Chip conveyor - pain in the ###

Schjell · Nov 4, 2020

Hi,
My chip conveyor sometimes gets packed full in the ladder and stops when running duplex steel. Spent 3 hours today trying to get it sorted out. Design is not ideal, it's got a top section cover that slides off rather than being bolted onto top. If it's packed then that cover will hardly budge due to friction. It's a Haas.

Have any of you guys replaced this crap cover with a homebuilt bolted version? I'm strongly considering it. Considering using a plastic POM sheet or something that wears out or bends if necessary.

I try to make small nice chips, but on finishing passes or damaged inserts, long stringy stuff is unavoidable in my opinion. Try to stop and fish them out, but they sometimes sneak past me and cause hell minutes or weeks later.

Thanks for all tips.

sirAIG · Nov 4, 2020

Yeah, they suck for stringy chips. Only solution I ever had was to remove those manually before cycling the conveyor. I never left it running all the time as my cup accumulation was minimal most times.

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Orange Vise · Nov 4, 2020

sirAIG said:
Only solution I ever had was to remove those manually before cycling the conveyor.

Same.

There's no easy fix. A well packed birds nest will jam up almost any brand/model of conveyor. Just gotta be diligent.

Schjell · Nov 4, 2020

Ok, sounds like I just have to deal with it and try my best to avoid it from happening.
Will make my replacement cover thing though. If it gets packed then at least I can get the damn thing openened up easy enough.

Thanks,
John

cnctoolcat · Nov 5, 2020

Maybe speed your conveyor up?

I installed inverters for my Jorgensen conveyors, actually slowing them down (they just ran too fast, wearing themselves out prematurely and wasting too much coolant).

Inverters make it simple to reverse the conveyor when needed as well.

Some conveyors have taller cross-sections, which allows thicker chip wads to pass without jamming the conveyor.

The problem we have sometimes is the conveyors drawing loose wads back in from the chip hopper. I have to remind my guys to keep the area below the conveyor exit clear.

ToolCat

Guest · Nov 5, 2020

I took the cover off mine, but it's on a lathe. Rarely do chips land on the floor.

DouglasJRizzo · Nov 5, 2020

I had a customer cook up a set of stainless wings to deflect the chips down into the conveyor, they were packing around the sides and getting underneath creating a real ugly mess. He had them attached with 1/4-20 SHCS. Whenever he wanted to do maintenance, he'd just unbolt them and then clean as normal.

Schjell · Nov 6, 2020

Thanks for the feedback guys.
Will try my best to avoid these birds nests in the future by being a bit more vigilant as well as replacing that stupid cover with something easier to remove.
Enjoy the weekend!

-John

Ox · Nov 7, 2020

Most (all?) of my conveyors either have the sheetmetal off, or completely bulged out by now.

I blame most chip issues on the fact that they* don't put bars on every link, and leave like 8" or more between bars.
Well that's fine on a flat or near flat application, but if you are going to be shooting 45-60* up to a dump hopper, you need sumpthing to keep schtuff from rolling back down the chain!

Otherwise - the only other option is to let it run full tilt boogie, and carry off 10x as much coolant as necessary.

* Now who "they" is - I'm not sure?
I'm guessing that it is essentially the MTB going by industry std (what everyone else is dooing) and by going by the conveyors recomendations. (again - likely just what everyone else is doing)
I'm sure that it saves $100 of a $3500 conveyor to cheap out, but then again - it would likely only add $300 to an $1800 coolant tank to have gone 304SS too (same as automotive brake line) but NOPE! We're not going to that expense ...

Sore subject(s) for me. (Not sorry)

Now - if'n you are making razor wire or ratts nests all the live long day, then you can pony up for a Mayfran unit with double conveyors. An upper and lower running together.

-----------------

Think Snow Eh!
Ox

DouglasJRizzo · Nov 7, 2020

Ox said:
Most (all?) of my conveyors either have the sheetmetal off, or completely bulged out by now.

I blame most chip issues on the fact that they* don't put bars on every link, and leave like 8" or more between bars.
Well that's fine on a flat or near flat application, but if you are going to be shooting 45-60* up to a dump hopper, you need sumpthing to keep schtuff from rolling back down the chain!

Otherwise - the only other option is to let it run full tilt boogie, and carry off 10x as much coolant as necessary.

* Now who "they" is - I'm not sure?
I'm guessing that it is essentially the MTB going by industry std (what everyone else is dooing) and by going by the conveyors recomendations. (again - likely just what everyone else is doing)
I'm sure that it saves $100 of a $3500 conveyor to cheap out, but then again - it would likely only add $300 to an $1800 coolant tank to have gone 304SS too (same as automotive brake line) but NOPE! We're not going to that expense ...

Sore subject(s) for me. (Not sorry)

Now - if'n you are making razor wire or ratts nests all the live long day, then you can pony up for a Mayfran unit with double conveyors. An upper and lower running together.

-----------------

Think Snow Eh!
Ox

Many MTBs offer different conveyors for different purposes. There's a "standard" conveyor, then washdown units, heavy duty units, etc. I've even seen them with a grinder or chopper for clobbering the bird's nests. Problem is most of the sales staff have no clue.

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Chip conveyor - pain in the ###

Schjell

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Ox

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