Electric spindle and mechanical spindle are two different structural forms in the spindle system of machine tools, with significant differences in power transmission, structural design, performance characteristics, etc. KeYue Machinery elaborates on the differences between the two from multiple dimensions:
1、 Power source and structural differences
Electric spindle
Integrated design: The electric spindle directly combines the motor rotor with the spindle, eliminating traditional transmission components such as belts and gears. The stator of the motor is installed inside the housing of the spindle unit, and the rotor is rigidly connected to the spindle, achieving an integrated structure of "motor as spindle".
Power transmission: No intermediate transmission link is required, the motor directly drives the spindle to rotate, and the transmission efficiency is close to 100%.
mechanical spindle
Separated design: The spindle itself does not include a power device and needs to be driven to rotate by an external motor (such as an asynchronous motor) through a transmission mechanism such as a belt, gear, coupling, etc. The motor and spindle are independent components.
Power transmission: relying on intermediate transmission components, there is a certain amount of power loss (usually transmission efficiency is 70% -90%).
2、 Performance Characteristics Comparison
3、 Usage scenarios
Electric spindle: suitable for scenarios with high requirements for speed, accuracy, and response speed, such as:
Precision machining (high-speed cutting of CNC milling machines and machining centers);
Light industry (high-speed carving of wood, plastic, and stone);
High precision machining of components such as semiconductors and medical devices.
Mechanical spindle: suitable for heavy-duty machining with high requirements for torque and load capacity, such as:
Low speed heavy-duty cutting of ordinary lathes and milling machines (such as rough machining of steel parts);
Processing of large parts in heavy machinery manufacturing;
Traditional machine tools that are cost sensitive and do not require high-speed performance.
4、 Maintenance and Cost
Electric spindle: With a complex structure that integrates a motor and precision bearings, it is difficult to maintain (requires professional personnel) and costly (especially for high-speed and high-precision models), but has low energy consumption (no transmission losses).
Mechanical spindle: The structure is simple, the transmission components (belts, gears) are easy to replace, the maintenance cost is low, and the initial procurement cost is low. However, during long-term operation, the transmission components wear out and need to be replaced regularly, resulting in high energy consumption.
Electric spindle is a representative of "high speed, precision, and integration", suitable for precision high-speed machining; Mechanical spindles have the advantages of "heavy load, low cost, and easy maintenance", making them suitable for traditional heavy load scenarios. The selection of the two needs to be comprehensively judged based on the processing materials, precision requirements, speed requirements, and cost budget.