The end of the year is a very important time for Wixom, MI manufacturing plants. As production schedules slow down and the year comes to an end, manufacturers have a great chance to do thorough, preventative maintenance. Your lathes are some of the most important machines when it comes to accuracy and uptime. If you don’t pay attention to important wear and tear now, it could cause major failures and costly downtime when full production starts up again in the new year.
Working with a Lathe Solutions Wixom MI expert to do a thorough end-of-year maintenance check will make sure your equipment is working at its best, keeping tight tolerances, and ready for a productive start to the next fiscal year.
Why Lathe Solutions Needs Year-End Maintenance
Lathes, especially CNC models, need parts that are very precise. Using something consistently throughout the year causes small amounts of wear that can slowly lower the quality of your output without any clear signs of failure. The end-of-year shutdown is the best time to deal with these problems before they happen.
There are a number of reasons why preventative maintenance is so important:
- Tolerance Drift: Parts that wear down on ways, spindles, and ballscrews don’t follow the programmed specifications, which leads to scrap material and quality control failures.
- Component Lifespan: Regularly lubricating and inspecting important bearings and drives can make expensive parts last longer.
- Safety: Finding broken shields, worn electrical cables, or broken safety interlocks keeps people from getting hurt and makes sure the rules are followed.
A full inspection by a Lathe Solutions Wixom MI expert is an investment that will protect your reputation and profit margins.
Call the experts at Axsys Industrial Solutions today to set up your yearly lathe maintenance check and get your facility ready to work at its best in the new year.
CNC Lathe Solutions’ Main Areas of Focus
A full year-end check should include more than just basic cleaning. An expert from Axsys Industrial Solutions will carefully look at the following important parts:
- Check the spindle and chuck:the spindle is the most important part of the lathe. We look for problems with vibration, runout, and thermal growth. To make sure the workpiece is held securely and the operator is safe, the chuck jaw seating and clamping force are checked.
- Way Covers and Way Surfaces:Chips and coolant often get into way covers, which makes the sliding surfaces (the ways) wear out faster and changes the machine’s shape. To keep linear accuracy, it is important to clean, fix, or replace way covers and check the lubrication system.
- Alignment of the ballscrew and the axis:The accuracy of the X and Z axes is what makes your parts precise. We check the backlash on the ballscrew and use laser calibration tools to make sure the axis alignment and geometry are within factory standards. This is very important for high-quality Lathe Solutions.
Check the Electrical, Hydraulic, and Lubrication Systems
The fluids and electronics are what keep a CNC lathe running. Not taking care of these systems is the quickest way to fail:
- Analysis of Coolants and Lubricants:Used lubricants and dirty coolants can harbor bacteria, harm surfaces, and add pollutants. We suggest that you flush the reservoirs and lines and do a full fluid analysis and replacement.
- Hydraulics and Pneumatics:If the seals in hydraulic chucks, turrets, and tailstocks leak, the clamping force may be lower and the machine may not work safely. We check all the lines, seals, and pressure levels.
- Check the electrical cabinet:Dust, heat, and vibration can damage electrical parts. Cleaning filters, checking that fans are working, and making sure that drives and controllers are connected properly can help stop electrical problems from happening suddenly.
Did you know?
One micron of error in lathe geometry, or 0.000039 inches, can double the amount of scrap produced on parts that need to be very precise. This shows why precision year-end calibration is so important for making money.
Working with Axsys Industrial Solutions
When looking for professional Lathe Solutions Wixom MI businesses can trust, it’s important to find a partner who knows how both the mechanical and electronic parts of modern CNC machines work. Axsys Industrial Solutions has the expertise and calibration tools you need to get your machinery back to like-new performance levels. Don’t let your important tools limp into the next year. Taking action now will make sure everything runs smoothly and stop expensive emergencies from happening later.
To schedule your essential year-end lathe maintenance check and prepare your facility for peak performance in the new year, contact the professionals at Axsys Industrial Solutions today.
Call (248) 926 8810 for a Consultation.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)