Magnetic filters help maintain surface finish

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Mar 23, 2005

Eclipse Magnetics recently installed one of its latest magnetic filters on a Walter five-axis tool and cutter grinding machine at Elite Tooling in Rotherham.

Eclipse Magnetics recently installed one of its latest magnetic filters on a Walter five-axis tool and cutter grinding machine at Elite Tooling in Rotherham.

Elite Tooling specialises in the manufacture of standard and bespoke solid carbide slot, end mill and form tools.

One of the main difficulties when grinding carbide is ensuring that the cutting oil is suitably filtered prior to it being reintroduced into the grinding operation at the cutting face.

Recirculating contaminated oil can reduce surface finish quality, produce inconsistent parts, result in oil degradation and above all reduce an expensive machine tool into a tired looking and worn piece of critical equipment within months.

Bob Hill, Production Director at Elite Tooling states: "The recently installed Walter Helitronic power grinder enables various carbide cutting tools to be machined from stock bar".

"This includes the flute shaping operation, which generates the most contamination".

"Producing the final cutting edge is an extremely accurate operation, the last thing you need to be thinking about at this stage is whether or not the suspended particles in the cutting oil is going to effect the finished tool".

"At the time, the filter medium we were using wasn't really up to the job of removing the carbide particles".

"The first sign we recognised that this was happening was when the particles started to lay down on the top of flat surfaces making the machine look as if it had been working flat out for the last few years".

"It was at this stage that we realised that we needed to protect our biggest investment and decided to approach Eclipse Magnetics knowing that the particles were magnetic".

"After a brief discussion and visit by one of the Eclipse engineers we decided that we had to have a Filtramag unit".

"The filter was installed by Walter GB and has surpassed our original expectations".

"I would recommend the Filtramag to any company who grinds or hones component parts".

The Filtramag benefits from the incorporation of six high intensity rod magnets, which incorporate rare earth magnetic material.

Using pole concentrators and proven magnetic circuit geometry the rods generate controlled, deep reaching magnetic flux fields, which produce a staggering 1.1T.

These flux fields attract and retain any magnetic particles that are suspended in the fluid.

The Filtramag offers unrivalled levels of both magnetic performance and contamination removal efficiency compared with more conventional designs.

Once purchased Filtramag requires no consumables resulting in less fluid loss and reduced impact to the environment.

The main benefits of using Filtramag compared with cartridge type filters are: no running costs, no maintenance costs, no downtime associated with changing filter media, no loss of fluid due to replacing sodden cartridges, no back pressure, even when the magnetic cores are totally saturated with contamination, and no mess.

Because Filtramag attracts even sub micron sized particles this extends the useful life of the fluid.

Units are available with port connection sizes of 0.75, 1, 1.5 and 2in diameter.