TM-2 air spindle

[sundy58]

We are making vivaldi antennas http://mwrf.com/Files/30/19382/fig_01.gif and that requires a slot that is 0.032 wide. I am thinking this would be a good opportunity to hit the bosses up for an air spindle.

I have been wanting to etch circuit boards on the Haas for some time now but 6k rpm is not enough for a 0.004 end mill.

I need at least 60K rpm to replace the circuit board mill I am using now. It is limited in size and the software is a pain.

I would like to get air spindle with auto clamping and maybe 100k rpm.

Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

[titchener]

I don't know if anyone makes an air spindle adapter for the TM-1, but you could probably fab up something like the one these guys sell for their smaller mill, look under their accessories. The router they use is a common choice for shop made adapters.

www.tormach.com

Paul T.

[sundy58]

OK, I found an air driven spindle that I think will work.

http://www.airturbinetools.com/hss/602cat.html

So I searched on how to lock the spindle and M19 will lock it at the tool change position (or what position I specify)? CNCZone thread named “Spindle orient and A axis smoothing”.

I assume that is very similar to keystrokes MIDI, ORIENT SPINDLE?

I don't know G code so any advise you can give will be great.

Thanks,
Dennis

[CJH]

Dennis,

I would probably guess that you could use the M19 in your code that you found. I would think that if you are programming on a pc with CAM you would have to manually edit your code. you would set your feeds the same as for any other cutters, and set a spindle speed for 0 RPM. Then when the code is posted you would have to do some manual editing. like adding the
M19 after the toolchange. Similar to the code below.

%
O2000
( T1 | Cutter Description | H1 )
N100 G20
N110 G0 G17 G40 G49 G80 G90
N120 T1 M6 M19 (At this point you would turn on the air to your air driven spindle)
N130 G0 G90 G54 X.7 Y.39 A0. S0 M5
N140 G43 HH1 Z.35
N150 M8
N160 G1 Z.22 F5.
N170 Y.38 F10.
N180 Y.36
N190 X.69 Z.23
N200 X.68 Y.35 Z.24
N210 X.67
N220 X.66
N230 X.3
N240 M5
N250 G91 G0 G28 Z0. M9
N260 G28 X0. Y0. A0.
N270 M30
%

An aternative to locking the spindle with code would be to make a retaining ring and lock pin configuration, like is used with aggregate heads and spindle speeders. but it would have to mounted to the Haas spindle nose in the proper orientation that matches that of the tool change postion.

Just a thought. I'm not sure it would work as easy as this.

CJH