I've got three small CNC mills I use primarily for high speed (24K RPM) milling of aluminum. I use flood coolant with distilled water and and about
5-6% SC520. Each has its own smallish coolant tank and it works ok, but I am constantly adding water, and to lesser degree SC520. I've been playing with the idea of using the on machine tank as a sort of chip filter to reduce coolant nozzle plugging from fines, and to make coolant maintenance a little easier.I'd put a bulkhead connector in the side of the on machine coolant tank, and let it drain into a much larger tank. I'd also add a baffle to get coolant draining from the machine pan to flow into the on-machine tank at the opposite end. Then move all the coolant pumps from the on machine tank to the bigger tank. Maybe add a simple hemispherical filter screen to the inside of the bulkheads.
Is it a good idea?
Am I forgetting something?