Cleaning device for electrical-discharge machining fluid and cleaning method for electrical-discharge machining fluid

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9339882-B2
Application number	US-201214410974-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 2, 2012
Priority date	Jul 2, 2012
Publication date	May 17, 2016
Grant date	May 17, 2016

Abstract

The present invention relates to a cleaning device for electrical-discharge machining fluid that cleans electrical-discharge machining fluid of an electrical-discharge machining device including a machining tank that is filled with the oil-based electrical-discharge machining fluid and in which a workpiece is machined by applying a pulse voltage between the workpiece and a machining electrode and a machining-fluid storage tank storing the electrical-discharge machining fluid to be used in the machining tank, the cleaning device including a cleaning-material storage container, which stores a cleaning material made of a granular porous material having a specific gravity equal to or higher than that of the electrical-discharge machining fluid and a grain diameter between 0.01 millimeters and 10 millimeters, in a flow channel that causes the electrical-discharge machining fluid to flow between the machining tank and the machining-fluid storage tank.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A cleaning device for electrical-discharge machining fluid that cleans electrical-discharge machining fluid of an electrical-discharge machining device including a machining tank that is filled with oil-based electrical-discharge machining fluid and in which a workpiece is machined by applying a pulse voltage between the workpiece and a machining electrode and a machining-fluid storage tank that stores the electrical-discharge machining fluid to be used in the machining tank, the cleaning device comprising:
a cleaning-material storage container in a flow channel that causes the electrical-discharge machining fluid to flow between the machining tank and the machining-fluid storage tank, the cleaning-material storage container storing a cleaning material, which is made of a granular porous material, which has a specific gravity equal to or higher than that of the electrical-discharge machining fluid and a grain diameter between 0.01 millimeters and 10 millimeters and with which dehydration, deoxidation, and decoloration are performed on the oil-based electrical-discharge machining fluid;
a switching unit that switches whether to cause the electrical-discharge machining fluid to flow via the flow channel; and
a control unit that controls switching of the switching unit, wherein
for the oil-based electrical-discharge machining fluid whose hue has changed due to use, the control unit controls the switching unit such that the electrical-discharge machining fluid is cleaned in the cleaning-material storage container by causing the electrical-discharge machining fluid to flow into the flow channel at a predetermined timing at which an electrical-discharge machining process is not being performed by the electrical-discharge machining device, and
a grain diameter of the cleaning material is selected between 0.01 millimeters and 10 millimeters such that a grain diameter of the cleaning material and a grain diameter of machining debris generated depending on a type of electrical discharge machining performed by the electrical-discharge machining device have a difference of double or more.

2. The cleaning device for electrical-discharge machining fluid according to claim 1 , wherein the cleaning-material storage container is constituted by a mesh bag or container where the mesh has a diameter smaller than the grain diameter of the cleaning material.

3. The cleaning device for electrical-discharge machining fluid according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a housing that houses the cleaning-material storage container; and
a pipe-like joint that is provided to the housing and is detachable from a pipe connecting the machining tank and the machining-fluid storage tank.

4. The cleaning device for electrical-discharge machining fluid according to claim 1 , further comprising a housing that houses the cleaning-material storage container and is fixed to a pipe connecting the machining tank and the machining-fluid storage tank, wherein
the housing includes an opening/closing door from which the cleaning-material storage container is taken in and out.

5. The cleaning device for electrical-discharge machining fluid according to claim 3 , wherein
the pipe has a first channel in which the housing is arranged and a second channel that bypasses the housing, and
the cleaning device further includes a switching unit that causes the electrical-discharge machining fluid to flow to either the first channel or the second channel.

6. The cleaning device for electrical-discharge machining fluid according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a flow-volume measuring unit that measures a total passage amount, which is a total amount of the electrical-discharge machining fluid flowing in the cleaning-material storage container, after a new cleaning material is arranged in the cleaning-material storage container; and
a total-passage-amount display unit that displays the total passage amount.

7. The cleaning device for electrical-discharge machining fluid according to claim 6 , further comprising a control unit that gives a notice to prompt replacement of the cleaning material in a case where a value displayed on the total-passage-amount display unit exceeds a cleaning-material replacement reference value, which is a flow volume of the electrical-discharge machining fluid passing through the cleaning material when the cleaning material reaches an end of life.

8. The cleaning device for electrical-discharge machining fluid according to claim 1 , wherein the cleaning-material storage container is provided on a discharge-side pipe through which the electrical-discharge machining fluid is discharged from the machining tank to the machining-fluid storage tank.

9. The cleaning device for electrical-discharge machining fluid according to claim 1 , wherein the cleaning-material storage container is arranged between a supply pump that pumps up the electrical-discharge machining fluid in the machining-fluid storage tank and a filter unit that removes machining debris in the electrical-discharge machining fluid, the supply pump and the filter unit being on a supply-side pipe through which the electrical-discharge machining fluid is supplied from the machining-fluid storage tank to the machining tank.

10. A cleaning method for electrical-discharge machining fluid that cleans electrical-discharge machining fluid of an electrical-discharge machining device including a machining tank that is filled with oil-based electrical-discharge machining fluid and in which a workpiece is machined by applying a pulse voltage between the workpiece and a machining electrode and a machining-fluid storage tank that stores the electrical-discharge machining fluid to be used in the machining tank, the cleaning method comprising:
causing a cleaning material to come into contact with the electrical-discharge machining fluid by causing the electrical-discharge machining fluid whose hue has changed due to use to flow in a flow channel that causes the electrical-discharge machining fluid to flow between the machining tank and the machining-fluid storage tank at a predetermined timing at which an electrical-discharge machining process is not being performed by the electrical-discharge machining device, the cleaning material being provided on the flow channel and being made of a granular porous material, which has a specific gravity equal to or higher than that of the electrical-discharge machining fluid and a grain diameter between 0.01 millimeters and 10 millimeters and with which dehydration, deoxidation, and decoloration are performed on the oil-based electrical-discharge machining fluid; and
selecting a grain diameter of the cleaning material between 0.01 millimeters and 10 millimeters such that a grain diameter of the cleaning material and a grain diameter of machining debris generated depending on a type of electrical discharge machining performed by the electrical-discharge machining device have a difference of double or more.

11. The cleaning device for electrical-discharge machining fluid according to claim 4 , wherein
the pipe has a first channel in which the housing is arranged and a second channel that bypasses the housing, and
the cleaning device further includes a switching unit that causes the electrical-discharge machining fluid to flow to either the first channel or the second channel.

Assignees

• Katougi Hidetaka
• Kobayashi Hirokazu
• Mitsubishi Electric Corp

Inventors

• Katougi Hidetaka
• Kobayashi Hirokazu

Classifications

• B01D35/26

  Filters with built-in pumps {filters provided with a pump mounted in or on the casing (aquarium pumps or filters A01K63/04)} · CPC title

• B23H7/36

  Supply or regeneration of working media · CPC title

• B23H1/10 Primary

  Supply or regeneration of working media · CPC title

• B01D24/10

  the filtering material being held in a closed container · CPC title