Robbie Williams, Applications Engineer, handscraping expert and Okuma team member since 1995, shares some preventive maintenance tips to keep CNC machine tools running at peak performance for optimal throughput and shop floor efficiency.
CNC Daily Care
1. Check the hydraulic pressure to make sure it is at 4.5 MPa
2. Check the hydraulic fluids to make sure they are at the right operating level
3. Check to make sure the chuck pressure is at the right operating pressure
4. Make sure the way lube level is at the right operating level and replenish if needed
5. If a CNC machine has a cooling system, make sure the cooling unit level is at the right operating level
6. Clean the chips out of the chip pan, and grease any part that may need to be greased
7. Clean off the window of the door and the light so the inside of the machine is visible
8. Wipe down any stainless steel way covers and lubricate them with hydraulic oil so they move smoothly.
On a weekly basis, or every 40 hours, take the filter off the CNC control cabinet and clean it so air will be able to flow through for cooling.
Every Three Months or 500 Hours
1. Check and grease the chain on the chip conveyor
2. Check and clean the filters on the coolant tank.
Every Six Months or 1,000 Hours
Contact a local distributor to have the following preventive maintenance performed by a certified Okuma engineer:
1. Have the coolant tank cleaned of sludge, chips and oil
2. Have the chuck and jaws taken off the machine and cleaned
3. Have the hydraulic tank drained and replace the hydraulic oil with fresh hydraulic oil - also have the line filter and suction filter changed
4. Have the radiator cleaned and make sure the radiator fins are straight
5. Have the lubrication unit drained and cleaned out - then add fresh way lube
6. If a machine is equipped with a cooling unit, have the unit drained and refilled
7. Have the leveling of the machine checked and adjust if necessary
8. Have all way wipers inspected for any damage - clean and replace any wipers that are damaged.
Once a Year or Every 2,000 Hours
Contact a local distributor and have the following inspected:
1. Have the headstock checked for taper
2. Have the spindle checked for radial and end play
3. Have the chuck cylinder checked for run out
4. Have the tailstock checked for taper
5. Have the turret parallelism and inclination checked
6. Have the distributor run a backlash program to check the backlash in X- and Z-axis and adjust if necessary
7. Have the distributor check the X- and Z-axis gibs and adjust if necessary.
"These simple tips, in addition to having a preventive maintenance program in place, ensure years of machine productivity, reliability and longevity," said Williams.
For more information contact:
Okuma America Corporation
11900 Westhall Drive
Charlotte, NC 28278
704-588-7000
www.okuma.com