Shopbot ATC HSD spindle cooling air, questions...

[gabepari]

In the middle of installing the ATC kit from Shopbot for my PRT-Alpha...

Lots of issues, I will do a full report when I'm done.

I have a question regarding the cooling air for the 5hp spindle. The way the it is wired to the ATC control board the spindle cooling air is active whenever the machine is powered up. I talked to Frank at Shopbot and he said that as far as he can tell this is normal. Seems odd to me to have the air blowing ALL THE TIME...

Anyone out there with a 5hp HSD spindle have their cooling air switched? I'm thinking it could be controlled by output 1 to sync it to the spindle???

Thanks,

Gabe

[srwtlc]

I don't have an ATC, but do have my fan switched. I used a double pole toggle switch that breaks both the fan and the start circuit. If I don't have the switch on so that the fan runs, I can't start the spindle either.

[gabepari]

The HSD has a fan AND compressed air going to the lower bearings. I'm ok with the fan running constantly, the one on my Colombo did the same thing. What seems weird is to have the compressed air solenoid always open. Why use a solenoid if it's going to always be open?

[jerry_stanek]

On my spindle I used one of the switches to turn my fan on when the spindle starts

[Keith Larrett]

That's what mine does. From my understanding the air was also to assist with the lift of the z-axis.

[gabepari]

That's what mine does. From my understanding the air was also to assist with the lift of the z-axis.

I have a separate pneumatic assist for the z-axis... The spindle bearing cooling air has it's own solenoid valve and a control wire that runs all the way back to the ATC control board. Shopbot just has you connect it to constant voltage so it is ALWAYS open if the machine is powered up. If you disconnect the control wire, the solenoid closes and the annoying hissing sound that has given me a headache all morning while calibrating the machine stops... All the other solenoids retain function and air continues to go to the pneumatic assist to support the Z axis...

I guess what the real questions is: Does the spindle need the cooling air rushing across the bearings when it's just sitting idle? I can't imagine it does??

Thanks,

Gabe

[Gary Campbell]

Gabe...
A quick Google search for the ES915 manual and a few pages of reading returns the following:

Sections 7.7.3 AND 9.4.2 both state that "Compressed air at 4bar (58psi) must always be delivered to the electrospindle even when it is not operating"

[gabepari]

Gary,

Thanks, didn't think of looking for a manual online.

I still say LAME!! Further reading in the manual states that the reason you must supply air during "non operation" is to maintain the "internal pressurization" of the spindle to keep dirt or debris from entering the spindle... SOOO, What do I do when the Shopbot is shut down?? The cooling air solenoid shuts and air stops flowing. Does the fact that the machine is no longer "on" eliminate any possibility of dirt entering the spindle??

I don't get it...

I've only had the machine on for 3 hours and it's driving me nuts!

Gabe

[carlcnc]

Gabe,and all
always on seems lame as Gabe says,
I am installing a 915 as a retrofit ,this one has a 230v fan for cooling.
it also has a "purge" air line that shoots a blast after a tool is dropped,
up to me to program how long it stays open,
I have run other brands of spindles , never seen a requirement to "bleed" air thru the nose constantly.
Gabe;
didn't you move up to the PNW a while back?
Carl