If you’ve been working with high-speed spindles in CNC machining, then you are well aware of the breakneck speed of change in the industry. Spindles are turning tools faster and faster, and they also achieve more and more intricate details and tolerances. It is these very achievements, however, that are driving the need for change, progress, and advanced spindle technology. Designers, encouraged by what is already possible, are specifying tighter tolerances and increased detail in their innovations, and customers are clamoring for shorter delivery windows.

The result is a demand for higher RPMs for faster production and products with greater detail, which all falls on the shoulders of the CNC spindle industry.

What’s in the future for your CNC spindle operation?

In addition to changes of the spindles themselves, high-speed spindle operators also see increasing demand for the machining of advanced materials. Design engineers frequently specify superalloys such as Hastelloy, Inconel, Monel, and A-286 for their resistance to corrosion and the ability to withstand high temperatures. Titanium alloys and advanced composites also appear on spec sheets. Many of these are very hard metals.

We can divide the changes in CNC spindles and high-speed grinding, now and in the future, into several different areas:

• Software advances
• Greater speeds
• New materials
• Sustainability
• Industry education

Let’s take a more in-depth look at each of these categories.

Software innovations are already making a statement in high-speed grinding, in several different areas.

We see this in the GMN USA product line with systems like the IDEA-4S (Integrated Data Evaluation and Acquisition for Spindles). Sensors throughout the spindle monitor, collect, process, and store information on essential operations of the CNC spindle. Operators can monitor spindle performance and go back into the data and see operating trends. The result is invaluable predictive maintenance data that allows spindle operators to identify problems in the early stages, long before they manifest themselves in strange sounds, odd vibrations, overheating, and catastrophic failures.

CNC high-speed spindle tools quickly wear, and the first sacrifice of this wear is lost precision. High-speed spindle software senses when tools are losing their exactness and sends messages back to the machine to increase and decrease the speed or length of the operation time by fractions of a second, compensating for this wear. These innovations not only maintain spindle operating quality but extend the life of the tool.

Product designers and CNC operators can build a digital twin of a finished workpiece before they even turn on the spindle. These digital twins, viewed in 3D on a computer screen or produced on a 3D printer, allow designers and spindle operators to see machining problems that were invisible before. They can see where the wall of a product might be too thin, a transition in texture might be too abrupt, or any of several other design flaws that would typically not be visible until the part comes off the production line. This digital twin technology saves time by allowing designers to make changes in the conceptual stage.

Advances in data handling and analysis allows for better integration of this data into operating systems that look at the entire picture of high-speed spindle operation. By incorporating IoT (Internet of Things), factory supervisors see where the system purposely lengthens a spindle process to compensate for wear in a tool and make adjustments to upstream and downstream production lines to avoid bottlenecks. The system can automatically query inventory records to determine if a replacement tool should be ordered. Scheduling is alerted to the need for future maintenance of a spindle. This allows supervisors to adjust for the downtime or decide to bring in a replacement spindle.

Many high-speed spindles are already capable of 5-axis machining, referring to a machine’s ability to simultaneously move a tool or part in five different axes. Three-axis machining operates on three axes, X, Y, and Z; however, whereas 5-axis CNC machining adds two more axes, A and B.  This provides the cutting tool with a multidirectional approach. High-speed spindles using 5-axis technology can achieve more complex designs.

The automatic tool change capabilities of spindles will also see improvements due to the combination of more accurate software and finely tuned robotics. 

Are you looking for a system to monitor the performance of your spindles?

Spindle speeds, which already reach as high as 250,000 RPM, will realize even greater levels thanks to high-speed drives.

Spindles get their power from electric motors, and research continues to devise ways to coax more speed from these powerplants, thanks to innovations in the development of better variable speed drives, regenerative technology, and magnet technology. We can expect to see even faster motors and better performance.

Ceramic bearings are being used more frequently in high-speed spindles and high-speed drives. The heat dissipation properties of ceramic allow for superior heat dissipation and higher drive speeds. These bearings also offer increased accuracy and lower maintenance.

Workpieces are not the only place we see new materials playing a factor.

Expect to see more tools made from carbide, ceramics, industrial diamond materials, and cubic boron nitride (CBN). These new materials are better at dissipating heat, offer superior wear resistance, enable greater speeds, and achieve a smoother surface finish with greater detail. Tool design is another area where high-speed spindles benefit. More detail in tools allows for the superior delivery of through-spindle lubrication and coolant to the work area.

Coatings have become so much more than a cosmetic additive designed to increase the price of a tool. Today’s coatings offer real, tangible benefits. Processes such as physical vapor deposition (PVD) and chemical vapor deposition extend the life of a tool by enhancing hardness and resistance to wear and reducing friction. The same is true for coatings of titanium-aluminum-nitride (TiAIN) and titanium-carbon-nitride (TiCN). Nanomaterials are making an appearance in the tooling marketplace. Developments in nano-technology offer tool coatings that have superior heat dissipation, improved surface finish, and decreased chip size.

Looking for innovative spindles like our UH line of Spindles?

Although sustainability is largely about the environment, it’s also about good business.

CNC machinists are looking for ways to minimize waste from cuttings. Expect to see more creativity from designers to determine better cutting paths that minimize waste. There will be an increased emphasis on recycling chips.

Cutting fluids, lubricants, and coolants are ripe for sustainability improvements. Vendors are developing fluids that are less detrimental to the environment and will explore more options for less costly recycling and disposal. More high-speed spindles feature minimum quantity lubrication (MGL), which directs more lubrication precisely to the worksite.

Machine shops and manufacturers that use high-speed spindles are under pressure to decrease their energy usage. Electrical utilities use techniques such as ratchet pricing that base energy costs on peak usage levels. If high-speed spindle operators can contain their peak periods, they can substantially lower energy costs for that period and for the rest of the year. Advances in the design of electric motors, variable-frequency drives, friction-free operation, and better use of electricity can conserve electricity, keep utilities, cities, and county regulators happy, and save money.

Machine shops and manufacturers that use high-speed spindles face a double challenge in educating their workforce. The industry is becoming increasingly technical, and the retirement of baby boomers and older gen-X workers is creating a shortage of seasoned spindle operators. Their replacements are not familiar with advanced spindle technology.

The OEM spindle manufacturers want to sell more spindles, and those that offer training opportunities will prevail. Expect to see more training sessions in the form of lunch-and-learns, seminars at tradeshows, industry certifications, and more.

Webinars and Zoom sessions are well-established vehicles for training future spindle operators. Virtual reality sessions will also play a more significant part in future training efforts, putting workers into positions where they need to make decisions in a controlled environment.

The first generations of technology often involve complex controls that require additional training. Expect manufacturers to introduce less complex interfaces that are easier to use.

They may be nearing retirement, but the current crop of senior workers in the industry possess stores of knowledge about high-speed spindles. Smart companies will encourage mentoring arrangements so this knowledge is passed on to the next generation of workers.

One of the factors often cited by companies is the lack of training in the trades during the secondary school years. CNC operators and other machinists in the baby boomer and gen-X generations often recall that high school shop classes were their first introduction to machine shop concepts and their inspiration to pursue it as a career. School districts will continue to feel increased pressure to produce students prepared to go to work. Larger companies and trade associations in the industry will also provide more funding to help influence and guide this shift.

These innovations and trends in high-speed spindle technology are prompted by another factor that we haven’t yet addressed: the increased need for high-speed spindle services. The aerospace, aviation, and medical industries are making advancements daily in material development and innovations that require components with micron-level tolerances and accuracy.  Emerging industries such as precision robotics, electric cars, and alternative energy require components with close tolerances and low friction that can only be achieved by CNC machining.

One area where we find little progress is in cyber security for businesses that are heavily reliant on CNC spindles. The future of high-speed grinding will increasingly rely on computers. In order to avoid industrial sabotage or spying, it will be necessary for these entities to drastically improve their network security.

At GMN USA, our personnel are experts in the trends and innovations that will shape the future of high-speed spindles. We can provide you with the products, accessories, and knowledge needed to succeed in this dynamic field.

Contact GMN USA today to find the right solution for your spindle needs.