AC Servo Spindle Motor for DIY CNC! Setup, Mounting, Belt Drive, and Mach3 Control!

[@KW-ei3pi]

One thing that I have always enjoyed about your "voice over" videos is your speaking ability. Very clear. Excellent enunciation. Your thoughts are very well in mind, and you express them very well. There are a few machining channels with excellent information, made by very knowledgeable and experienced machinists, that I can't stand to watch because they are just not able to convey their thoughts well, to say the least. I started watching one of those yesterday and the poster said "uh" about five times in the first sentence, so I clicked off. Others ramble on with useless, irrelevant information, and repeat things several times in different words. So it's very refreshing to watch your videos. Thanks very much. Regards.

[@GetBlitzified]

I bought the 2kw version of this motor, took a long hard look at the manual and eventually gave up. It's been sitting on my shelf for at least a year now.. But now your explanation of the manual may just give me a fighting chance. You're the man!!

[@michaelbrocato7535]

If you don't get it up and going and you have the driver and servo would you want to get rid of it for the right $

[@kentvandervelden]

Hi Jeff, thank you for the mention! If you ever want help with LinuxCNC or hacking in some feedback, let me know. Looking forward to meeting you, maybe at an upcoming KC Maker Faire. For reducing servo sound, check for a parameter something like PWM Frequency and ensure it's outside of human hearing, >20kHz. It might not be solvable, but should decrease as we age :)

[@DonQuichotteLiberia]

Bootstrapping a CNC-mill with 3D-printed parts, great idea and excellent execution!

[@JohnK8]

I converted my mill using a 1.8kw DYN4 servo motor and drive. I'm running in velocity mode using 0~10v. With this setup and LinuxCNC I can rigid tap. The conversion was worth the effort.

[@ryanlevy3474]

If you don’t mind me asking, what’s your setup with the 1.8kw servo? I see it’s rated for 1500rpm with max 3000rpm. What kind of reduction do you have on your mill? Thanks!

[@nline2blast722]

Glad to have you back on the regular!!!

[@calebburnett]

This was a good watch. I like the idea of using 3d printed parts to make aluminum parts. A CNC conversion is still very high on my priority list once I have the coin to do so.

[@PracticalRenaissance]

it's a project that never ends 😂

[@daniegouws3817]

Hi Jeff, thank you for the great video. You motivated me to replace the broken 220DC motor on my Optimum mill with a very similar AC Servo. But I have a problem with with the AL-03 alarm, the over-voltage alarm (230V instead of 220V). I tried many times to change it with the PN009 function, I enter 230, it returns "done" but it never changes, still giving the AL-03 alarm. Thank you Danie

[@Ale_Lab]

Thanks a lot for the video. I am next in line for installing this motor. You should be able to do rigid tapping with the servo motor!

[@PracticalRenaissance]

Yeah! I need to figure out how to get RPM feedback from the controller into Mach3, which I'm actually fairly confident is totally possible, then it should be pretty straightforward :D

[@Ale_Lab]

@@PracticalRenaissance Mach3 needs a 1 pulse per revolution signal. That is ok for lathe threading. Not sure it will be enough for rigid tapping at low speed. Linux CNC can do that with an encoder, but Mach3 no. I think since the servo has position feedback you don't even need additional connection to Mach3. What I would try is to define the spindle as an axis too. So like B, if A is your 4th axis. Then in fusion you call the rigid tapping like you do for the 4th axis, changing the origin to match the spindle orientation ecc... It would be a separate code for it. For initial test I would just assign the axis to the spibdle and manually write a tapping cycle to see if it works.

[@Ale_Lab]

@@PracticalRenaissance www.cnczone.com/forums/mach-mill/292884-tapping-mach3-fusion360.html check here. www.machsupport.com/forum/index.php?topic=24610.0 They use a macro but the principle is the same. You define the spindle as an axis and swap to that configuration while rigid tapping.

[@ChrisHarmon1]

Just ordered a 1.8kw M06030(3k RPM) with same controller. Got it for $383 shipped to US which was far better than the Sieg KX3 replacement controller/motor price. I'm using mine on a Novakon NM-135(same as older Syil X4/X5, Sieg X3 and KX3). Plan to print my mount FDM initially and a larger HTD 5M pulley for 2:1 ratio in resin ABS-like. Also going to print the belt on FDM with flexible material which has worked great in past on closed loop GT2 so a thick HTD 5M 15mm tall should work well until I figure out a good belt length and get it ordered.

[@AaronEngineering]

G'day Jeff. Well done on your AC servo spindle conversion. It was a great video with loads of excellent information. Can't wait to see what you have install for us with your upgraded machine. Cheers, Aaron

[@PracticalRenaissance]

Thanks Aaron! So far I've done a few little off-camera projects and hoping to do some real fun stuff in the future 😂

[@sto2779]

Excellent explanation. Wondering how everyone are mounting AC servo for the spindle head. 3D printing the mounts to make sure everything fits is great idea. How is the servo motor doing for you now? Might get one.

[@JaredBrewerAerospace]

I'm assuming you have tapered roller bearing in that head stock. How hot do they get when you double the RPMs? My CNC mill is limited to about 8k rpms for Run Time

[@joels4208]

Just checking back with you to see if you are still happy with this motor. Just curious; with your 1:1 ratio of servo to spindle, do you have an issue with insufficient torque at lower RPM? Also, have you had many issues tuning the servo or adjusting the acceleration when the mill speeds up or has to stop? Lastly, my current setup has a VFD with a breaking resistor. When the spindle rotation is suddenly reversed (ie for rigid tapping), the resistor absorbs the energy. How is this done with a servo?

[@peterchiverton7981]

Great video's keep it up, have a question you mentioned wiring PV pin what did you wire that to. I am doing a conversion to a opti-mill at the moment and with a masso controller the wiring is confusing cheers

[@cr2fabrication]

Your tool paths are really nice, what are you using for a CAM? I've been using the servo spindle for a couple years now, best upgrade you can do! I switched to a UC100 usb and now trying UCCNC and put MACH3 behind me...

[@nathankazier2267]

For a minute I thought you were gonna explode the 3D part when torque was applied, but looks like it held just fine, did you look into something thicker than a gt2? Those are not that strong in high torque, or V drive, you have a lathe just cut the v drive pulley out of aluminum.

[@PracticalRenaissance]

I was a little worried about the 3d printed parts, yeah, so I went pretty cautious when cutting out the aluminum, but even after pulling the 3d printed parts off the machine, they didn't show any signs of stress or damage which was nice! (The shot of them on my workbench in this video is actually AFTER all the machining... movie magic :) ) I might switch to a V or J belt pulley if I have problems with this one, I like that it can keep the spindle timed to the motor for whenever I figure out silly things like rigid tapping, either way I have a few extra belts in case I tear one up

[@Ale_Lab]

I used the same technique to machine the motor mount for my mill. I ended up post pone the job for a qhile and the 3d printed parts were used for months no problem. Once in compression they are surprisingly rigid

[@rc-cnc3431]

Nice spindle motor conversion

[@snakedad]

5:20 Some optimization to reduce cycle times: Don't really need a G83 and a Q-value for that. A (G21) G99 G81 Z-2. R1. Would do just fine.

[@riskototh]

also the side cutting is sooooo slooooow...

[@eda7906]

Cool video. You are right, manual provided is hard to decipher. Real simple question.....what power are you feeding the driver? 110vac or 220vac (looks like 110 from the video). Did you have to set the voltage in the settings? Fn009

[@ChristopherJones16]

Great video. I wonder if the 3D printed parts were actually better in that they themselves are dampeners especially compared to aluminum which likes to vibrate. Might be hard to notice a difference but I bet the 3D Printed parts made it slightly quieter and smoother.

[@rexmundi8154]

The engraving idea was pretty cool, but you can do the same thing with a surface plate and scriber. It’s a great way to quickly lay out hole patterns as well. I frequently cut to a scribed line as a second, third, or fourth op manually after a cnc operation for features that just require clearance or have reasonable tolerance.

[@joecnc3341]

Another great video, Jeff. Thanks for putting this together. Keep 'em coming!

[@Orcinus24x5]

So it's been almost 3 years since you've posted this video, how long after you did this motor swap did you fry your spindle bearings? The stock bearings on that mill are only rated for 3000 RPM, and with the new motor, you're pushing it to 6000.

[@cedrickgrandbois1541]

@Practical Renaissance I'm looking for help to swap my Wabeco CC-F1210E spindle motor for weeks now ! You made a great job and have good skills. I will give a look at your patreon tomorrow and cross the fingers to find what will help me to move forward ! Well done mate 👏

[@TrPrecisionMachining]

very good video..thanks for your time

[@TheArabianHunter]

Excellent video but I wished you talked more about the wiring

[@rengankrishnaiyer6912]

How do you implement step/direction spindle control together with Speed control ?

[@lesperkowski8241]

Sure would love if I could find such a deal for $309; cheapest I could find is $409 at AliExpress. That makes me want to save a bit more for DMM servo with auto tune.

[@tcratius1748]

I know this is a tricky question to answer, yet do you have trouble with noise transfer through the wall? And compared to a tradesman saw, is the mill just as noisy? Oo and btw, it looks 👍

[@joels4208]

Really well done video... Thank! Just curious if you had to change the spindle bearings to handle the higher rpm? Also, are you happy with the power output from this motor? T

[@PracticalRenaissance]

Thank you! The spindle bearings are the factory bearings; I know that will be the next (ideally final) thing I need to "upgrade" but as of now they will get the head casting "very warm" (i.e. not too hot to place my hand on) for >30 minute cycle times at 3000-4000 rpm; I've been a little sheepish to max out spindle speed for larger operations so I can't say how hot/how fast they'll get over durations at 6000rpm, but for reference, a few videos ago I measured the spindle runout at just less than .0005" (more like .0003-.0004) and that was actually measured and recorded after I did this motor upgrade, so it doesn't appear that they have been degraded by the higher speed **yet**. The power output is great, honestly it probably outclasses the size of the machine, I haven't been able to bog it down!

[@joels4208]

@@PracticalRenaissance Thanks for your quick reply... I am about to convert a machine and am having a hard time deciding between a PM-728 that has a stock spindle speed of 4300 rpm and uses angular contact bearing in the spindle. This mill would work very well with the servo motor system you just completed if greater RPM were needed. I am also considering the PM-833TV. This mill is twice as heavy but has a single speed belt drive, max rpm of 3200 and uses tapered roller bearings for the spindle. I have read few comment that this mill does not have enough low end torque. The solution it is swap the 2HP motor for a inverter duty motor which is costly. I am not sure if there is a servo motor that you could use for this mill that puts out 2 HP.

[@makeorbreak5887]

Not sure how I feel about a 2gt pulley setup on a 1.5kw spindle. I even looked up the tech specs and supposedly a 5mm 2gt belt will handle 34nm @3k rpm. Still skeptical. Will be interesting to see how it works for you

[@PracticalRenaissance]

I use the 10mm 2gt belts, so far no issues under cutting forces at speed, but it's something I have backup belts for and keep an eye on, and can convert to a V/J belt pretty easily and quickly if it ends up being a real problem. I would agree that a 5mm/3d printer belt would definitely not be strong enough. Thanks for watching!

[@ryanerskine6574]

Could you share the stl/fusion file for the mounts? I've been looking at doing a cheap belt drive conversion for the stock motor in line with what you did. Thanks!

[@connorbabcock8197]

Do you happen to have a link for these motors? Maybe they're NLA, but I want one so hopefully not! Lol I see a ton of ebay options, but they're all way more expensive or way sketchier looking

[@lordlorz]

Hi, Jeff! Could you tell me which Pn setting did you use to set the speed without connecting the driver to the breakout board? Pn021? Thank you :)

[@ratmanfu1485]

Great video, interesting idea using 3d printed parts. Could you share what ports and pins you used and would this setup work for something like rigid tapping?

[@GregsGarage]

Good show as always Jeff! I feel like the software control side of CNC is a pool too deep... You could spend an entire career trying to sort it all out.

[@PracticalRenaissance]

If you know software better it's probably a lot easier, but I certainly don't 😂 It would be great to have a good resource for "basic ease of use vs limitations" of a lot of the available options for DIY CNC controllers. Either way I'll just keep falling forward with what I got

[@winandd8649]

Consider using a belt with a 3 of 5 mm pitch, 2mm is way too small for real holding power, belts may slip too easily..

[@sickswan61]

Hey quick question.. can you rigid tap in mach 3 with this set up.. i have the ec 300 bob and ive just fitted a 1kw version of this on my denford triac.. i use fusion to post proces code. Im hoping to have this set up soon.. also if the motor makes a noise when not operating youcan use the enable pin in the db25 connector so that when m3 or m4 is caled it enables it is pin 6 in inputs input 1

[@makosharkcnc7730]

Great video! I'm running mach 3 too! your not using your control box that came with g0704?

[@DaveNorthWest]

What happens if this drive is only powered up with only 120v and ran or is that even possible?

[@compucar03]

As a heads up, the eBay links in the description don't work.

[@tomjdesigns1280]

Hi, can you set of park position? Is there such a function for BT tool holder and ATC?

[@justone8572]

I also want up grade for my DIY CNC

[@premjitsingh36]

need connections schematic for mach 3 like how do we connect breakout board wires to on off and change the speed

[@angelcoimbra8313]

gracias tienen link para comprar los servo motores ?

[@patrickbradford6223]

What 4th axis are you using???

[@TWFactory]

Hi, what motor power do you use? I have 750w version. It is enough for mini mill like your?

[@brendinemslie8226]

Great work! Will be doing my mill soon. Did you upgrade the spindle bearings?

[@PracticalRenaissance]

Thank you! I haven't done the spindle bearings yet-- no issues so far but I assume I'm going to need to do that on down the line. If you've got the time and cash I'd say go ahead and do it when you replace the motor.

[@nicolasaudouard8956]

hello jeff, how did you mount the pulley to the spindle?

[@giel8609]

why aren't you climb milling?? it will save you bits and a much better finish,less rolling of material and faster cycle times.. ( about 1.4/1.7 times faster..)

[@christophersmith108]

Fantastically useful information. Thanks!

[@pham7878]

Hi bro! This is mach3 LPT or mach3 Usb board?

[@jimsvideos7201]

Do you have a background in aviation by any chance?

[@niksechtniks]

so, you wire the servo in a a 4 th axis or something ?

[@sickswan61]

Pin 25 is not gnd??

[@robertorissi5558]

PRECISO TROCAR O SPINDLE POR SERVO MOTOR POIS NÃO FAZ BARULIO.

[@reinierwelgemoed8171]

Awesoke stuff. Just what I need to see.

[@DvuongDo]

Great!

[@lesperkowski8241]

Trying to find the manual; anyone know where to download it? thanks

[@OddsandEndsMachining]

Have you had any problems with electrical noise? If so how’d you solve it?

[@OddsandEndsMachining]

I have the same set up and am struggling with noise. But I’m using an Ethernet smooth stepper.

[@PracticalRenaissance]

as shown in the video I used an A/C noise filter on the 220v incoming power line then some ferrites on the wires going between the driver and the motor, these are pretty essential I believe. Hope this helps!

[@OddsandEndsMachining]

@@PracticalRenaissance I’ve got it sorted, tons of ferrites and shielded cables. Works great, do you notice the servo getting hot after about 30 mins? Like not too hot to touch continuously but near the limit. I may add a 12v cooling fan at some stage above the servo.

[@MonaStaffy]

Did you have to lower the ramp up speed in the parameters? I bought one to run my CNC lathe spindle but it would start so fast the motor would alarm out and I could never find a suitable parameter to slow the start...

[@PracticalRenaissance]

I lowered it in the motor tuning settings of Mach3

[@nickp4793]

Thanks for the video. Do you know if these servos will run off of 120VAC? Would they run at full speed and power? Or be limited in some way? I find the 220VAC ones all over Aliexpress, but can't seem to find any 120VAC versions.

[@PracticalRenaissance]

I can't say for sure but I've been told by others that they were able to run theirs off of 110/120v, you might do a search on it because I haven't personally researched it. Good luck either way!

[@cr2fabrication]

How is it holding up?

[@PracticalRenaissance]

Just fine! Did some roughing this past weekend in ~35 hrc 17-4 stainless and the machine didn’t bat an eye!

[@cr2fabrication]

@@PracticalRenaissance the 1500 or 1800kw seem to be about the right size, but hard to find like you said. The 750w you can find, but probably not enough grunt.... Really good information, thank!

[@justinmoritz6543]

YESSS!!!

[@kylewarren69]

hello jeff.

[@PracticalRenaissance]

Hey Kyle, how are you?

[@reinierwelgemoed8171]

Hi There. Could i message You directly. Im trying to setup my 220v servo same as You to just use the control on the motor controller to spin it. can You help me with that?

[@goldcoasttime]

Does anyone sell ATC's for the PM Machines?

[@mukesh_1million137]

Hello