Conflow Emulsion Mixer
| Conflow
Ltd design and manufacture specialist water systems for dust and fire
suppression and hydraulics for underground coalmining. The major hazard in
a coalmine is fire and therefore materials used in mining products must
not support combustion, which usually eliminates plastics and aluminium.
Two metals that are readily available and meet this criterion are brass
and steel. Conflow chooses to specify brass because of its corrosion
resistance to water, it’s machinability and castability. An additional
property of brass that makes it ideal for underground applications is its
non-sparking property. |
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Why Conflow Choose Brass
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A typical example of a product that benefits from
the above properties of brass is the company’s Emulsion Mixer, which mixes and
supplies a constant and accurate percentage mix of soluble oil and water. The
resulting mixture is used as fire resistant hydraulic fluid to power the coal
face roof supports. The mixer operates without electrical power and is driven
purely by its inlet water supply. The head, which is 150mm diameter, is readily
and speedily turned and machined at high speeds from free cutting brass bar,
while the base is efficiently machined from a brass casting produced in the
company’s own copper alloy foundry.
Additional benefits of machining large brass items are reduced tool wear and lower power consumption. The corrosion resistance of brass eliminates the need for protective coatings allowing all parts to be immediately assembled after machining, reducing manufacturing time and buffer stocks. The swarf produced during machining is readily recycled and commands a premium price. |
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