[Vern Smith]

I would like to hear any advise - opinions on the usefulness and effectiveness of installing exhaust vents over machines to remove the damp coolant laden air from the room. I have a facility that lends itself to doing this and I would like to know what has worked for some other fellows. Things like size, CFM needed, etc.

Vern

[WallyL7]

Not really a Haas specific question other than they have a lot of leak places on their machines...but these are nice:

SMOG-HOG | Smog-Hog Parts, Smog-Hog Filters, Systems

It is ideal if you can run ducting directly mounted to the machine that way the machine is negatively pressured so it is bringing in fresh air into the leak places and you are sucking the mist/smoke out.

[underthetire]

I prefer these

Oil Mist Collectors | Oil Mist Filters | Air Oil Separators | LEV Testing

A LOT less maintenance, but they don't work too well on oil mist. Torrit makes a nice unit as well.

[Geof]

It is worth it, or at least I think it is worth it and I think my employees agree. When we installed mist extraction many years ago the incidence of throat irritation dropped dramatically and also surfaces all over the shop no longer gathered a sticky coating.

Ours is a central system with a fan/filter box connected by ductwork to all the machines. The filters take out all the mist and the air is returned to the shop not exhausted outside so we do not lose heat.

The picture shows the fan /filter housing near the back wall and some of the ducting. We just cut holes through the machine enclosures and mounted adapters. Be careful cutting because it is possible to find wires running through inconspicuous channels in the metalwork.

You don't need much CFM. This was a difficulty I had trying to explain to the contractor I hired to install ours. It is a mist collection system not dust collection system. You really don't care if the air flow is so slow that some mist particles settle out and drain back to the machine as a liquid. Actually too much flow is detrimental because you can lose gallons of coolant a day if the flow is too high. Notice the vertical section of duct immediately adjacent to the machine. If the flow here is fast enough to entrain droplets not just mist you will suck coolant out like crazy. We have dampers on the ducts so we can adjust the flow until it is just perceptible at the entrance to the duct in the machine.

At the moment we have 18 machines, maybe 20, hooked up to a fan that pulls 7500CFM which is more than adequate.

[Vern Smith]

Thanks for the pictures and suggestions. After looking at the pricing for the commercial units Geof's set up looks like the best way for me to go considering my situation.

Vern