4000-6000rpm Spindle Run In.

[behindpropeller]

I'm about to change my TM to 6K rpm.

What kind of run-in should I do?

Thanks

Tim

[behindpropeller]

Bump....

No advice?

[axis]

if it is already been run and isnt a new spindle a warmup program should be all you need when you start the machine up, if it is a new spindle i would leave it alone until warrenty is over. the spindle run in program should have been run by a haas tec the day it showed up and by a haas tec the day you get a new spindle put in if you ever need a new spindle. you should only have to worry about warm up program.

[Matt@RFR]

Just add another two lines of code to the warm up program to go to 6000 with the same dwell.

[WGJ]

You need a long, slow break-in in my opinion....all day. When I did it, I warmed up the spindle with standard warm up, changed parameters, then started spindle at 3000 rpm. Then I bumped it up 10% every 30 min until I reached max. Then, I let it sit at 6000 for a couple of hours, watching the spindle load periodically. Worked like a charm.
When you run your warm-up in the future after the mod, back spindle rpm down to 70%.

I wrote this earlier today and forgot to hit "post". Got side tracked.....sorry.

[axis]

thats a good idea if its a new spindle but if you have been running it for a year your not going to break in the spindle anymore. i run at 8000rpm all the time on my tm and have done since about 3 months after i got it and its 8 years old now. the break in program dosnt run at a constant speed it runs up the rpm and down for a couple of hours with cooling off periods if you are worried about run in i am sure someone on this forum has the break in program that you can use. i know its better to be safe then sorry so its up to you.

[behindpropeller]

Originally Posted by axis thats a good idea if its a new spindle but if you have been running it for a year your not going to break in the spindle anymore.

I think if it has never been run at 6000 RPM it has not been broken in at 6000 rpm.

That being said...

Who can post a break in program (not the warm up program).

Thanks

Tim

[Donkey Hotey]

You're making this WAAAYYY more complicated than it is. Relax, breathe and accept that your spindle is greased, not oiled.

The only reason you even run a warm-up program is to get the grease warmed up. The long spindle run-in program is more for purging oil from the lower bearing on the oiled-spindle machines than for bearing break-in.

Our GR-712 has a similar spindle. We ran the break-in the first time just because it was new. The reality is the factory had surely run it up to 10K and back down numerous times before it ever got to us.

Go forth and make chips.

[behindpropeller]

Originally Posted by Donkey Hotey You're making this WAAAYYY more complicated than it is. Relax, breathe and accept that your spindle is greased, not oiled. The only reason you even run a warm-up program is to get the grease warmed up. The long spindle run-in program is more for purging oil from the lower bearing on the oiled-spindle machines than for bearing break-in. Our GR-712 has a similar spindle. We ran the break-in the first time just because it was new. The reality is the factory had surely run it up to 10K and back down numerous times before it ever got to us. Go forth and make chips.

Ok Donkey.

Just didn't want to burn up my spindle....

[WGJ]

Why risk it?

If the factory had broken in the bearings at the factory, then why would it be necessary to do it at installation? When my TM landed in early 2007, the break-in program was not required ONLY because it was a 4k spindle. My service tech told me that it WOULD be required if it were the 6k enclosed model. I think that a 50% increase is substantial...there is more heat in the bearings therefore more expansion, your belt is going to act differently and need to be broken in at these increased speeds, and the grease is going to turn into a different consistency. Since the 6000 rpm break-in has never been performed, would it hurt to slowly ramp up and let it run there for a while? It made sense to me.

And for the record, you will rarely use that many rpm on this machine. Your torque falls to near zero. The guy who says he runs his at 8k must be using his as a router for non-metal parts with tools less that 1/4" diameter. I rarely go above 5k, and spend most of my life at 4500...

Just trying to help; it's your mill [or router ;^) ]

And the burro is right. It's going to be a smooth transition. And it makes buying carbide mills more realistic. I always lie to mastercam and say I am using HSS so it doesn't embarrass me and say I need to be spinning my end mill at 12k and pushing at 100ipm.

[Geof]

It is a pity NCcams is no longer with us because we need a bearing Guru.

How do you "break in" a ball race (or a roller race, ballscrew or ball guide)? Breaking in is for sleeve bearings or sliding surfaces, which have minuscule humps and bumps on the surfaces that are big enough to protrude through an oil film separating the surfaces and cause metal to metal contact. Breaking in simply knocks the bumps off or smears them flat generating smoother surfaces that can be effectively separated by an oil film.

Ball races do not have sliding surfaces, they are rolling contact, and the surfaces on balls and races are incredibly smooth. Not only do they not need breaking in they will not break in. Actually if they did the bearings would become sloppy.

The Run-In and Warm-Up programs in Haas machines are simply to purge the oil that has accumulated in the lower spindle bearings on oil lubricated spindles. The Warm-Up can also serve to warm up and distribute the grease on grease lubricated spindles.

[WGJ]

Ball bearings?
I was under the impression they were angular contact roller bearings.
I agree with the grease being the main point to the break-in; they have obviously shed all of their factory imperfections by this point. I imagine that they are ABEC7 or better. The logic I used was that, after running a grease pack unit at a certain max for so long, then I have introduced certain constants into the system. When I add 50% more speed, I have just changed the equation. I have introduced heat and I have also changed the consistency of the lubricant (whipped vs pureed theory). I wanted to slowly give the new equation time to find its equilibrium. I'm no bearing Guru...I just make decisions as logically as possible, and when it's your only cnc mill, you tiptoe. Maybe I was ridiculously over-protective. All I can absolutely claim is that I used my described method and suffered no ill side effects when I raised my mill's max rpm to 6k.

For the record, while I do use the higher rpms to a degree, I got WAY more out of raising the rapids to 400ipm. And I look SOOO forward to getting a large vertical mill that travels at the speeds and feed that mastercam recommends =)