Spindle load hit 120% on a rush job and I just walked away from the machine

Was running a stainless part for a med device company in Phoenix and the load meter pegged while I was grabbing a coffee. I let it run through the cycle anyway and ended up snapping a $300 endmill - boss was not thrilled. Anyone else ever gamble on a bad setup and lose?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_cole11d ago

Nah, I gotta call this one different. Walking away from a machine that's clearly in trouble is just asking for a crash. You saw the load spike, you knew something was wrong, and you still let it cook. That's not bad luck, that's a bad call. A $300 endmill and a pissed off boss is the cheap lesson compared to what could have happened to the spindle or the workpiece. Next time just hit the feed hold or the stop button and check the chip load or the tool condition. Saves you money and keeps the machine from eating itself.

ray18911d ago

You said it's a cheap lesson but honestly that $300 endmill adds up fast when you're burning through them like that. I read somewhere that something like 80% of tool failures come from running load spikes too long without checking. @the_cole you're right though, the real risk is to the spindle bearings or the workpiece. I saw a guy ruin a $5000 fixture once because he thought he could ride out a bad cut. Hitting feed hold and taking 30 seconds to clear chips or check the insert is way cheaper than any repair bill.