Cooling from Dust Collection

X-Carve
1

Generally speaking, will using a dust collection system keep bit temps down substantially, or marginally? I’m sure there are all kinds of parameters to be measured but I am just curious in a ballpark answer.

2

This academic paper seems to indicate that one needs more airflow than a fan will provide:

http://espace.library.curtin.edu.au/R?func=dbin-jump-full&local_base=gen01-era02&object_id=18869

and here’s a commercial product which has some numbers in the description:

Maybe someone could work out how that compares to the airflow of a fan from a trim router.

3

Dust collection will not cool the bit much if at all. you need a air hose to blow air on it or use a liquid if your doing metals/stone. I do not use cooling at the moment. I go very slow and cut very little when doing Aluminum.

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5

Thanks everyone, and Phil. Acrylic is exactly what I’ll be working with most. Would you say it might really help where I’ve melted before? I’m using a 611 and I understand the lowest setting is still supposedly too fast for acrylic. I’ve tried the lowest setting and speeding up the cut and it works to a large degree, but just hoping that a dust boot will really help as well.

6

An air jet blowing the chips out will help a lot. it also helps the material keep cool.
This is the method most use as using a liquid coolant will get that liquid all over the place unless you have taken steps to minimize it.
One of these: http://www.ebay.com/itm/HQ-Hailea-Air-Compressor-Pump-Aquarium-Fish-Laser-Engraving-Cutting-80W-80L-Min-/252865118371?hash=item3adfef80a3:g:UY8AAOSw54xUXHrg

And the flex tubing can get you what you need for air cooling.
the little pump is what they use in Laser cutters and they are quiet and work quite well.

8

Keep in mind that the air coming from the 611 will not be cooled, as it is the exhaust for the 611’s motor.

10

Thanks everyone! Great info and just what I needed to make my next step.

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11

That’s what my father used to tell me in the summer so he wouldn’t have to put the air conditioner on in the car. He’d just say “roll the windows down” as he drove 60MPH :wink:

13

LOL :grin: That’s exactly what he called it.

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