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IndustryArena Forum > MetalWorking > MetalWork Discussion > Laminating your air stream for more powerful chip clearing
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  1. #1
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    Jan 2013
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    Laminating your air stream for more powerful chip clearing

    Has anyone tried using many tubes in parallel to produce a more directed air stream? This is a common practice when producing a laminar water stream (i.e. waterjet cutting and the bellagio fountain) but I can't find info on it being used for air.
    I've got $40 worth of syringe tubing on my counter which I'll use to try it out. It's going to be a real pain cutting and deburring them all though.

  2. #2
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    May 2013
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    480

    Re: Laminating your air stream for more powerful chip clearing

    water isn't compressible....

  3. #3
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    Re: Laminating your air stream for more powerful chip clearing

    Quote Originally Posted by Eldon_Joh View Post
    water isn't compressible....
    Thank you for sharing that seldom-known tidbit. Obviously there are differences between air and water (and more importantly, water projected into air vs. air projected into air), else there'd be no need for the question in the first place. There must be some natural conclusion that we're meant to draw from your statement, but it certainly can't be "ergo there's no benefit to doing anything with your air stream other than spitting it out of a hole and hoping for the best" because it's already well established that using a long straight tube produces a longer-reaching and more directed air stream (due to lower turbulence, I believe) than merely using a nipple.

  4. #4
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    Jun 2010
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    4252

    Re: Laminating your air stream for more powerful chip clearing

    it's already well established that using a long straight tube produces a longer-reaching and more directed air stream (due to lower turbulence, I believe) than merely using a nipple.
    Would you have a proper engineering reference for that? One which actually quantifies the effect.
    I use a simple LineLoc nozzle.

    Cheers
    Roger

  5. #5
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    Jan 2013
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    263

    Re: Laminating your air stream for more powerful chip clearing

    I'm no expert in fluid dynamics. I just know that laminar airflow is a thing i.e. laminar flow hoods https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laminar_flow_cabinet

    "Well-established" may have been pushing it, but through highly scientific studies in my garage where I've used the $20 air compressor accessory kit to blow air 2 inches into my hand with various nozzles, it sure seems to be the case. I admit, I could be wrong.

  6. #6
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    Jun 2010
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    4252

    Re: Laminating your air stream for more powerful chip clearing

    Ah - two very different things here. A laminar flow system is at a slow speed, well below the onset of turbulance. But a jet of compressed air is usually well above the onset, and the behaviour is very different.
    But if what you have made works for you, fine.
    Cheers
    Roger

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Dec 2013
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    5717

    Re: Laminating your air stream for more powerful chip clearing

    I think this is what you are trying to do

    How Do Air Amplifiers Work

  8. #8
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    Jan 2013
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    263

    Re: Laminating your air stream for more powerful chip clearing

    OK, I see more now why people (I'm looking at you, Eldon_Joh ) would think this is an unachievable goal - since the air will expand immediately after exiting my tubes, the amount of turbulence prior to that is of little consequence.

    I might have to find a different use for the $40 worth of syringe tube, preferably without breaking bad.

    I'll check out the air amplifier in more detail. Hard to tell from a glance if it's different from a venturi nozzle, which I haven't been very impressed with for the purpose of directed air flow. But then again, this was from the $20 accessory kit.

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