makes it possible to reduce the concentration of metal ions in a liquid without using ion exchange resins or insolubilizing agents.

[0056] (7) The present invention provides an adjustment method comprising: a measurement step (P12) of measuring the resistivity of the liquid supplied to the porous filter; and a switching step (P13) of switching the liquid supply destination to either a bypass pipeline that bypasses the porous filter or the porous filter based on the measurement result, wherein in the switching step, if the resistivity of the liquid falls below a predetermined threshold, the liquid supply destination is switched to the porous filter, and if the resistivity of the liquid is above a predetermined threshold, the liquid supply destination is switched to the bypass pipeline. This allows the liquid to be supplied to the porous filter only when necessary. Therefore, the lifespan of the porous filter can be improved compared to when the liquid is always supplied to the porous filter.

[0057] (8) The present invention relates to a manufacturing method for manufacturing an adjustment device for adjusting the resistivity of a liquid that does not contain solid metals but contains metal ions, comprising: a recovery step (P1) of recovering a filter for removing processing debris generated by processing a workpiece with a machine tool from the machine tool; and a storage step (P2) of housing the filter in a container having an inlet and an outlet for the liquid.

[0058] This allows for the reduction of metal ion concentration in liquids without the use of ion exchange resins or immobilizers. Furthermore, the filtration filter can be recycled.

[0059] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the disclosure described above, and can take various configurations without departing from the spirit of the invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0060] 10...Adjustment device 12...Container 14…Porous filter 16…Container body 18...Liquid inflow part 20...Liquid outflow part 22...Bypass conduit 24...Switch 26... Resistivity meter 28... Controller

Claims

1. An adjustment device for adjusting the resistivity of a liquid that does not contain solid metals but contains metal ions, A container having a liquid inlet and a liquid outlet, A porous filter housed in the aforementioned container, which supplies the liquid from the liquid inlet to the liquid outlet through pores, Equipped with, Solid metal particles are trapped in the aforementioned pores. The porous filter is an adjustment device that increases the resistivity of the liquid after it has passed through the pores compared to the resistivity of the liquid before it has passed through the pores.

2. The adjustment device according to claim 1, The adjustment device wherein the metal particles include at least one of iron, aluminum, copper, zinc, cemented carbide, tungsten, molybdenum, carbon, titanium, silicon, manganese, chromium, phosphorus, sulfur, and nickel.

3. An adjustment device according to claim 1 or 2, The aforementioned metal particles are machining waste generated by machining an object using a machine tool, and the adjustment device.

4. An adjustment device according to claim 1 or 2, The porous filter is a filter that was previously used as a filtration filter to remove processing debris generated by the processing of a workpiece by a machine tool, and is part of the adjustment device.

5. An adjustment device according to claim 1 or 2, A bypass pipe that bypasses the porous filter and connects to the liquid inlet and the liquid outlet, A switch that switches the supply destination of the liquid to either the bypass pipeline or the porous filter, A resistivity meter for measuring the resistivity of the liquid supplied to the liquid inlet, A controller that controls the switch so that the liquid supply destination switches to the porous filter when the resistivity value of the liquid falls below a predetermined threshold, and controls the switch so that the liquid supply destination switches to the bypass pipeline when the resistivity value of the liquid is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, An adjustment device equipped with the following features.

6. A method for adjusting the resistivity of a liquid that does not contain solid metals but contains metal ions, A method for adjusting a liquid by flowing it through the pores of a porous filter in which solid metal particles are trapped, thereby increasing the resistivity of the liquid after it has passed through the pores compared to the resistivity of the liquid before it passed through the pores.

7. The adjustment method according to claim 6, The process includes a measurement step of measuring the resistivity of the liquid supplied to the porous filter, and a switching step of switching the liquid supply destination to either a bypass pipeline that bypasses the porous filter or the porous filter itself, based on the measurement result. In the aforementioned switching process, An adjustment method in which, when the resistivity of the liquid falls below a predetermined threshold, the supply destination of the liquid is switched to the porous filter, and when the resistivity of the liquid is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, the supply destination of the liquid is switched to the bypass pipeline.

8. A manufacturing method for producing an adjustment device that does not contain solid metals but contains metal ions for adjusting the resistivity of a liquid, A recovery process for recovering a filtration filter, which removes machining waste generated by machining a workpiece using a machine tool, from the machine tool, A housing step of housing the filtration filter in a container having an inlet and an outlet for the liquid, A manufacturing method that includes this.

Images