Practically every machine is equipped with a spindle lock - let's take a lathe as an example. This is the element that is responsible for holding the workpiece firmly and securely in one place. If you take the turner as an example, he attaches a metal bar or shaft between two headstocks, one side of which is fitted with such a holder.
The word itself is of German origin. "Spindel" is a winding spindle, that is, something that has the ability to rotate in different directions. Structurally, it is a shaft. The term itself is mainly used in machine tool construction, metalworking and woodworking, respectively. It is an extremely important element, and without it the operation of any device cannot be imagined. The task of the part is to transmit the force generated by the electric motor to the workpiece in metal or wood or plastic. The shaft is fitted with a fixture for centring and clamping the bar.
But it would seem, why else would you need one when you can attach a metal or wooden sample directly to the gearbox, the reduction unit? The fact is that these machine parts are not suited to increased vibration and high loads, they will simply break down. The shaft, on the other hand, can be the intermediary that takes all the mechanical (and thermal) stresses. In addition, it has a chuck on one side which has fastening elements - threads, splines, grooves, i.e. a universal fit for the specific purpose of fastening.
What are the features of the spindle design The following are some of the features of the spindle design:
- Mounting is by means of a rolling bearing. This is a robust unit, standard, but it is also available in various designs. High-speed precision machine tools use hydrostatic and magnetic bearings, ensuring axial deviations of no more than 0.5 µm.
- The main rotary motion of the shaft comes from an asynchronous motor. It is installed in the machine housing - usually in the right headstock. In the beginning, electric motors were only powered from three-phase sources and were installed directly in production facilities.
- The spindle can be driven directly by the electric motor, but more often by an additional unit, such as a belt.
- The main fixture, which is located at the edge of the shaft, is the collet chuck. This allows secure fixture of any shank diameter.
- In industrial production, it is very important to have a cooling system on the lathe or milling machine. It plays an important role - it extends the maximum service life as well as continuous machining time.
- The most complex spindles are on CNC machines. The fact is that the presence of a numerical control makes it possible to produce parts with maximum precision.
The scope of use is as wide as the many different types of equipment for metalworking and woodworking, plastic processing. If the main purpose of the part is to hold gear, then the application accordingly comes from the features of the tooling:
Every power tool with an attachment is bound to have an electric spindle as a holder. The unit is essential for milling and turning machines - these, in turn, are very widespread, as they can be used to create numerous products.
Fixing the rolled product for machining is another purpose.
But the most important function is still to secure the tooling. And the fastening security is so high that it allows maximum rotations and extreme axial loads on the shaft to be achieved.
