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IndustryArena Forum > MetalWorking Machines > Benchtop Machines > Chinese high speed spindle for metal milling
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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Dec 2016
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    133

    Chinese high speed spindle for metal milling

    Hello everyone. I'm doing some research on spindles for a small mill.

    Mostly for aluminium work, but has to be able to do steel as well.

    So. Looking at aliexpress to see what is available there I've found two 18000rpm spindles with ER32.

    One with square housing which the seller say is for woodworking and light metals, but not for steel.
    The other is round and the seller says it is for metal.

    As far as I can see there are little difference. The bearings ie. is the same in both. The metal spindle is heavier.


    Wood:
    https://www.aliexpress.com/item/3283...chweb201603_53
    Metal:
    https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1810...chweb201603_53


    What do you think. Will either of these spindles survive light milling in steel (using smaller end mill is ok). Low speed power is not that good so it has be light either way.

    I guess both is fine for aluminium and ligher metal work and the top speed is nice for high speed milling.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Posts
    15362

    Re: Chinese high speed spindle for metal milling

    Quote Originally Posted by Buoyen View Post
    Hello everyone. I'm doing some research on spindles for a small mill.

    Mostly for aluminium work, but has to be able to do steel as well.

    So. Looking at aliexpress to see what is available there I've found two 18000rpm spindles with ER32.

    One with square housing which the seller say is for woodworking and light metals, but not for steel.
    The other is round and the seller says it is for metal.

    As far as I can see there are little difference. The bearings ie. is the same in both. The metal spindle is heavier.


    Wood:
    https://www.aliexpress.com/item/3283...chweb201603_53
    Metal:
    https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1810...chweb201603_53


    What do you think. Will either of these spindles survive light milling in steel (using smaller end mill is ok). Low speed power is not that good so it has be light either way.

    I guess both is fine for aluminium and ligher metal work and the top speed is nice for high speed milling.
    I don't think either of these 2 would be suitable for cutting steel, it would depend on how the Bearings are arranged in the nose of the spindle

    Most are preloaded by the Top Bearings in the spindle which makes them unsuitable for milling steel, engraving steel is not normally a problem,for any of them but machining steel is a different story, light machining with small cutters you most likely can do but don't expect anything great

    With this Bearing arrangement the front 2 bearings have the cup of the AC bearing facing outward, so load up on the spindle is ok, but a cutter like a End mill try to pull down which can take the preload off the front bearings and cause a bad finish on your work and over time damage the Bearings

    Also you have to watch the Kw rating, always more is better, but do you have the Power supply to run it
    Mactec54

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Dec 2016
    Posts
    133

    Re: Chinese high speed spindle for metal milling

    Very nice mactec, thank you!
    Haven't really thought about the preload and possible differences.

    But I think maybe it will be sufficient for my application. Yes I will try to find the smallest motor power rating I can.

    Do you think these BT30 cartridges are better? But the total setup will be quite expencive also for a high speed type:
    US $1,090 | high speed ATC BT30 automaitc spindle for cnc machine / cutting machine 12000rpm
    https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/3rnpXgss

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Posts
    436

    Re: Chinese high speed spindle for metal milling

    +1 for everything mactec54 said.

    Can you be more specific about what type of metal cutting you want to do, what is the smallest and largest cutters you want to use in steel?

    I was looking for a spindle recently, and settled on this:
    https://www.aliexpress.com/item/3287...27424c4d5mbtqP

    only because I couldn't afford this:
    https://www.aliexpress.com/item/2047...c00jAwLrI&mp=1

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Dec 2016
    Posts
    133

    Re: Chinese high speed spindle for metal milling

    It would be nice to run a 40-50mm face mill or fly cutter on aluminium. Also facing with a 12-16mm end mill will on steel.

    If I can use 6-8mm end mills on steel I think I'll be satisfied. They are stiff enough so I can have stickout for pockets etc.

    That er16 looks nice but maybe a bit low speed rating.. but I'm used to small cutters and high rpm when doing aluminium on my router

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Posts
    15362

    Re: Chinese high speed spindle for metal milling

    Quote Originally Posted by Buoyen View Post
    Very nice mactec, thank you!
    Haven't really thought about the preload and possible differences.

    But I think maybe it will be sufficient for my application. Yes I will try to find the smallest motor power rating I can.

    Do you think these BT30 cartridges are better? But the total setup will be quite expencive also for a high speed type:
    US $1,090 | high speed ATC BT30 automaitc spindle for cnc machine / cutting machine 12000rpm
    https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/3rnpXgss
    Yes any cartridge like this has a Bearing arrangement that is suitable for normal milling of anything you want to mill, it then becomes a problem as to what are you going to run that spindle cartridge with how you can mount it rigidity of your mounting added weight to your Z axes Etc.
    Mactec54

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jan 2018
    Posts
    1516

    Re: Chinese high speed spindle for metal milling

    I doubt you'd be even close to those rpm's for steel.
    There's 1.8kw 6nm and above servos for that kind of stuff on a mill.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Posts
    230

    Re: Chinese high speed spindle for metal milling

    For this sort of a machine; when you are doing your CAM, I would suggest tending to favor "high-speed-machining" strategies; as these tend to result in lower spindle torque loads (obviously, however, don't use the same feed & DOC that you'd use on a big VMC - your machine won't have the same HP at the RPMs required; nor will it have the same rigidity). Also probably obvious, but you will want carbide tooling; not HSS, due to the RPMs involved. Coolant, of course, is a must; either a fog-buster spray style or if your machine is fully enclosed flood coolant might be an option.

    Also note that those spindle cartridges do not have a motor integrated into them; so be sure to plan for that. There also does not appear to be a way to actuate the drawbar; it may include the belleville washers or some other spring to hold the tool in the spindle; but I think you will need to add an air cylinder or some other mechanism to get the tool to release.


  9. #9
    Join Date
    Dec 2016
    Posts
    133

    Re: Chinese high speed spindle for metal milling

    Thanks everyone. I'm using F360 adapttive clearing when I can which should be HSM toolpath and G-wizard for feeds and speeds on my router (have entered dimensions, weight, spindle power etc into GW to get numbers for my machine). Works really good.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Dec 2016
    Posts
    133

    Re: Chinese high speed spindle for metal milling

    Discovered this guy has built a setup with a lever to compress the springs in the BT30 unit for tool change:
    https://youtu.be/cK8GqIieLMY

    That could make the BT30 setup a little bit cheaper at first and make it possible to change to pneumatic later.

    Also looked into Hertz brand spindles (ER collets). Hertz Spindle Motors – Ultimate Spindle Motors
    Looks promising and for me in europe at least they can compete with the chinese ones on price.

    However I discovered they do not recommend steel bearings for radial load aplications. They offer a setup with cermaic bearings but at twice the price. Is that necessary?

    I thought the primary advantage of ceramic over steel was higher rotational speed for the bearing size. But maybe the ceramic bearings can have more preload?

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Posts
    15362

    Re: Chinese high speed spindle for metal milling

    Quote Originally Posted by Buoyen View Post
    Discovered this guy has built a setup with a lever to compress the springs in the BT30 unit for tool change:
    https://youtu.be/cK8GqIieLMY

    That could make the BT30 setup a little bit cheaper at first and make it possible to change to pneumatic later.

    Also looked into Hertz brand spindles (ER collets). Hertz Spindle Motors – Ultimate Spindle Motors
    Looks promising and for me in europe at least they can compete with the chinese ones on price.

    However I discovered they do not recommend steel bearings for radial load aplications. They offer a setup with cermaic bearings but at twice the price. Is that necessary?

    I thought the primary advantage of ceramic over steel was higher rotational speed for the bearing size. But maybe the ceramic bearings can have more preload?
    Ceramic Bearing have very little to do with just a speed advantage, if they are just using Ceramic Ball they are superior over steel balls in every way, unless they are building the Bearing arrangement in the Spindle different to the steel Bearing Spindle I think they are talking Bs, Ceramic are better but if they are built the same, ( assembled the same ) then the steel Bearing Spindle will work just as well but they won't last as long
    Mactec54

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Dec 2016
    Posts
    133

    Re: Chinese high speed spindle for metal milling

    Okey, cool. Thank you!

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