When it comes to machining, you can't afford to make mistakes with the equipment. Proper maintenance is one way to avoid malfunctions and on-the-job accidents involving your machining equipment. Before you're faced with malfunctions and injuries, here are four tips that will help you protect your spindles and your machining crew.
1. Start with the Right Work Station
CNC machining operations require the utmost care where maintenance is concerned. One way to avoid problems is to start with the right work station. Leaving your spindles out where they can become contaminated is a good way to invite problems. The best way to avoid issues with contamination is to utilize proper work stations. Not only will the effective use of work stations keep your equipment safe and free from contamination, it will also increase productivity. That's because your crew won't need to search for their spindles.
2. Clean Your Spindles Each Day
If you run a CNC machine shop, you know how important spindles are to the operation. However, spindles are often the most overlooked component of the machines, especially where maintenance is concerned. Unfortunately, even a small amount of contamination on the spindles can lead to malfunctions and injuries. To help avoid those problems, your spindles should be cleaned at least once a day. Use a dust-free cloth and an oil-dissolving cleaner to clean the surface of your spindles. If you're involved in a heavy-duty project, it's a good idea to wipe your spindles down several times throughout the day.
3. Inspect the Tool Holders
When it comes to caring for your spindles, you can't afford to overlook the tool holders. Each time you place a dirty spindle into a tool holder, particles of dirt, oil and shavings rub off on the inside of the holder. Unfortunately, if the tool holders aren't cleaned on a regular basis, the build-up is transferred to each subsequent spindle. To avoid cross-contamination, your tool holders should be wiped down several times a day.
4. Ensure Proper Pulling Power
If you haven't tested the pulling power of your spindles and equipment lately, you need to take care of that right away. Spindles require maximum pulling power in order to complete necessary tasks. Without the proper amount of pulling power, catastrophic malfunctions can occur. For maximum protection, spindles should be tested several times a year. Decreases in pulling power should be addressed as soon as possible.
For more information, contact custom machine spindle suppliers.
When you think about it, there are a lot of ways that manufacturing has improved over the years. For starters, it didn't used to be as safe as it is today, and people used to really struggle with various aspects of manufacturing, such as making products that are safe and useful. Additionally, making things used to take a lot longer, which raised prices. I started talking with different people about the benefits of modern manufacturing, and it was interesting to explore how much those simple improvements mattered in the long run. On this little blog, find out how to make manufacturing better than ever before, so you can create products people need.