Extraction for
aluminium chips

1. General

In the aluminium industry, the importance of the new production processes that manage without or with small quantities of cooling lubricants continues to increase. The chips produced can often be extracted directly and fed to a filter system via a piping system.

The targeted collection and removal of the chips is the prerequisite for effective extraction.

As a rule, the processing machines are already equipped with extraction hoods that are to be connected to the piping system of the extraction system. The machine manufacturers specify the data to be complied with in terms of extraction (extraction volume flow, suction pressure). Some old machines do not meet these requirements, so that on-site tests are necessary to design and optimally position the extraction hoods and to determine the characteristics..

2. Innovative extraction systems 

The decisive factor for the extraction system is the required extraction volume flow. Dust extractors are generally used up to 10,000 m³/h, although larger air volumes can also be achieved by combining several dust extractors.

Dust extractor solutions (Fig. 1) have the charm that these units can be set up directly in the working area. The dust extractors are compact extraction units with the following features:                           

• High suction power,

• Low energy consumption,

• Quiet operation,      

• Effective filter and cleaning technology,

• Compactness,      

• Tested safety,  

• Several disposal options,

• Delivery largely ready for operation.

For extraction volume flows above 10,000 m³/h, central, externally installed filter systems (Fig. 2) are the primary alternative solution..

The filter units also represent compact extraction units with integrated, energy-efficient high-performance fans, which as individual units cover the volume flow range up to 40,000 m³/h. The other features of this unit series are:

• Variety through a modular system,

• Optimum adaptability to customer conditions,

• High suction power,  

• Use of high-performance fans,

• Quiet operation,

• Effective filter and cleaning technology,

• Several disposal options,

• Pre-assembly in the factory     

What modern extraction systems have in common today is that they use intelligent control and regulation technology to adapt the extraction power to the demand and thus ensure energy-efficient operation. The demand-adapted extraction capacity is achieved by changing the speed of the extraction fans by operating the motors via frequency converters..

From the experience of the large number of speed-controlled extraction systems already supplied by SPÄNEX, we can say that in real operation on average only approx. 50 - 60 % of the installed motor power is required.