High pressure coolant system
AssigneeMorrell Incorporated
InventorsJames E. Cook, Rodney Longnecker
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A coolant system for a machining center includes a cutting tool selectively engageable with a work-piece and includes a pump for supplying a flow of coolant to the cutting tool, a motor drivingly engaging the pump, a pressure transducer measuring the pressure of the coolant being supplied to the cutting tool and a controller in communication with the pressure transducer and the motor. The controller compares the pressure measured to a predetermined target pressure and varies the speed of the motor to minimize deviation of the measured pressure from the target pressure.
Claims17
A coolant system for a machining center having a cutting tool selectively engageable with a work-piece, the coolant system comprising:
- a pump for supplying a flow of coolant to the cutting tool;
- a motor drivingly engaging said pump;
- a pressure transducer measuring the pressure of said coolant being supplied to the cutting tool, said pressure transducer outputting an electrical pressure signal;
- a controller in communication with said pressure transducer and said motor, said controller comparing said pressure signal to a predetermined target pressure and varying the speed of said motor to minimize deviation of said pressure signal from said target pressure.
A coolant system comprising:
- a first cutting tool having a first coolant path extending therethrough;
- a second cutting tool having a second coolant path extending therethrough, wherein said second coolant path exits said second cutting tool at a location different from the exit location of said first coolant path, wherein only one of said first and second cutting tools is plumbed within said coolant system at one time and wherein said plumbed cutting tool is selectively engageable with a work-piece;
- a pump for pumping coolant through one of said first and second cutting tools;
- a motor drivingly engaged with said pump;
- and
- a controller in communication with said motor, wherein said controller signals said motor to rotate said pump at a speed whereby said pressure between said cutting tool and said work-piece is substantially equal to a predetermined target pressure when either of said first cutting and second cutting tools is plumbed.
A method of controlling coolant flow comprising:
- pumping coolant through a cutting tool;
- engaging said cutting tool with a work-piece thereby creating resistance to the coolant flow;
- setting a target coolant pressure to be obtained between said cutting tool and said work-piece;
- measuring the coolant pressure supplied to said cutting tool;
- comparing the measured coolant pressure to the target coolant pressure;
- varying the flow rate of coolant pumped to minimize the difference between said target coolant pressure and said measured coolant pressure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.