Milling machine chip tray: install or not?

[Former Member]

I suspect that a shower curtain would catch all those nice hot chips and look like netting in a couple jobs.

Actually not, So far never burnt a hole in yet. Depending on what I'm doing I use not cooling (usually manual operations), mist cooling (rarely but if with manual operations), flood cooling CNC.

 

[Hacker]

Good to hear. I have stopped wearing anything that is synthetic when I am working in the shop as I usually end up burning a hole in it. LOL

 

[Susquatch]

Good to hear. I have stopped wearing anything that is synthetic when I am working in the shop as I usually end up burning a hole in it. LOL

I think it depends on your tooling, material your cutting, how fast you cut it, and how deep you go. Some swarf stays hot for a long time!

 

[Hacker]

It's those blue ones that get you. especially if it drops down your collar.

 

[Former Member]

And thus is why chip trays and chip containment becomes important when you run your machine at speeds.

Mill: BB CT054 (yes this is/was small knee mill)
CNC Control: Acorn
Motor: 2hp with VFD at about 3300rpm spindle speed
Motion: Clearpath SDSK Nema 34 servos, love these things run cool and if you stall them you've exceeded +1000 in-oz of torque. They are connect with solid couplings no gear reduction and are able to achieve 100ipm rapid movement (would push the mill speed at that too without issue, see not below for reason not too).
Endmill: 1/2" 4 flute, carbide
Coolant: Microchip Flood
1/2 D cut, 0.050 depth of cut, 20ipm (yes servos could do more but rigidity, ways, feed screws would suffer excessive wear).

This is the mess you get after a about 10 pieces.

BTW those Aluminium chips are extremely sharp, fine, pointy and act like needles. And you guys wonder how I create the volume of chips I do.

 

[whydontu]

And thus is why chip trays and chip containment becomes important when you run your machine at speeds.

Mill: BB CT054 (yes this is/was small knee mill)
CNC Control: Acorn
Motor: 2hp with VFD at about 3300rpm spindle speed
Motion: Clearpath SDSK Nema 34 servos, love these things run cool and if you stall them you've exceeded +1000 in-oz of torque. They are connect with solid couplings no gear reduction and are able to achieve 100ipm rapid movement (would push the mill speed at that too without issue, see not below for reason not too).
Endmill: 1/2" 4 flute, carbide
Coolant: Microchip Flood
1/2 D cut, 0.050 depth of cut, 20ipm (yes servos could do more but rigidity, ways, feed screws would suffer excessive wear).

This is the mess you get after a about 10 pieces.

BTW those Aluminium chips are extremely sharp, fine, pointy and act like needles. And you guys wonder how I create the volume of chips I do.

and you can’t pick them up with a magnet

 

[Former Member]

and you can’t pick them up with a magnet

As the the saying goes....

Aluminum good, Aluminum bad.

 

[Dabbler]

If the shower curtain is any distance, say 24" it should stand up: after about afoot of flinging, those chips are a lot cooler.

Princess auto regularly has welding blankets on sale for about the same price as a shower curtain - fibreglass, and melt-resistant.

 

[Former Member]

If the shower curtain is any distance, say 24" it should stand up: after about afoot of flinging, those chips are a lot cooler.

Princess auto regularly has welding blankets on sale for about the same price as a shower curtain - fibreglass, and melt-resistant.

At the closest I'm about 8-9" with Vinyl sheet, so far no issues.

 

[ThorstenD]

Hi all, thanks for your advice. Chip tray it is! And maybe a shower curtain later!

Cheers,
Thorsten