Did Your Spindle Fail Prematurely?
Do you know how long your spindles are designed to last? With the right lubrication, filtration, and care, these essential parts should never need replacement before the manufacturers’ suggested limits. Spindle failure almost always indicates an underlying problem. We help you identify it, solve it, and prevent it from happening again.
How Do You Identify Premature Spindle Failure?
Many failures we see at Superior Spindle are premature. Manufacturers build these parts to highly exacting specifications. The designs, as we just discussed, are engineered for extreme longevity.
That said, there are quite a few causes of this type of problem. Most are completely avoidable. For example, maintaining a clean environment while servicing air-oil or air-oil-mist bearings avoids wear. Other critical problems include:
- Bearing crashes
- Operating or handling mistreatment
- Improper or inadequate maintenance
- Manufacturer or engineering errors
The best way to identify the cause of a failed spindle is through attention to detail and meticulous recordkeeping during the repair process. A thorough inspection gets you the answers you need.
Which Spindles Does Superior Repair?
We handle a variety of CNC spindle failure analysis, repair, and replacement tasks. Think of us as your one-stop-shop for anything related to these parts. That includes services for:
- High-speed CNC spindle repair
- Multi-spindle CNC machines
- Precision spindles
- Lathe spindles, spindle motors — all spindle-driven machine tools and their components
How Does the Repair Process Work?
Spindle repair is a complex process that requires precision, planning, and specific facilities. Skipping steps or making compromises usually makes you end up right where you started — with a failed spindle. Here are the general stages of our repair procedure:
- Remove from the shipping container and document packing for proper accountability
- Perform pre-disassembly vibration and performance tests
- Disassemble the spindle, documenting the process
- Perform an exhaustive physical analysis of all components
- Install replacements for damaged or faulty parts
- Analyze post-installment performance on a testbed
- Final vibration and performance measurements
- Re-pack the spindle for shipping back to you
Each of these stages has several processes within it. We are happy to provide details, whether you want instructions on how to pack your part or a detailed list of the tests we perform. We operate with complete accountability and transparency in everything we do.
Why Do You Need a Cleanroom or Flow Bench?
One of the most important requirements of recovering permanently from spindle failure is cleaning. You need microfiltration of all air and cleaning products that could come in to contact with the spindle during repair service. That is in addition to cleaning the surface of the parts themselves.
For example, the particles that cause premature wear on ABEC 7 or 9 bearings are only 3 to 5 microns long — impossible to see with the naked eye. We maintain a contaminant-free atmosphere to maximize the lifespan of any repairs we make.
Why Superior Spindle?
Quality repairs are about more than just providing a reliable solution to your spindle failure. We understand your business. We know how critical these operations are. We support your repair needs with an open repair line 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.