Check out their web site at: rapidchangeatc.com/ And their RU-vid channel to see their whole story: / @rapidchangeatc Link to the Rockwell "no touch" probe we use, literature.rockwellautomation...
Mike, can you supply a bit more detail about the fork sensor - there are stacks of options in the linked pdf. Did you use 3 wire or 4? NPN or PNP? Thanks
In the video, the controller used was a UC300ETH base board, which prefers NPN sensors, and the AXBB base board has isolated inputs, so either can be used. We used PNP for the AXBB, and I have expansion I/O on the UC300ETH that allows for PNP. The PNP sensor used is 3-wire, as we did not use the teach function via the wiring.
According to the specs for that fork, the accuracy is 0.008". In our use case, we carve the same material all day long to a depth of 0.025". I can tell you that the fork is 100% accurate and repeatable, Any variance would produce a visible difference in our process. The real benefit to us is that our fine bits don't have to touch metal for the "touch-off" process, making the super-fine bits last much longer.
I reached out to Don @ Rapidchange and asked if he had a video of that. There is a quick shot of the torque near the beginning of this video, ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-RR8noEJYduA.html Don also said that it was a good idea and will incorporate that into an upcoming livestream demo. Join their Discord and and connect with them., they are very responsive
This looks really nice but sadly my 1.5kW spindle only starts spinning at around 40Hz (so 2400 RPM minimum). I also cant currently control the direction but my FluidNC controller is ot the way and i'll switch to RS485 control once its here
Yes, some VFD's can and some can't run at that low speed. We have the RapidChange ATC installed on a few different CNC's. We do need to upgrade the VFD on one CNC, as it has the same issue you are experiencing with the spindle.
@@xConundrumx I was concerned about that too, but reading the documentation I found that the 9000rpm limit is about cooling an air cooled spindle. For short bursts it should be ok at any rpm.
@@xConundrumx their contraption doesn't need low rpm so OK here. it let spindle to speed up and then engages at some rpm. (like a hammer in impact wrench)
Better than one or even 5 tests is to find out what the company's liability coverage is. How confident are they that they aren't going to be sued and how much can they afford to pay out if they do? Also never seen a spindle that can do 1200 rpm consistently or for long.
We can tell you that we had all the exact same doubts and fears as you do. The price point is what finally convinced us to test on one CNC machine. Cautiously at first, then gaining confidence as more and more bit changes happened without issue. The first CNC is using a HUANYANG Water Cooled CNC Spindle Motor 220V 2.2KW, and after 6 weeks has made hundreds of bit charges without issue. Once we gained the confidence in the RapidChange ATC, we ordered the unit for the 2nd CNC. The 2nd CNC has the same spindle, but uses a different VFD that wasn't able to control the spindle down to 2000rpm, so we changed the VFD and that CNC is now working without issue. We can all agree that there are just too many varieties of CNC, spindles and VFD controller combinations to insure that it will work on everything. That is why I mentioned that IF you could consistently control your spindle at that speed, this solution may be something to consider. Ask the team at RapidChangeATC any questions you have, they are incredibly responsive both on the website and their Discord channel.
We didn't think about that until the first bit slipped a little. Most of the collects held the bit just fine, but a couple did slip. We now install a small O-ring on top of the bit to keep the bit from falling down the collet. Have seen some others use a small piece of heat shrink tubing instead. That has been working great
Both CNC's are using a HUANYANG Water Cooled CNC Spindle Motor 220V 2.2KW. And yes, both your spindle and VFD may be limiting factors on why you can't to a low enough rpm. The first CNC we converted is an Axiom and that VFD worked fine. When we tried it on the very similar i2R CNC, that VFD didn't want to get to that low speed, and we had to changeout that VFD. Now the i2R CNC is working fine. For more specifics, I encourage you to connect with the RapidChange team on their Discord server channel. They seem to answer there the quickest.
@@mikekikkert6847 I just got the same spindle but I am using Phils board with Teensy 4.1 / GRBLHAL. Unfortunately there is no rs485 on the board will it work with PWM 0-10v
oh. i see. you basically created an impact wrench which engages by centrifugal force or something when the nut speeds up. that's clever on its own but you definitely need some longevity testing. (cause spindle manufacturers clearly says do not use impact on a collet nut) my two questions is: 1. what's with dirt ? ER collets collect dirt pretty well and it falls all over on changing. but for good runout you must keep collet and nut threads crystal clean. 2. how tools not fall off the collets when not in the spindle? for good tool holding and minimal runout collet must never be stretched (only compressed) so the perfect tool to collet fit is when tool slides freely (falling off the collet when not tightened)
Great questions. I didn't think about the bit falling out of the collect until after I bought mine from RapidChange ATC. Most bits\collects were pretty snug and weren't an issue. Several did fall out as you mentioned. After a little trial and error, now I just put a small O-ring on the top of the bit to keep it from falling out of the collect. As for keeping the collects clean, I agree. That's why we built the custom enclosure you saw at the end of the video. Works really well. We approached this new ATC with a healthy dose of skepticism like you, but it keeps impressing us. We have had it about 2 months now with hundreds of bit changes per month. We have become so comfortable with it, we don't even worry about it anymore. The guys are Rapid Change ATC have been great to work with as they launched this product. Easiest to connect with on their Discord channel
I saw that RapidchangeATC started prototyping a bit changer for large surfacing bits. Here is the video. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-02X4wZt9xH8.html
That spindle clamp came with the i2R CNC, so its factory. But it's pretty much identical to this unit on Amazon : www.amazon.com/RATTMMOTOR-Spindle-Bracket-Diameter-Engraving/dp/B078HB21VG/
They are currently beta testing on the an ER32.. Reach out to Don on Discord and see how far along they are ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-FpapUp5JKUo.html
That fork sensor isn't for everyone, it works for our use case very well. It accomplishes the intended purpose of saving the bit from contacting any metal during the height probe process, and extends the life of the bit. We chose to sacrifice speed for longevity.
According to the specs for that fork, the accuracy is 0.008". In our use case, we carve the same material all day long to a depth of 0.025". I can tell you that the fork is 100% accurate and repeatable, Any variance would produce a visible difference in our process. The real benefit to us is that our fine bits don't have to touch metal for the "touch-off" process, making the super-fine bits last much longer.
