Air consumption for machine tool processing
The calculation of blowing air consumption for machine tool processing is a key link to ensure processing quality and efficiency. Its calculation principle, influencing factors and typical scenarios are as follows:
1. Calculation principle
- empirical calculation
- basis: Determine the air consumption based on actual production experience and combined with factors such as the size, shape, and material of the processed parts.
- Target: Ensure that waste residue, cutting chips and other materials are cleaned up to avoid blockages and not waste air supply.
- Gas source flow calculation method
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formula：
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- parameter description：
- clean area: The surface area of the machine or workpiece that needs to be cleaned.
- Length of cleaning time: Time for a single blow operation.
- Insufflation oral flow: The air outlet volume of a single blowing nozzle can be measured by a gas source flow measuring instrument.
2. Influencing factors
- processing parameters
- processing type: The amount of waste residue produced by different processes such as cutting and turning varies greatly.
- Material of processed parts: The shape and volume of chips produced by aluminum, steel, etc. are different.
- nozzle design
- nozzle diameter: The larger the diameter, the greater the outgassing volume per unit time.
- number of nozzles: When multiple nozzles are connected in parallel, the total air consumption increases exponentially.
- example: It is recommended to have 16-20 nozzles for the 3-inch pulse valve. It is necessary to balance the injection air volume, pressure and filter bag length.
- blowing strategy
- time control: Control the duration of a single blow through a time relay or manually.
- frequency control: Avoid frequent blowing and waste of air source.
- air source pressure
- pressure requirements: The gas source pressure in the machining center usually needs to be ≥0.5MPa, and the requirements for high-precision equipment are higher.
- pressure shaping: Insufficient pressure will reduce the blowing effect and increase the gas use time.
3. Typical application scenarios
- cutting
- scene: Clean chips on the surface of tools and workpieces.
- gas consumption: Adjust according to the amount of chips, usually 1-10 m³/h.
- turning
- scene: Cool the tool and blow away long chips.
- optimization: Use directional nozzles to improve cleaning efficiency.
- automatic production line
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scene: Multiple machine tools share air sources, and the instantaneous maximum air consumption needs to be calculated.
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formula：
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| – ** Simultaneous use factor **: 0.3-0.7 (low value is taken for single piece and small batch production, and high value is taken for mass production). |
4. Optimization suggestions
- Nozzle design optimization
- diffusion angle control: The nozzle design needs to ensure a compressed air diffusion angle (e.g., a 20° diffusion angle) to cover the cleaning area.
- induced airflow: Use blowing short pipes to induce surrounding air to improve cleaning efficiency.
- intelligent control
- pressure sensor: Monitor the blowing pressure in real time to avoid insufficient pressure or waste.
- timing control: Set the blowing interval through PLC to reduce manual intervention.
- Gas source management
- Gas storage tank configuration: According to formula (Q is the air compressor displacement, in m³/min) Configure an air storage tank to stabilize the air supply pressure.
- Pipeline optimization: Calculate the pipe diameter (Formula , u is the flow rate of 8-15m/s), reducing pressure loss.
5. Example calculation
case: The cleaning area of a machining center is 0.5m², the single cleaning time is 2 minutes, and the flow rate of each blowing mouth is 0.2m³/min, with a total of 10 nozzles.
computing：
optimization: If a pulse injection system is used, the instantaneous air flow speed can be increased and the air consumption time can be reduced.
Through scientific calculation and reasonable design, companies can accurately match the amount of air blowing, improve processing efficiency and reduce energy consumption.