Sep 2 - Tormach Upgrades Spindle Suite for Personal CNC 1100

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Tormach Upgrades Spindle Suite for Personal CNC 1100

Suggested retail price $745

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WAUNAKEE, WI, Sep 2, 2008 - Tormach, LLC has announced the release of a spindle upgrade package for its model PCNC 1100 milling machine that improves stopping time by 450% and improves dynamic range by more than 400%, enabling faster tool changes and increased productivity.

According to Tormach CEO Greg Jackson, the upgrade package includes a sensor less vector drive with an external braking resistor that has been programmed and optimized for the Tormach PCNC 1100. Jackson noted that the new drive package uses the same mounting holes, hardware and wire lengths of the original drive, making installation simple.

Once installed, the new drive offers a number of benefits, Jackson explained:

Spindle stopping time is reduced from as long as 9 seconds down to less than 2 seconds for a complete stop – a 450% improvement
All potentiometers have been eliminated, along with all the variation that comes with analog controls.
Overload capacity is increased from 150% to 230% allowing faster starts and greater carry through under difficult cutting conditions. Effective horsepower is increased to 2 from 1.5

Cutting tests showed that the drive upgrade allowed increases of close to 100% in feed rates and metal removal rates.

The sensor less vector drive technology used in the upgrade package has more memory and “intelligence”, according to Jackson. It is designed accept motor parameters during setup and has software to measure motor operating characteristics. “The drives can make pretty good judgments about motor and load conditions,” Jackson explains, “and can respond better to load changes.” One significant benefit of this technology is increased torque at low speeds.

The drive upgrade also has software that senses when there isn’t enough torque to support the speed dictated by the CNC g-code program. Instead of simply faulting, the system slows the motor to the maximum speed it can maintain without faulting. “We call this ability ‘Fold back logic’,” Jackson notes. “It lets us increase our top end speed from 4500 rpm to more than 5100 rpm.”

The spindle drive upgrade kit is a complete package with drive, wiring, software, machine control board, and installation instructions, and is available for $745. Tormach offers a core refund program, and will rebate $200 after return of the old control board.

About Tormach

Tormach manufactures CNC machinery and accessories designed specifically to address the needs of entrepreneurs, research, development, education, small business, and home shop machinists. Tormach industrial equipment is easier to use and lower in cost than conventional equipment and is particularly well suited to prototypes, secondary operations, and short run manufacturing.

For further information visit www.tormach.com.

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