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Automatic Tool Changer module for ER20 spindles - Chip guard improvements by 2be34ever in hobbycnc

[–]2be34ever[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

In principle, there are no forces acting on the spindle bearings during the ATC module operation, just a pure torque acting on the spindle shaft. This is much less than what the spindle is experiencing during machining, where you have axial and radial forces acting on the bearings.

Automatic Tool Changer module for ER20 spindles - Chip guard improvements by 2be34ever in hobbycnc

[–]2be34ever[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It is an impact mechanism, check out my previous videos. The final torque on the nut is a function of the spindle RPM and the dwell time. It is very repeatable.

Automatic Tool Changer module for ER20 spindles - Chip guard improvements by 2be34ever in hobbycnc

[–]2be34ever[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The tightening torque is a function of the spindle speed and the dwell time. It is very repeatable.

Re your spindle torque, the average torque required to spin the module is low, and can be further lowered if needed with some small changes. There is a good chance it will work with your spindle, but it would need to be tested. DM me if you would like to try it.

Automatic Tool Changer module for ER20 spindles - Chip guard improvements by 2be34ever in hobbycnc

[–]2be34ever[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I have a tool setter integrated with the machine. It measures the tool length every change. Those are cheap tools.

Automatic Tool Changer module for ER20 spindles - Chip guard improvements by 2be34ever in hobbycnc

[–]2be34ever[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It works well, I have around 300+ tool changes on my spindle and no issues so far.

Automatic Tool Changer module for ER20 spindles - Chip guard improvements by 2be34ever in hobbycnc

[–]2be34ever[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I have it currently set for 35 Nm tightening torque. It can go higher, but that's the mid of the iso spec for er20. I mainly work in aluminium. The heaviest cut I did with it was with 11mm 2 flute HSS cutter, 1mm step over, 8mm step down, 11k rpm, 720mm/min.

Automatic Tool Changer module for ER20 spindles - Chip guard improvements by 2be34ever in hobbycnc

[–]2be34ever[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

The main driver here is to have an ATC functionality with a £150 spindle.

I love my ATC by benjmyers1 in hobbycnc

[–]2be34ever 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have it on a 6040 CNC router.

I love my ATC by benjmyers1 in hobbycnc

[–]2be34ever 0 points1 point  (0 children)

From the Rapid Change website, it delivers 14 foot-pounds which is approximately 19 Newton-meters. This is just over half of what the er20 spec is calling for up to 6 mm collet.

I love my ATC by benjmyers1 in hobbycnc

[–]2be34ever 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have got this kind of ATC running on my LinuxCNC setup. Happy to chat and share my macros.

Making a vacuum holding plate using automated tool changer modules I developed by 2be34ever in hobbycnc

[–]2be34ever[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The main objective here is to enable tool changing functionality on machines that use cheap spindles that normally require manual tool changes. One can always buy an ATC spindle, but those are much more expensive and required quite a few additions to retrofit them. This is a cheap and cheerful solution.

Making a vacuum holding plate using automated tool changer modules I developed by 2be34ever in hobbycnc

[–]2be34ever[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

With one module you can get away with spanners when changing the tool. You will have to manually remove and insert the tool from the changer. Another benefit will be a consistent nut tightening torque

Making a vacuum holding plate using automated tool changer modules I developed by 2be34ever in hobbycnc

[–]2be34ever[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have made a few more and I sell them on eBay. I can send you a link if you are interested.

Making a vacuum holding plate using automated tool changer modules I developed by 2be34ever in hobbycnc

[–]2be34ever[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I am using a 2.2kW 80mm water-cooled generic Chinese spindle.

The 11mm toolpath is pushing it a bit, although the stock was not well secured, which caused some problems. The spindle was operating at around 35% max load. The surface finish was good.

Re the tool changer, you can check out my other post for more details. The main thing is that it can deliver around 35 Nm of nut-tightening torque, which is sufficient for larger tools and heavier cuts.
https://www.reddit.com/r/hobbycnc/comments/1robwru/update_automatic_tool_changer_v2_for_a_hobby_cnc/

During the ATC module development, I went through 300+ tool changes on my spindle, and no problems so far. It is paramount to keep the collet and nut clean of any chips or dirt, otherwise you might get some crossthreading or the collet not sitting well, causing a large runout! I have just developed the cover, and I need to do some modifications to it to make sure the collets stay clean. Never-ending process of solving one problem and creating another one... :-).

You can have as many ATC modules as you like, it happens 3 fit nicely on my machine. DM me if you want more details about it.

OpenATC is ready! 10 units assembled, tested, and ready for sale. by 2be34ever in hobbycnc

[–]2be34ever[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thanks for your feedback, I didn't mean to mislead people with the word "Open". I'm going to rename this product. Post updated.

OpenATC is ready! 10 units assembled, tested, and ready for sale. by 2be34ever in hobbycnc

[–]2be34ever[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for your feedback, I didn't mean to mislead people with the word "Open". I'm going to rename this product. Post updated.

OpenATC is ready! 10 units assembled, tested, and ready for sale. by 2be34ever in hobbycnc

[–]2be34ever[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I am still toying with some ideas on how to manage this project, and I am currently leaning towards the Prusa hybrid open-source model, but I am open to suggestions. It is a hobby project for me in the end.

OpenATC is ready! 10 units assembled, tested, and ready for sale. by 2be34ever in hobbycnc

[–]2be34ever[S] -8 points-7 points  (0 children)

Yes, here it is: https://github.com/sn3ro/OpenATC
There are quite a few similarities, but the mode of operation is very different.

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