What is an Air-cooled Spindle?
A spindle is an essential and indispensable part of the CNC router, which is used to perform high-speed and high-intensity milling, drilling, engraving, and other mechanical operations. Since the electric spindle rotates at a very high speed to deliver the results for which it is used, it needs to be cooled down from time to time to maintain performance. Ignoring this aspect can lead to grave consequences, reduce the motor's life, or cause complete burnout in the component.
There are two ways to cool down a spindle- air-cooling and water-cooling. Both have pros and cons and different ways of maintaining the motor when used. The air-cooled spindle is considered less effective in cooling the motor down because they use a fan to bring down the temperature of the high-speed fan.
People generally get confused about which motor to use to cool down the CNC router's motor. The choice will always be affected by factors determining the pros and cons of air-cooled and water-cooled spindles. Let us look at some factors to determine whether air-cooled spindles are the right fit for you.
1. Cooling effect: If an air-cooled spindle machine runs too long, it is advisable to let the spindle rest for half an hour every 4 hours of work and then start working again. If air-cooled spindles run for longer than 4 hours, they can get damaged, and their service life could be seriously altered. Air-cooled spindles cannot work all day without being stopped every few hours. For this reason, the cooling effect is not as good as in a water-cooled spindle.
2. Noise: Air-cooled spindles produce loud noise due to the operation of the cooling fan. This challenge does not arise in water-cooled spindles.
3. The convenience of use: Air-cooled spindles are easier to use because they come without any external equipment, unlike water-cooled spindles, which have water tanks, pipes, etc., which require regular cleaning and maintenance.
4. Service life: Air-cooled spindles have a shorter life span because the cooler cannot be replaced. Unlike a water-cooled spindle, where the tank can be cleaned and maintained regularly and replaced in case of irreparable damage.
5. Operating environment: Air-cooled spindles are more flexible because they can operate in any environment. They need not be connected to any external equipment and do not take up as much space for storage. Therefore, air-cooled spindles might be a better fit in places where space is cramped. Additionally, air-cooled spindles are suitable for extreme temperatures. In water-cooled spindles, the pipes can freeze in sub-zero temperatures and subsequently burst, damaging the spindle. If your geography is usually cooler, choosing an air-cooled spindle will be the safer choice. It does not require external equipment and has an excellent cooling effect.
6. Price: Air-cooled spindles are more expensive than water-cooled spindles because of their greater adaptability in different environmental conditions.
