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Spindle on/off control


Automatic spindle on/off control is only possible on machines which were supplied by Emco with a DNC circuit board in the control cabinet and a door switch on the mill itself. To check if there is a door switch, close the machine door and look in the gap between the bottom right-hand side of the door and the machine base. You should see a roller trip operated microswitch. If there is no switch, you will see a rectangular cut-out in the machine base.

The switch is available from Emco, as it is used on their current machines, but does require the DNC board to function with the F1 mill: it is possible that these boards are no longer available to retrofit. Users of machines without this safety feature must exercise great care at all times because, once switched on, the spindle will continue to run whether or not the machine door is open.

The remarks below apply only to mills fitted with the DNC board and door switch but should be read by all machine owners and users.

The mill control panel has a three position switch for spindle control. With the mill's native controller, spindle switch operation is as follows:

1) position 0 (vertical). The spindle is stopped;

2) position 1 (turn the switch clockwise). This is manual mode. The spindle rotates regardless of whether the door is open or shut. This is potentially very dangerous;

3) position CNC (turn the switch counter-clockwise). The spindle is started and stopped by signals from the mill controller. The spindle only runs when the mill  door is closed.

WELmill changes the way spindle control works provided WELmill is installed according to the instructions supplied. Position 1 of the spindle switch is disabled. It is not possible to run the spindle in the former, unsafe, manual mode. The only switch positions which apply are positions 0 and CNC.

The spindle can only be switched on from the PC and only when these three conditions are satisfied:
  • the spindle switch is in the CNC position;
  • the mill door is closed;
  • rotation of the spindle is necessary for the task in hand: this is determind by the software and not the user.
    · These restrictions considerably improve the safety of the machine.

    The     "Use the keyboard to move the tool" screen appears in various places in WELmill and sometimes shows a red and a green button. When "clicked", these buttons start and stop the spindle. The function keys, F9 and F12 respectively, can also start and stop the spindle.

    The     "Use the keyboard to move the tool" screen is a main menu item in its own right and it offers spindle on/off control. The screen also appears when tool offsets are being measured and when the machining origin is being located.

    In     "Measure the Tool Offsets", the spindle on/off buttons are not shown because spindle rotation is not required for this process.

    When working through the "Mill a Part" sequence in preparation for machining, the spindle control buttons are only available in those appearances of the     "Use the keyboard to move the tool" screen when they are required for the task.

    In short, spindle on/off control is only available when it is needed.

    When the spindle is running, it will always stop if the mill door is opened. Also, it will not start if the door is open. It is essential that the user ensures that the switch which is activated by the mill door, its cabling and its connection back to the mill control cabinet are always in full, safe working order and not compromised in any way.

    Safety