Spindle Repair Locations
Northland Tool & Electronics is proud to be able to provide spindle repair and spindle rebuilding services across the United States and beyond. Thanks to our blog, we are able to show you images and share stories about spindle repairs such as this Weiss Bridgeport Spindle Repair which came from Knoxville, TN. Or this Mori Seiki CL203B Spindle Repair that came from Chicago, IL.
Omlat 6358 Spindle Repair
33,000 rpm
This spindle repair was received with the spindle seized up. Upon breakdown it was found that the front bearing cage was broken. The shaft pilot and journals had excessive run out.
The spindle shaft was ground,chrome plated and finish ground to specifications. The bearings were replaced. Our spindle repair technician needed to balance the spindle but required the tool holder. The customer sent in the tool holder and once received the technician was able to bring the balance in. The spindle was checked in quality control and passed all testing. The customer received their spindle repair and tool holder back.
It is very important to send in a tool holder with the spindle. We are able to check taper run out with your tooling and it is sometimes required for balancing purposes.
Mitsubishi Spindle Repair
Mitsubishi machine tool referred an aerospace customer to us. The customer had sent the large milling spindle to one of our competitors and the spindle failed shortly after installation. Our spindle repair competitor refused to cover the spindle under warranty even though the spindle failed within days of the installation.
When the spindle arrived we were tasked with finding the cause of failure. Here is what we found:
The front shaft journal was egg shaped and badly scored causing stress to the bearing
Shaft Damage
The front housing was badly egg shaped and scored causing stress to the bearing
Housing Damage
The damage to the shaft and housing were indicative of extremely poor bearing installation practices.
The bearing spacers were scored during the installation causing a non-parallel condition which leads to premature bearing failure.
This spindle had a hydraulic rotor. It was also installed improperly causing scoring to the shaft and rotor and bending the shaft.
The rear cover was in contact with the rear nut causing metal debris to enter the bearings.
The bearings were not installed in the proper orientation causing a lack of lubrication to the front quad set of bearings.
As you can see our competitor was not equipped to perform this repair and actually caused additional damage to the spindle when they worked on it. We have been repairing spindles for over thirty one years and have gained the knowledge and equipment to perform your repair properly. Don’t loose money and machine production time to a company who offers empty promises that they are qualified. Ask for references, warranty policy and make sure you feel comfortable with the company you’re dealing with before you send the spindle for repair.
- Matsuura MAM700 spindle repair
Matsuura MAM700 Spindle Repair
Matsuura
MAM700
15,000 rpm
A spindle failing during a customer’s busy time is not good thing. Our customer called and needed this spindle repair done as soon as possible. We received the spindle and found that the shaft nose OD rubbed out on the front cover. The shaft taper had 18 microns of run out and the front bearings were contaminated. The spindle would need grind, chrome plate and finish grind to the taper, a kiss grind to the OD nose and front cover. We expedited the shaft rework through our Kellenberger grinding department. The shaft was then hand carried to the platers and picked up the following day. The shaft was put on the Kellenberger grinder the same day that it was picked up. Our spindle repair technician replaced the drawbar, springs, grippers, bearings and orings. The taper now has only 1 micron of run out. All out going test show that the spindle had good balance and drawbar force. The customer received their spindle repair back within 4 days.
Makino A81
Makino A81 Spindle Repair
6,000 rpm
A contract manufacturer was installing their Makino A81 spindle when someone hit the X travel and jammed the spindle into the housing. The spindle was not entirely in the machine so damage did occur. When the spindle was pulled from the machine they found when the shaft was spun by hand the bearings sounded rough. They called Northland Tool and requested an expedited rebuild on their milling spindle. Once we received the spindle it was determined that the bearings would need to be replaced. We also found that the shaft taper needed to be ground, we needed to repair the front nut and we would have to manufacture a new shaft spacer.
Our machinist was able to produce a new spacer and repair the nut within 24 hours. During the machining process we also ground the taper to remove the run out caused by the crash. Our spindle technician carefully assembled the spindle paying special attention to the mating parts to make sure any damage from the crash was repaired. The spindle was test run on one of our custom test run stands. The spindle passed the quality control inspection and shipped out to the customer in 5 days. The cost for this spindle repair through Northland Tool was significantly less than going back to the OEM.
Mori Seiki MV40 Spindle Repair
Mori Seiki MV40 Spindle Repair
Canadian Customers
Mori Seiki
MV40
12,000 rpm
We repair several spindles from our customers in Canada. This spindle came to us in very rough shape. The spindle had a damaged shaft taper, broken drive dogs, coolant plungers were worn and the shaft journals were undersized. We were able to repair the drive dogs in our machining department and fix the shaft dimensional issues by grind, chrome plate and finish grinding the shaft taper and bearing journals. This process can be done for a fraction of the cost that the OEM would charge to replace the shaft. In some cases we can improve the shaft design and make it more robust than the original. Our experienced technicians then assembled the spindle in our clean room and test run, balanced and performed our rigorous final quality checks. The spindle was shipped back to the customer.
Some of the fears we hear from prospective customers in Canada is the border crossing. Please call us if you have any questions and we can provide a solution. Our expert-shipping department handles all of the commercial invoices and sets up important documents with the customs brokerage. We experience very few border delays. View Our Mori Seiki Spindle Repair Page Here.
Matsuura R plus 800
Matsuura R plus 800 Spindle Repair
12,000 rpm
The rear roller bearing failed in this spindle. The tooling taper had 9 microns of run out and needed to be reworked.
This machine was an intricate part of our customers production process and they could not have the machine down for to long. We worked with them to make sure we had the bearings needed for the repair in stock when the spindle arrived. We were able to rework the taper in our grinding department the day the spindle was approved. In fact the spindle was in our clean room being assembled before the end of the approval day. The next day the repair was completed, test run and passed our strict final QC by noon. The spindle shipped that day and our customer was up and running within two days of removing the spindle.
Ingersol T1500
Ingersol T1500 Spindle Repair
This spindle, from the automotive industry, came to us from a long time customer of ours through integrated supply. The 50 taper was worn and the gearbox was leaking oil into the front bearings causing them to fail. Our evaluation found the graphite seal between the transmission and the main spindle was damaged. We had to custom make a replacement seal as the OEM does not stock the replacement part nor could they obtain one.
This spindle was ground on one of our Kellenburger grinders and all the replacement parts were manufactured in our specialized machining department. The spindle was assembled in our clean room and test run. The test stand for this spindle was specially made by Northland Tool. It is complete with vacuum system, oil pump and a specialized drive system. This allows us to duplicate the machines support systems letting us run the spindle as close to “real life” as possible. It has taken over 30 years for Northland Tool to acquire the knowledge and equipment to complete these types of repairs. Use caution when choosing your spindle repair company as many will portray they are equipped when in fact they are not.
Matsuura RA3
Matsuura RA3 Spindle Repair
10,000 rpm
RUSH REPAIR
This spindle had oil contamination in the front bearings causing them to overheat and fail. The taper was also worn and had run out. Our customer requested a rush repair as this machine was intricate to his production. We were able to kiss grind the 40 taper on our Kellenburger ID/OD grinder and assemble the spindle with bearings taken from our stock. Having our own grinding department on site makes fast turn repairs like this possible.
Mori Seiki SL154
Mori Seiki SL154 Spindle Repair
6,000 rpm
Grease lubricated
Magnetic Rotor
This spindle was crashed causing bearing failure and alignment pin damage. What makes this repair unique is the magnetic rotor. Special care must be taken throughout the repair process to make sure the rotor is not damaged or picks up contaminates. Our technicians are required to remove all necklaces before working on this type of spindle as it may cause a choking hazard.
Our customer is in the automotive industry and needed us to complete this repair as quickly as possible to get their line back in service. We were able to fulfill their request and the machine is operating flawlessly as we speak. View Our Mori Seiki Spindle Repair Page Here.
