Extraction Technology for Dry Machining Processes

© Fraunhofer IPA, Rainer Bez

A major cost factor associated with processing lightweight materials is the removal of chips and dust. Despite major investments, extraction techniques are often still inadequate. This not only endangers process reliability but also involves added costs because manual cleaning steps are required. Since dust particles tend to be extremely small, they are a hazard not only to the machine operator but also to the machine itself.

The Department of Lightweight Construction Technologies has 25 years’ experience in designing and testing extraction hoods and systems. We draw on extensive fundamental research in machining, tool design and extraction techniques to develop highly-effective extraction solutions for stationary and throughfeed machines that are used to process all types of lightweight materials, such as CFRP, GFRP, light metals and wood-based materials.

Besides reducing the necessary extraction capacity, adapted extraction strategies and airflow-optimized extraction hoods also enable chips and dust to be captured more effectively. This lowers energy consumption, cuts investment costs for smaller aggregates and filter systems, as well as increasing process reliability and productivity because manual cleaning tasks are no longer required. These also extend the service life of machines and lessen the burden on machine operators through dust emissions.