I bought and installed a Carbide 3D 65mm VFD spindle kit on my SO3XL. So far it works fine in general, but I have an odd situation that contradicts the documentation, and causes a big concern about safety.
Basically, the spindle can be turned on whether or not the the Spindle Enable button on the front of the VFD controller is on or off.
The documentation states “The Spindle Enable button on the front of the VFD controller allows you to disable the spindle during tool changes and when using tools, such as drag bits, where the spindle stays off.”
Even when this button is off (unlit), the spindle turns on when running a project, and it will also turn on with an MDI command (e.g., M3S10000).
I’m concerned for my fingers during bit changes if the software can turn the spindle on when the enable button is off.
Comments? What am I missing, or failing to understand?
This sounds like something about the button is failing in an unsafe state and causing it to not work properly. I would recommend reaching out to support.
I will reach out to support. In the meantime, is “flipping off the on/off switch” on the side of the VFD the equivalent of “turning off the Spindle Enable button”? If so, I can safely continue to work by just turning off the VFD with the main on/off switch during bit changes, while I sort out a permanent solution with support.
I discovered it by accident. I dutifully turned off the Spindle Enable button for a tool change, then forgot to re-enable it after the tool change. The machine measured the bit, the spindle turned on, and the job proceeded. Kinda spooky.