Apparatus for machining ceramic articles

Apparatus having mutually orthogonal x, y, and z axes, wherein the z axis runs vertically, for machining a work piece using a tool bit having a lengthwise axis oriented along the z axis which comprises:

• (a) a machine tool comprising
• a work table, for holding a work piece;
• a spindle, having a lower end portion for directly or indirectly holding and rotating about the z axis the shank of an end mill tool bit, the spindle configured for moving said tool bit in the z axis direction;
• one or more slides, connected directly or indirectly to the spindle, for moving the spindle and said tool bit in one or both of the x-axis direction and y-axis direction;
• wherein said one or more slides are located at an elevation higher than the elevation of said lower end portion of the spindle;
• and,
• (b) a fluid handling system for channeling and processing liquid coolant and air, comprising
• an enclosure, comprised of side walls, a floor, and one or more access doors in a side wall;
• at least two shields, each made of flexible sheet and having a horizontal portion, the shields cooperatively partitioning the apparatus into an upper region which is a space at a higher elevation than the spindle lower end portion from a lower region which is a space at a lower elevation than the spindle lower end portion;
• the at least two shields comprising a first shield having a horizontal portion movable to and fro along one of the x-axis or y-axis;
• and a second shield having a horizontal portion movable to and fro along a horizontal axis that is at right angles to movement direction of the horizontal portion of the first shield;
• wherein the horizontal portions of the two shields are in close vertical proximity to each other;
• wherein each of the two shields run either as a continuous loop around a multiplicity of spaced apart roller pairs or between reels that are horizontally spaced apart as a reel pair;
• wherein each of the rollers of a roller pair and each of the reels of a reel pair of said shields are located in close proximity to a side wall of the enclosure, so there is a slot-like opening space between each roller or reel and its respective close proximity side wall for flow of air from said upper region to said lower region;
• at least one air mover for flowing air from said upper region to said lower region;
• and, a coolant handling system for flowing coolant from said lower region to vicinity of said spindle lower end portion.