Is a long warm-up worth it or just burning electricity?

[SkullFace]

It’s been getting cold fast here in Montana, and I’ve noticed my first few parts of the day aren’t as tight until the machines have been running for a bit. Lately, I’ve been letting the spindle and coolant system warm up longer before starting any real cuts, but I’m not sure if that’s helping or just wasting time.

Do you guys let your machines idle for a while when the shop’s cold in the morning? I’m trying to find the sweet spot between wasting energy and avoiding those first-part tolerance issues. Curious what everyone else does once the temps start dipping.

 

[VulcanRaven]

I let the spindle cycle through a few speed ramps before running anything serious. Doesn’t need to idle forever, but it definitely tightens up tolerances once everything settles in. Cold metal just doesn’t play nice first thing in the morning.

 

[BigTatyana]

I let mine idle for a bit too, mostly because everyone else in the shop does. Not sure if it helps much, but I figure it’s better than jumping straight into cutting cold.

 

[Alan]

A little morning heat-soak can make a difference, but a long idle isn’t always worth the electricity unless the machine really hates temperature swings. Some shops here run a quick spindle ramp and move the axes through their travel just to even out the thermal load. Have you tried a short warm-up routine instead of letting it sit and idle?