I have an 1984 Fadal VMC40 with a half-height enclosure and an oil mist lubricated spindle. It creates a terrible oil haze in the air after running for 30 minutes or more. I primarily use a Trico Micro Drop system for coolant. This system doesn't contribute to the mist problem as much as the spindle, but I would also like to be able to use flood coolant without creating a coolant fog.
My machine shop is in the corner of an 8000 sq ft building with 25ft ceilings, so my thinking is that it's only worth trying to collect the mist at the source rather than trying to ventilate the whole shop. I have a powerful fan which helps a little, but pushing the mist around doesn't solve the problem since it then contaminates other workspaces, storage etc. Building out a smaller interior machine room is not an option right now.
I'm designing a full enclosure that could be added to this machine but there are a few obnoxious aspects of the machine design that complicate this. Basically, I can't just "build up" from the panels that are already there and need to rethink the whole thing in order to be satisfied with access, safety, mist collection, coolant/chip flow etc. It's a project that will require significant time and consideration, but I need to reduce this mist problem ASAP.
So, I'm wondering if there are others here who have solved similar mist problems without adding a full enclosure. Ideally something using an off the shelf mist collector, so later on I could mount the same unit to my full enclosure. I sometimes plumb vacuum hose near the spindle for milling wood, using 2.5" Loc Line. Would just hooking up a mist collector to this work well? Maybe I need to make something like a kitchen exhaust hood?
Alternately, has anyone already built a full enclosure for an old Fadal where the factory enclosure "telescopes" in and out with the Y axis? If so I'd love to see your design.
My machine shop is in the corner of an 8000 sq ft building with 25ft ceilings, so my thinking is that it's only worth trying to collect the mist at the source rather than trying to ventilate the whole shop. I have a powerful fan which helps a little, but pushing the mist around doesn't solve the problem since it then contaminates other workspaces, storage etc. Building out a smaller interior machine room is not an option right now.
I'm designing a full enclosure that could be added to this machine but there are a few obnoxious aspects of the machine design that complicate this. Basically, I can't just "build up" from the panels that are already there and need to rethink the whole thing in order to be satisfied with access, safety, mist collection, coolant/chip flow etc. It's a project that will require significant time and consideration, but I need to reduce this mist problem ASAP.
So, I'm wondering if there are others here who have solved similar mist problems without adding a full enclosure. Ideally something using an off the shelf mist collector, so later on I could mount the same unit to my full enclosure. I sometimes plumb vacuum hose near the spindle for milling wood, using 2.5" Loc Line. Would just hooking up a mist collector to this work well? Maybe I need to make something like a kitchen exhaust hood?
Alternately, has anyone already built a full enclosure for an old Fadal where the factory enclosure "telescopes" in and out with the Y axis? If so I'd love to see your design.