All spin windows operate on the same basic concept, i.e., that a spinning disc catches the metalworking fluid and chips and spins them off to keep the viewing area clear at all times.
Wear Factors:
Depending on the type of material being machined, and the aggressiveness of the machining being done on a given piece of equipment, and the distance between the work are and the spin window, as well as a number of other factors, a glass spin disc will begin to lose it clarity and viewability over time.
This is due not only to the scratches and abrasion from chips, but also due to the surface interaction of evaporating metalworking fluids and the chemically-strengthened float glass itself. This is especially so in environments where calcium salts are used to prevent the foaming of coolant.
Finally, there are unintended influences such as tool breakage and projectiles such as inserts that will instantly degrade you viewing experience.
With such a large number of variables involved, there is no way for T2K to predict how long a spin disc will last in your particular application. Some aggressive applications, such a ceramic machining, will cause the spin disc to lose its clarity quickly, whereas other end customers have machined parts for nearly ten years and never replaced the disc assembly.
Replacement:
While we can make no prediction as to how long your disc assembly will last, T2K has designed the product to make the replacement of the disc assembly literally a two minute process, once you have acquired the appropriate replacement part. While we would recommend that all end user sites have at least one spare disc in stock to overcome broken discs due to tool failures, T2K maintains stock of all models of Visiport and DiscAir spin windows available for same-day shipment. For details, contact T2K at (800) 267-2120.