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Author Topic: Spindle Speed Control- how do it do dat? (newbie question)  (Read 9791 times)

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Spindle Speed Control- how do it do dat? (newbie question)
« on: November 21, 2005, 11:43:36 PM »
Hey all,

Some of my questions seem so lame I'm almost embarrassed to ask.  Thanks in advance for your patience.

Question... What piece of hardware interfaces with my driver board/Mach 3 will control the speed of my spindle?

FYI- my spindle is a Porter-Cable Router.  I have been using (please don't laugh too hard) this little Barney McGee potentiometer speed controller between the relay output and the router :o.  After seeing that Mach has the capabilty to control spindle speed, I feel like a Caveman who has just been shown fire.

Could someone please describe what I should do to interface my Router?  Thanks much!

Sid
Re: Spindle Speed Control- how do it do dat? (newbie question)
« Reply #1 on: November 22, 2005, 05:11:31 AM »
Please don't be embarrasses! We all had to start at the someware...
There are a few ways to run the spindle... There is a DigiSpeed that is a cool way to go! There Bob's spindle speed board, I think CNC4PC  has one , PLC's and you can make one. Any of them are going to output an analog comand 0-10V or 0-5V. Is there a speed control that you can add an external pot or comand too? If there is you but one of the boards and hook it up!
Here is the CNC 4 PC board http://cnc4pc.com/Variable_Speed_Control_Board.htm it is a low cost board that should help you...

Hope that gets you a little closer
Brian
Fixing problems one post at a time ;)

www.newfangledsolutions.com
www.machsupport.com
Re: Spindle Speed Control- how do it do dat? (newbie question)
« Reply #2 on: November 22, 2005, 11:11:59 AM »
Thanks Brian.  Now, I get it.  Basically the driver board is triggering an interface board which in turn operates the VFD, which powers a 3ph spindle motor.  This all makes sense.  I kinda go lost because my Router (spindle) is your basic "plain jane" 110v Single Phase which is not traditionally controllable with VFDs.  I thought maybe I had missed something along the way in Electrical evolution.  I guess if I want to have full spindle speed control, I'm going to need to rethink my router/spindle motor set-up.

Thanks a bunch for your response!  ;D

Offline Bloy

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Re: Spindle Speed Control- how do it do dat? (newbie question)
« Reply #3 on: November 23, 2005, 12:31:52 PM »
I too am using a 115Vac router as my spindle.  I was wondering if that potentiometer you are using now could be attached to a small stepper or servo motor with appropriate drive and then the position of that pot could be controled by step and direction commands.  I would imagine that the control position of the pot/motor would need to be calibrated? 
  There is also the question of maintaining torque when in the lower speed range.  I am guessing that a higher quality speed control would have the electronics to provide that needed low rpm torque. ....or maybe AC routers just can't respond. 
  just thinking out loud.....or not thinking at all.
« Last Edit: November 23, 2005, 12:36:53 PM by Bloy »
Re: Spindle Speed Control- how do it do dat? (newbie question)
« Reply #4 on: November 23, 2005, 06:42:42 PM »
IS the pot that it is running the speed just changing  0- 10VDC? If it is you will not need any of the other stuff :)

Brian

PS Yea I have let out the smoke  ;D 
Fixing problems one post at a time ;)

www.newfangledsolutions.com
www.machsupport.com
Re: Spindle Speed Control- how do it do dat? (newbie question)
« Reply #5 on: November 25, 2005, 12:30:33 PM »
Bloy- I like the way you think.  It's a clever idea to do what you suggest.  I think I'll give it some more thought and see if there is a way to streamline the implementation.

Brian- The potentiometer is basically a really small "Variac".  I think all it is doing is creating resistance.  I'll take a closer look to see exactly what is going on there but, I'm sure it's not doing anything in the DC voltage domain.

Offline Bloy

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Re: Spindle Speed Control- how do it do dat? (newbie question)
« Reply #6 on: November 25, 2005, 03:21:05 PM »
Sid,
  I can't think that that speed control is simply a variac type .   I believe there must be some electronics to control those 115Vac motors...although I think they are considered AC/DC motors..of which I still don't understand. :)
Re: Spindle Speed Control- how do it do dat? (newbie question)
« Reply #7 on: November 25, 2005, 03:44:58 PM »
Well, I'll be the first to admit that I'm not expert on the electronics/electrical aspect of things.  I know just enough to be dangerous.  Here is a link to the device I'm talking about ... http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=43060

Please don't laugh TOO hard  :D.  The funny thing is.. this little doodad actually works pretty good. 

The real solution would be installing a 3 phase spindle motor, getting an AC inverter drive and controlling it through the device that Brian suggested.  Unfortuneately, it's a heck of a lot more expensive AND I'm not really sure how to adapt a collet (bit holder) to a standard motor shaft.  There is probably some kind of couple out there that will do it.  All of that just sounds like a ton of work when you are already set up with a 115VAC router.  It's like going backwards 3 steps to get ahead 4.

Doesn't anybody manufacture/sell a compact 3 phase router complete with Collet?  THAT would be SWEET!  8)