Catastrophic bearing failure was the main cause of this spindle malfunction Continue reading to learn how Northland Tool performed this repair and converted a Weiss GHK 176239 spindle from grease-injected to permanent grease lubrication……
Read MoreLeadwell MCV1100 Spindle Repair
The Leadwell MCV1100 is a larger CNC vertical machining center. It comes equipped with a grease lubricated and belt driven spindle capable of running up to 6,000 rpm.
CHALLENGE
This Leadwell MCV1100 spindle arrived seized due to a catastrophic bearing failure of the #6 rear bearing. The rear housing cover had dried coolant residue all over it indicating it may have had a leaking rotary union that allowed coolant to get into the rear bearing and washed out the lubricating grease. Deeper into the inspection we noted that the bearings 1-5 were also mostly washed out with very little to no grease left in them going from 5 being worse than 1. This is also a good indication that it was washed out from the rear. Incoming drawbar force was low for a 50 taper, around 2,000lbs. We noted that the gripper fingers had slight wear, but still look completely functional. After measuring the critical dimensions (bearing journals, housing, taper, etc.) we noted a few issues. First, the rear housing was extremely worn out from running with such a deteriorated rear bearing, it measured +6/+170. Second, the rear shaft journal is extremely worn out from running with such a deteriorated rear bearing, it measures -3/-12. Lastly, the spindle came in missing the drive dogs and 3 rotating parts for the rear that will be needed for balancing.
SOLUTION
The following actions were performed on this Leadwell MCV1100 spindle:
- Clean, inspect overall dimensions.
- Grind, plate, and finish grind 140mm rear housing and 90mm rear shaft journal
- Replace bearings, bellevilles, and o-rings
- True up all spacer shoulders that were damaged
- Make a new rear shaft spacer
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.
DETAILED CAUSE OF FAILURE
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