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22   Phone: 516-328-3970 www.technocnc.com  Technical Section Example of metal ducting specifically designed for dust collection. so that there is a smooth transition at the joint. This smooth transition will help prevent debris from getting trapped, thus clogging the system. In addition, this braided wire should be spiral-wrapped around the exterior and grounded as well. Both metal and plastic piping require final connection to the machines. This connection should be made with flexible hose, not rigid piping. The use of flex hose will  allow  movement of the machine without damaging the ducting system.  Metal  piping typically   connects easily  to  flex  hose whereas plastic usually    does    not always mate correctly. A common method for this  connection  is  to wrap duct tape around the    plastic    fitting increasing the diameter, or fabricate a wooden donut so that the connection can mate correctly. When using the flexible hose, try to minimize the lengths, because its deeply corrugated surface can increase static pressure  loss  by  as  much  as  50%  over  smooth-walled piping. Location of Dust Collector The  location  of  the  dust  collector  is  very  important because it will affect the over all efficiency and cost of the system. When deciding the location of the dust collector,  do not  consider  installing  it  in  a  room  that  has  any  ignition source. In addition, keep in mind that if installing outside the shop area in a small room, the air removed from the shop must  be  exhausted  so  that  there  won’t  be  a  pressure differential causing the dust collector efficiency to drop. Coolant Using a CNC coolant system is an excellent method to improve cut quality and to extend the life of your tooling. In some applications it is not just a good idea, it is an absolute necessity. In many cutting applications, particularly plastics, the remelting of the cut particles is often the source of cut quality problems. Removing these cut particles with an air source sometimes solves the problem. In other cases, both cooling and air supply are required to remove cut particles. Considering how expensive CNC tooling can be for some applications, extending the life of your bits also puts money back in your pocket. Three standard CNC Router coolant systems that you are likely to consider are: Micro-Drop Coolant Systems, Mist Coolant Systems and Cold Air Guns. All three systems cool the tool, not the workpiece. The Micro-Drop and Mist systems are used primarily on metal cutting applications, whereas plastics, woods and some metals can be cut with the Cold Air Gun. The  highest  initial  purchase  price  of  the  three  is  the micro-drop system. The main benefit of a micro-drop system is that it is a much cleaner system than misting. The unit’s micro-dispenser applies very small amounts of coolant to the tool. This is beneficial in that it does not waste product, it is a cleaner cooling method, but also, because of these aspects  it  can  be  used  with  a  vacuum  table  (a  Techno setup).    Coolant,  in  general,  can  damage  the  material typically used on vacuum tables. Misting coolants are less expensive than micro-drops and are equally successful in cooling the tool. They have a large reservoir capacity to maintain the constant flow of coolant.  As  opposed  to  the  micro-drops  intermittent application of coolant, the mister applies a steady stream. The  nature  of  this  system  does  not  lend  itself  to  clean operations,  and  therefore  are  not  recommended  in conjunction with a vacuum table. The  Vortex  cold  air  gun  can  work  with  or  without  a vacuum system setup and is ideal for plastics and woods. Its steady stream of cold air prevents melting and chips igniting.  The  vortex  tube's  cylindrical  generator  causes compressed air to rotate, reaching speeds of up to 1,000,000 rpm, as it is forced down a longer inner wall of the tube, to produce  the  super-cooled  air  that  exits  through  an  air