Five ways to extend spindle life.
Machine spindles are the heart and soul of your milling operations. When they fail, it is often at the worst possible time. But, just like a human heart, there are things you can do to help prevent catastrophic failure. Here are five things you can do to take control of your spindles and help prevent premature failure.
- Contamination is a serious spindle killer. While most look to the coolant as the main way contamination seeps in, don’t overlook the air supply. The compressed air you rely on for automatic tool changes, transporting coolant, and removing chips, can also introduce contamination if the air is not dry.
- Drawbar pull force must be maintained to overcome the centrifugal force of the spinning spindle and the cutting load on the tool. Test your spindle pull force semiannually, or as chatter or part quality issues arise, to ensure the drawbar is functioning properly.
- Improper lubrication is another source of premature spindle failure. Don’t assume what works for one machine will work for another – follow your machine or spindle manual for lubrication pressure and volume settings. Ensure your lubricants are clean and to the manufacturers specifications and maintained at the correct levels.
- Overloading leads to premature failure. Don’t ask your spindles to do work they were not designed to do. Use your tools for what they were designed for, and you will extend their useful life. Maintain the recommended preload, feed rate, and belt tension when applicable, your bottom line will thank you for it.
- Monitor the vibration levels in your equipment. By tracking vibration, you can detect early symptoms that something is wrong. The spindle could be out of alignment, damaged, or the bearings may be wearing out. Many things can cause vibration issues (motors, belts, couplings, tooling, and more) and it is wise to listen to this early indicator of problems.
While this is not an exhaustive list of spindle failure issues, it’s one or more of these five that cause most failures. The key is being diligent with preventative maintenance. Follow established practices and keep good maintenance records. The few minutes you take in this area, can save you thousands in downtime, rework/repairs, and lost production.
Regardless of how much maintenance you perform, your spindles will not last forever. It is important that when they do fail, you have a qualified and trusted service company in place to restore your spindles to OEM specifications.
Setco, the world’s largest spindle repair company, has been in business for 110 years and manufactures or repairs over 12,000 spindles per year. With over 315 employees and facilities in or near Cincinnati, Detroit, and Atlanta in the United States. Plus, facilities Mexico, India, China, and Taiwan, Setco is uniquely positioned to service hundreds of spindle OEM’s. In addition to spindles, Setco is a leader in milling heads, slides, precision parts and is known globally for its custom engineering expertise.
