Should You Buy a VFD instead of a Router? Answers await......

maybe you're new to CNC or maybe you've own a machine for some time you've thought about adding a vfd to your setup why would you what are the differences what are the benefits what are the economics and what about a DIY vfd kit thoughts and information are coming your way right now Kevin marnett back in the carbine 3D Studio you might wonder right off the bat what is a vfd when looking at a vfd for your CNC machine you'll see a lot of pictures of these guys what you're looking at here is the spindle the business end of the system the common name vfd refers to the controller that controller is the variable frequency drive these controllers are used in a variety of Industries and applications to control AC Motors the Drive Unit is able to control the speed and torque by adjusting the input frequency and voltage the controller also provides overload protection stop and start control adjustable acceleration and deceleration among other features controlling the speed of an AC motor is useful in a wide variety of Industries everything from golf carts to conveyor belts and certainly CNC machines for you the operator there are multiple workflow and quality of life improvements available with a vfd with that in mind let's take a look at the characteristics of each power unit we start with the simple yet capable trim router structurally speaking trim routers are brush motors two brushes feed current into a commutator at the top of a wired Armature this causes the Armature to spin inside the magnet lined motor can this structure creates two noticeable side effects heat and Noise yep the router is loud a router is capable of high RPMs with low torque these tools are made to be affordable and constructed with that in mind consequently variations in speed and torque are quite common can you get hundreds of hours out of a trim router to complete tons of excellent projects absolutely that's why benchtop cnc's are often equipped with trim routers these tools do have consumable Parts over time the brushes will need to be replaced because of that fact our routers come with an extra set of brushes we've got your back now if your commutator becomes damaged you'll need to replace the router generally they're inexpensive $80 to $140 with standard collets an er11 equipped router is going to run you 150 or more quick sidebar what is an er11 Callet ER is the name of a collet style first introduced in 1972 by Fritz vber founder of Rigo fix 11 refers to the size of the CET that's 11 mm standard er11 cets are going to hold up to a/4 in in Imperial and up to 8 mm in met trick running an ER system allows you to utilize a wider variety of Cutters with various shank sizes generally these collets are paired with flush nuts which are strong and perfect for General use as you might expect from the name the collet sits flush with the face of the nut no matter what kind of collets you use make sure you keep them clean alcohol Degreaser and some compressed air will help keep your collets in tiptop shape be sure to keep an eye on your collets and nuts for wear and replace them when damaged now what is it like running a trim router first off you are the on andof switch every time you start or stop a cut you need to change a tool you are turning the unit on or off also you control the speed of the router via the dial this dial is a guide to the RPM of the router but not an exact control the actual speed of the bit is going to vary based on several factors outside of that dial setting so for every cutter or tool path you're clicking the switch and trying to dial in the speed and monitoring a highly variable tool often over long run times and did I mention the [Music] noise how about running a vfd spindle vfd spindles are exclusively going to use those ER style collets allowing you maximum Choice when it comes to tooling how is life different with a vfd controller those quality of life improvements mentioned above start to shine immediately automatic on and off signals to your spindle mean you don't have to click or switch the router or click away that pop-up menu each time a tool change is required when a new tool required your spindle will turn off and your CNC will automatically move to the tool change position all without your intervention Additionally the BFD will send automatic RPM changes based on the settings you specified in your cam setup if you want to run a certain RPM for a roughing tool path then a lower RPM for a finishing pass with the same tool the RPM is automatically adjusted without a pause in the program these two items mean you spend less time babysitting your machine structurally speaking the spindles used in vfd systems are brushless current is sent through wires on the inside of the can in order to generate spin of the magnetic Armature this is the reverse of a brushed motor this construction makes the brushless spindle wildly more efficient which means less heat and much less noise additionally spindles are capable of higher torque than a router this means the spindle will better maintain RPM velocity when cutting slots or going around an interior Corner improving cut quality and potentially reducing endmill Weare additionally a spindle is made to a higher mechanical standard than a trim router this will result in less run out and more accurate Machining especially when cutting Hardwoods and metals the vfd is going to outperform the router now brushless spindles still require cooling air cooled spindles have an interior fan pushing air through the motor water cooled spindles are cooled by pumping a liquid mixture through the canister during use this requires a separate system which must be monitored and maintained that may be part of your Calculus in deciding what power unit to put on your CNC because of the vfd controller and the lack of physical wear brushless spindles will maintain speeds with greater accuracy than a trim router especially when tracked over long-term use if you properly maintain a vfd spindle it will outli your machine and probably you this brings us to the all important cost Factor Apples to Apples on an er11 Callet setup at present cost the carbide 3D compact router is $150 carbide 3D vfd $750 $600 for the automation long-lasting accuracy torque and lack of hearing damage is this affordable I think of affordability in terms of time and results if this upgrade will forever increase the speed at which I can cut materials reduce the potential downtime of my machine expand the range of materials I can easily and accurately cut improve my daily workflow and make sure I don't end up like Audrey in vacation didn't look real when it fell down hun what didn't that look real sweetie what are you happy now Clark she's dead then I think it's worth the investment now that brings me to the subject of a DIY vfd versus the carbide 3D vfd you have to decide what your time is worth and what your goals really are the carbide 3D vfd is Plug and Play order it unbox it install it begin cutting your first project immediately could you do the necessary research order the raw Parts Program the vfd to work with your spindle and program it to work with your particular CNC machine yes you could how many hours will that integration process take you how much is your time worth as a CNC operator that per hour rate had better be north of $50 in fact it should be closer to 70 an hour so you need to ask yourself a host of relevant questions how long will this process take what are my goals with CNC do I want to work on a CNC machine or do I want to make things with my machine and my vfd do you want a vfd in spindle that's been put through a quality control process do you want access to support do you want a 12-month warranty should something go wrong or are you going to dedicate the additional time to the research and testing necessary to determine why your vfd has become nonfunctional every hour spent problem solving costs the same $70 so do the math and answer those questions for yourself personally I value ease of installation reliability access to support and success making things with a CNC machine so what should it be router or vfd what do you think how do you think about the trade-offs mentioned above when it comes to your CNC experience I want to know I'm interested in your thoughts and rationale and in the end remember no matter what I say here you can make the decision that's right for you and when you do we'll still be here with more information ideas and [Music] inspiration [Music] a

Channel: Carbide 3D

Views: 13,004

Keywords: Carbide3D, CNC, Shapeoko, Carbide Create, Carbide Motion, Technology, Machining, Nomad 883, Nomad CNC, Nomad Pro, Desktop CNC, CNC Router, Digital Fabrication, Nomad 3

Id: b_UHef5iqvk

Length: 8min 36sec (516 seconds)

Published: Mon Mar 25 2024