Help with decision

I’m about to buy a new spindle for my Shapeoko xxl and want some feedback on it.

I mostly milling metals with it.

So should I choose a spindle with wider rpm range (3500-30000)and manual tool change or a spindle with quick tool change and narrower rpm range( 5000-25000) and

Both are German made. Don’t want Chinese one

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Personnally I would go for higher max RPM (but I’m not sure 30k vs 25k will matter that much)

Quick tool change is nice (Kress?) but unless you are doing production and every second counts, I don’t think it matters that much on a Shapeoko. I would buy several sets of collet and collet nuts, and prepare all tools in advance in their own collet & nut: changing tools will then literally take a few seconds.

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As a counterpoint, I think the quick tool change is the better option — if RPM comes into play for an operation, it’s just a matter of balancing the feed rate, worst case is you wait on the machine. I’m pretty sure if you calculate the time saved in feed rates it pales in comparison.

For tool changes, the quick change is faster, and my philosophy on a CNC is I have one because my time is more valuable than the machine’s.

(Yes, I really want a Mafell quick change spindle, tool changes are an interruption of my watching the machine and checking in on the help queue and so forth)

Previous discussion at:

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G-Penny has some spindle packages that are made for metal. Those metal spindles usually are 800HZ instead of 400HZ

Yes its either the AMB 1050 with er collet quick change or suhner 1500w that is like a Makita but more power and wider rpm range.

And this is why i can’t decide, I’m stuck in between both @julien and @WillAdams arguments.

I don’t have any problem with manual tool changes But it would be nice to have just because its nice :).

And then a wide rpm range with a decent amount of power., then i could use it for more tough materials.

Links for these? I didn’t know AMB did a quick change system.

I thought you were looking at a Mafell quick change system:

https://www.timberwolftools.com/mafell-fm-1000-ws-milling-motor

(mentioned at: Quick change end mill options )

Suhner: https://www.sorotec.de/shop/Spindle-Motor-Suhner-1530Watt-230V-3500-30000-rpm.html

AMB: https://www.sorotec.de/shop/Spindle-Motor-AMB-FME-U-1050-Watt-230-V-3500-----22-000-rpm-9425.html

The quick change unit has a digital interface — is using that required for operation, or can it be used manually?

You can order it with manual controll also, but it’s a 0-10v signal and isn’t that like on most vfd s?

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Yes VFDs typically have a configurable input for 0-5V or 0-10V
Looking at the sweet quick change AMB, I can see why you hesitate, it looks pretty cool :slight_smile:
(but twice the price and twice the weight…yikes)

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Damen CNC has some videos on how to use the quick change too [https://www.damencnc.com/en/amb-kress-1050-fme-u-di-quick-change-with-digital-interface-230vac/a3549](http://Damen CNC )

They claim the internal stop gives a consistent tool Z position, so the question would be what GCode sender will you be using to store those tool offsets to avoid spending time on re-probing Z every time you change a tool (wastes more of my time than the collet on my AMB FME 1050 does)?

Also, beware the Kress spindle has the clamping point right above the collet so on the Shapeoko you can’t reach the wasteboard from the normal router mount position, I had to make an adapter to get the mount low enough to use most of the 1/4" tools.

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Yes it’s a sweet one. But you mentioned weight and that’s a big thing to consider also.

Low weight and high rpm should be the winner here :blush:

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Made the decision and ordered the Suhner uak 30 rf. It shipped today so in a few weeks I’ve got some test cuts done.

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