Any interest in a run of water cooled platen chillers?

Any interest in a run of water cooled platen chillers?

  • Yes, I would probably be interested in something like this.

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • No, I don't think something like this makes very much sense.

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    0
The one thing I would make sure you do if you go thru with it is design it to use common 1/2" fittings, like the ones guys use for water cooling computers. This would allow you to use 1/2" ID tygon tubing or similar tubing that most of these water cooling systems are used for.

Here is a rigged up system with a pump, a small reservoir made of copper tubing (make it bigger and shorter then this to facilitate filling the system), I also used the heater core out of a 70 something bonneville which has fittings that work pretty good and accepts 2x 120mm computer fans. Now of course with something like this it is designed around 12v systems so would need a computer power supply which could be found very cheap or free and easily wired up to a switch or you would have to get a AC pump and fans.

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Nathan, I've been considering doing this myself, but I would be much happier buying one from you! Please count me in.
 
i think i can swing that like said tho i need it to work on my radi platent

i have been thinking about a set of copper faced quench plates that were backed with 1 inch thick Al and water cooled
 
I feel like I am missing something. Can someone explain to me the need to cool a platen. I have been running my 2hp kmg for 3.5 years, almost always at top speed, and have never had the platen more than warm to the touch.
 
JMJones said:
I feel like I am missing something. Can someone explain to me the need to cool a platen. I have been running my 2hp kmg for 3.5 years, almost always at top speed, and have never had the platen more than warm to the touch.
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Yeah, I know. I'm of the same mind. I don't do a lot of grinding against my flat platen, but when I do it never gets too hot. However, I rough my work on a mill and simply finish on the grinder. And I think most folks do their roughing on the grinder and a lot of them press pretty hard. I expect someone making knives at the rate of folks like Andy could probably stall a 2HP KMG while roughing in the bevels. If that is the case, I'm sure their platens get pretty hot.

A lot of folks have radius platens and they can get very hot. The new radius platen design uses a pressurized air bearing between the platen and the belt and stays cool if you keep air to it. But there are times when you're finishing when you don't want the air cushion under the belt.

I need a platen chiller because I'm making a platen with compound curvature for finishing blades lengthwise. It will have a 5" radius lengthwise and 1/4" across the end. It is compound where they intersect and this will grind my plunge. The belt will wrap around the bend. This platen will get hot enough to ruin a belt, overheat a workpiece and lose its temper without a water cooler. I expect a lot of folks have similar needs.

Some folks might use them as ice water cooled quench plates.

However, I don't think a water cooled platen attachment is necessary for most folks, which is why I started this thread, to determine what the actual demand would be for something like this.
 
Nathan, keep us aprised of the entire rig, platen included.
Nathan the Machinist said:
Yeah, I know. I'm of the same mind. I don't do a lot of grinding against my flat platen, but when I do it never gets too hot. However, I rough my work on a mill and simply finish on the grinder. And I think most folks do their roughing on the grinder and a lot of them press pretty hard. I expect someone making knives at the rate of folks like Andy could probably stall a 2HP KMG while roughing in the bevels. If that is the case, I'm sure their platens get pretty hot.

A lot of folks have radius platens and they can get very hot. The new radius platen design uses a pressurized air bearing between the platen and the belt and stays cool if you keep air to it. But there are times when you're finishing when you don't want the air cushion under the belt.

I need a platen chiller because I'm making a platen with compound curvature for finishing blades lengthwise. It will have a 5" radius lengthwise and 1/4" across the end. It is compound where they intersect and this will grind my plunge. The belt will wrap around the bend. This platen will get hot enough to ruin a belt, overheat a workpiece and lose its temper without a water cooler. I expect a lot of folks have similar needs.

Some folks might use them as ice water cooled quench plates.

However, I don't think a water cooled platen attachment is necessary for most folks, which is why I started this thread, to determine what the actual demand would be for something like this.
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These finished up last week. I had a chance to install mine today. It works. 15 min at max speed it stayed under 100 deg and the gallon of water in the bucket went up over ten deg which tells me it is extracting heat pretty well. I'm using a real dinky little pump too.


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That is brilliant! Looks like a very cool idea. I'd be interested in one too. At least, once I get my real grinder in...
 
crimsonfalcon07 said:
That is brilliant! Looks like a very cool idea. I'd be interested in one too. At least, once I get my real grinder in...
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Thank you. I think it is a cool idea. However, if you're not having problems with excessive heat in your platen it probably isn't something you need. I'm mentioning this because I don't want folks to waste their money on something they don't need. This is for folks doing grinding in a semi production environment and for folks using shaped platens where the belt is forced to conform to the steel. If your platen is getting too hot to hold your hand to, you and your belts may benefit from a chiller. But this is not the case for most folks.
 
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