Ken McKay wrote:
Thank you guys. I am getting quotes on spindles now. The 2.2kw chinese is at the top of the list. I really don't want to spend thousands on the spindle and VFD. Only if it is THAT much better.
A spindle is just a 3-phase motor fused to a shaft sitting on bearings, it's not a complex machine but it does need to be machined accurately to work well. If you get one from one of the resellers of imports who support their product (like AutomationTechnologies), then you could probably get an exchange if they don't live up to the published runout specs. That's the way I'd go if I were buying.
Andy Birko wrote:
I think this would be better than the multi-router thing because you don't have to deal with multiple cables, alignment etc.
My new machine (mid-90's industrial CNC router, American made) has three nice Italian spindles on linear rails with air cylinders...instead of an ATC. Things were weird back in the day...there are a lot of Thermwood's out there with eight...EIGHT...separate spindles on a vertical carousel! Madness, it is.
Sheldon Dingwall wrote:
Blurry Customs has a new version that looks pretty nice too.
http://store.blurrycustoms.com/SearchResults.asp?Cat=46Those guys make me want to love them with their words, but have a site filled with nothing but Solidworks renders and one picture of a power-coated but unbuilt frame for anything above their hobby level machines has me smelling vaporware. The one video of the spindle on Youtube has them cutting a chunk of 2x10 at about 60IPM, and their videos of their Ultraman machine shows it cutting at <100IPM with huge chatter after a bunch of hullabaloo on the website about 1000IPM cut speeds and 'best of both worlds performance'.
People who know the owner keep saying they're totally above board, but the facts show a company selling a >$20,000 product who can't produce a picture of it after four years in business. Because of that, I get the feeling that the only AVX spindle ever made is the one in the video.
I say all this when my company's webpage is full of Solidworks renders and promises, but we're six months old...we'll have all kinds of Youtubey fun before you can buy the product