Fadal VMC 4020 Spindle Repair

The Fadal VMC 4020 is the larger CNC vertical machining center made by Fadal.  It can come equipped with a grease lubricated and belt driven spindle capable of running up to 10,000 rpm.

CHALLENGE

This Fadal VMC 4020 spindle spun freely when it arrived at Northland Tool and Electronics, but the bearings felt scratchy when spun by hand.  After the breakdown and evaluation, we noted that the rear bearings were contaminated with a brown particulate and had started to separate when we were taking them out.  The front bearings were also heavily contaminated with the brown particulate.  We also found that the front cover had raised material and will need to go to the micro welder to fill the holes.  Lastly, the ID taper had slightly high run out and will need a cosmetic kiss grind.  No other dimensional deviations were noted for this repair.

SOLUTION

The following actions were performed on this Fadal VMC 4020 spindle:

• Clean, inspect overall dimensions
• Replace bolts, bearings, and o-rings
• Cosmetic kiss the ID taper
• Micro weld the damage to the front cover

RESULT

After reassembly of all components, adjusting bearing preload, and undergoing break-in and testing procedures, this spindle passed our final quality inspection before being returned to our customer with a 1-year warranty.