Manufacturer increases tool life 50 per cent with cold gun

Dave Gray had a frequent problem when working on an Okuma vertical machining centre at Positech Corporation’s Fairfield, Ohio, facility, which manufactures intricate machined parts for the automotive, motorcycle and aerospace industries. Whenever the machinist was rough-milling pockets in type 410 stainless steel using a two flute ⅜-inch carbide cutter, coolant produced thermal shock, resulting in micro cracking of the carbide inserts. But without coolant, thermal cracking of the inserts was almost immediate. They were constantly changing inserts — creating unnecessary costs.

Everything changed when the company installed a Model 5215 Cold Gun System from Cincinnati, Ohio-based Exair Corp. The -6.7-degree C (20-degree F) cold air kept the inserts cool and allowed the heat to be carried away on the chips, increasing tool life by 50 per cent.

How does it work?

The cold gun features a vortex tube to convert an ordinary supply of compressed air into two low-pressure streams — one hot and one cold. The hot airstream is muffled and discharged through the hot air exhaust. The cold air is muffled and discharged through the flexible hose, which directs it to the point of use. The magnetic base is designed to provide easy mounting and portability. 

Heat built up can ruin expensive tooling, as well as the part being machined. In Positech’s situation, it would have been easy to constantly ruin a $200 cutter. With the use of Exair’s cold gun, not only is tool life increased, but so is productivity. The cold gun keeps the tooling cool and allows Gray to immediately handle the part since the heat blows away the chips.

Click here for more information about Exair’s Cold Gun Air Coolant System.

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