584,812 active members*
5,484 visitors online*
Register for free
Login
Results 1 to 4 of 4
  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Posts
    15

    Spindle for Drilling/Rigid Tapping

    I'm looking to add the capability to both drill and do rigid tapping in aluminum and thin gage steel to my router(DIY CNC Router) I know I will need full control of the spindle through either one of the methods Mach3 can use to this, analog voltage or step/direction control of the spindle. I want to use a Sherline Spindle like this Sherline Spindle with a timimg belt drive and a drill chuck.

    The main question I have is about the choice of motor for this set up. I've considered three options and hope someone with more experience could offer some advice.

    Option 1: Purchase the Sherline Spindle and Motor and convert that motor to a servo by adding an encoder, and a Gecko 320X servo drive, plus a power supply. This would use the v-belt drive.

    Option 2: Use this Sherline Spindle with timming belt drive and a custom mount for a NEMA 34 motor. The motor would be a servo motor and gecko drive from Automation Technoligies Inc NEMA 34 Servo and this would be controlled through mach3 step/direction spindle control.

    Option 3: The same spindle from Sherline as option 2 but use a Brushless DC Motor and drive again from Automation Tech. This would use the analog VFD contol from the G540 I already have and Mach3 for control again.

    I think any of these will handle drilling no problem but for rigid tapping whats the best bet? Is a servo going to be any better then the brushless dc motor at the low speeds needed for tapping?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Posts
    1602
    If you are insistent on doing rigid tapping you will need some other control software since Mach doesn't do rigid tapping. I know rigid tapping sounds sexy but your machine has to be really spot on for it to work and you have to have a spindle that will reverse almost instantly. Heavy VMCs can do it no problem, floppy routers not.

    Read up on thread milling. Mach can handle that quite well and it is well suited to any machine that can interpolate a good circle. For smaller holes where it isn't practical to thread mill, get a cheap drill press and a reversing tapping head like a Procunier or Tapmatic and do it old school. Drill the holes on the cnc and tap on the drill press.

    bob

    bob

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Posts
    998
    I may be a bit off here....but you may want to check with Andrej, the developer of the Planet-CNC USB controller. Lately he added lathe capability with incremental encoder synchronization. As far as I understand this reads the spindle turns and make other axes' movements proportional. Obviously a different application but it might do the job for your tapping idea.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Posts
    1753
    Or just use linuxcnc.... No need for a servo spindle - just a quadature encoder + index is needed.

    G Codes

    This was done with just the printer port

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C740zS9R9kk

    sam

Similar Threads

  1. Replies: 24
    Last Post: 05-01-2014, 07:02 AM
  2. Replies: 0
    Last Post: 08-01-2012, 06:39 AM
  3. Rigid Tapping and Spindle Orientation
    By Ben Colby in forum CamSoft Products
    Replies: 5
    Last Post: 12-14-2010, 03:54 AM
  4. Replies: 13
    Last Post: 07-04-2009, 12:43 AM
  5. Tapping head or rigid tapping
    By Gregory_C in forum Syil Products
    Replies: 2
    Last Post: 10-18-2008, 06:49 AM

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •