Coolant Manifold and Distribution System Design
The coolant manifold distributes high-pressure coolant from the pump to the drill through the rotating union. The manifold includes the supply lines, valves, pressure gauge, and filter. I have designed and rebuilt manifolds on a dozen deep hole drilling machines over the years, and the layout decisions have a direct impact on drilling performance and maintenance downtime. Manifold Location and Pressure Loss The manifold should be located as close to the rotating union as possible. Every meter of hose between the manifold and the union causes a pressure loss of about 50-100 psi at gun drilling pressures. I keep the distance under 2 meters. On one machine I worked on, the original builder placed the manifold 5 meters from the rotating union, and we were losing nearly 400 psi in the hose alone. Relocating the manifold to within 1 meter recovered that pressure and improved chip evacuation noticeably. ...