Summertime and Spindle Maintenance
Summer is here and I would like to bring a few things to your attention that can help extend the life of your spindles during this season.
Check your air dryers:
The increased humidity puts higher demands on your air systems leading to the potential of water getting to your spindle bearings (in oil/air applications). It is much easier and cheaper to address it now with an air dryer than later with a spindle repair.
Vacations:
This is a common time for employees to leave for weeks at a time. If you are shutting their machine down for a week take the time to wipe down the spindle to remove any coolant from the external surfaces. This will prevent accidental ingress of coolant to the bearings. Do not use an air gun as this tends to force coolant into the spindle.
After a week of sitting it is always good practice to run the spindle through a warm up procedure. If your machine does not have this capability keep an eye on the temperature of the spindle. Any temperature over 130 degrees Fahrenheit is to hot and you will want to shut down the spindle. Wait for it to come back to room temperature then repeat.
Please see our glossary for more helpful information regarding spindles and their care.
PAREIBA MC6416 Spindle Repair
In this photo Denton is taking the temperature of the Pareiba MC6416 Spindle. This part of the spindle repair process is where the spindle is being tested. this is important to the spindle repair process to insure your spindle being repaired to the high quality standards of Northland Tool. If you would like a free estimate for your spindle repair contact Northland Tool here.
Wassino Spindle Repair
This Wassino spindle repair was sent to us because our customer had been rebuilding it themselves but they were not receiving the life they were expecting from the spindle repair. Although these spindles look easy to repair there are many factors that need to be taken into consideration. In particular this spindle had run out on a bearing shoulder. This caused the bearing race to not locate perpendicular to the shaft centerline. When this happens the outer and inner races are not parallel and the balls do not ride in the proper ball path causing premature bearing failure. A kiss grind in our grinding department took care of the run out. In assembly it is very important to make sure the bearing spacers are set properly to achieve the desired preload. The spindle then was examined by our QC department and received approval to ship.
- GMN TSSV110-42000 spindle repair
GMN TSSV110 Spindle Repair
42,000 rpm
This spindle came from a customer that we have worked with extensively to develop a repair program that fits their needs. They have an inventory of spare spindles on hand but did not wish to carry the repair costs in their inventory. Together we decided that they would send in the spare spindle inventory and Northland Tool & Electronics will break down the spindles, provide a cause of failure and a repair price. Once the spindle is approved the spindle goes into our system to be repaired. Once the spindle is rebuilt it then goes onto our environmentally controlled storage room until the customer requires it. Our customer calls us when the spindle is needed and we ship and invoice it that same day.
However with this spindle the customer needed it back as soon as possible. We were able to quote and rebuild the spindle within 4 days. The customer was up and running within a week. We are always looking to help our customers out. This could be turning a spindle around within a week or holding a rebuilt spindle until it is required in their facility. Contact us if you have any special requirements with your spindle.
Smith Renaud BA-0025 Spindle Repair
Northland Tool & Electronics has been rebuilding these Smith Renaud spindles for our customer for over 15 years. When we first started our repair program with them we would get 2 to 4 spindles to repair per month. We worked closely with them to eliminate main causes of failure. As you can see in the picture we added an air purge system to the front and rear of the spindle along with making changes to the labrynth systems. We also reconditioned the shaft and housing journal fits to bring them back to OEM specifications.
15 years later we receive 1 spindle every 2 to 3 years from them to repair. We have earned a customer for life and they have saved countless dollars in spindle repair and increased output due to less machine downtime and better part quality.
- Toshiba BP130
Toshiba BP130 Spindle Repair
We supply bearings for this customer that they keep in stock for this Toshiba Boring Mill. When they perform a machine refurbishment we are able to rebuild the spindle assembly in just a few days. This limits the machine downtime to less than a week and allows them to keep the flow of work through this department at a steady rate. They will call us when they are ready to recondition the next machine and Northland Tool reserves time in our assembly department for exclusively for them. As this is such a key piece of equipment for them we are on call during the process 24 hours a day to answer any questions their personnel may have.
- GE Fanuc Robodrill
GE Fanuc Robodrill
- Omlat EMAMM000790
Omlat EMAMM000790
- Johnford Spindles
Johnford Spindle
Matsuura ES450H with BIG PLUS
Matsuura ES450H with BIG PLUS
Matsuura ES450H
This customer runs their Matsuura ES450H spindles at maximum rpm with the maximum feed rates possible. They know that this will reduce the spindle life but when taking the increased part output into consideration the process was deemed cost effective. As the repair costs from the OEM increased the profitability was questioned. When Northland Tool made our proposal we were able to reduce their repair costs per spindle by 50%. Our customer has also informed us that the Northland Tool repairs are lasting at least 50% longer than the OEM repairs. The customer is also saving on removal and installation costs as Northland Tool allows them to perform the removal and installation themselves and still provides a 1 year warranty. The machine distributor mandates they pay them to remove and install all the spindles or they will not provide a warranty. Visit Our Matsuura Page Here