How to Maintain a CNC Machine

We all are familiar with the machines like lathe, milling, drilling, etc. These machines require human involvement to perform and be monitored. This way, it consumes more time and has less accuracy. To overcome this problem CNC (Computer Numerically Controlled) machines were manufactured.

 

CNC machines can be defined as the machines that are controlled by computer and the operations are performed by inserting the program. You can consider them as the brain of the whole manufacturing process.

 

This makes it even more important to maintain them, because if it goes down, all the other processes will stop working. Such failures can cost businesses thousands of dollars because they have to instantly find the replacement parts, manage missed deliveries, etc. 

 

To avoid such situations what we can do is focus on the maintenance of the machine on a regular basis. And if any part requires replacement you can easily find good quality Mazak parts, Fanuc parts, etc. online.

 

Moving further, let us learn about CNC machine maintenance in detail.

What Parts of CNC Needs Maintenance?

The maintenance of the CNC machines is not as complicated as it sounds. It is simple but critical as no company can afford the cost a small mistake can cause. Hence, here is the complete list of the maintenance steps you need to consider.

 

Coolant: The parts of the machine move fast and this means it will generate heat. So a fixed coolant level must be maintained otherwise these parts can get damaged. If they get damaged you can find good quality Mazak parts, Fanuc parts, etc. online.

 

Cooling Oils: The speed of the spindle is around 10,000 RPM and it is obvious that it will produce heat. Thus, to avoid this thermal energy a right cooling system with the right concentration of oils is needed.

 

Lubrication: The moving parts of the machine can get dry and might need lubrication to reduce unwanted friction. Thus, using oil or grease on the parts moving smoothly. The other fluids like hydraulic fluid in the CNC machine also need replacement. If the machine consumes fluid excessively, then it indicates that the machine may have some problem.

 

Surfaces: The grime will build up on the surface if not cleaned regularly. To ensure a clean working environment, a good grip and proper visibility in the room, clean windows, doors, handles, etc. are important.

 

The other thing that you need to care about is the sound of the machine. If the machine is having any slight mechanical failure, it will sound differently. You should always consider it as a red flag and check it intensively. And if any parts need replacement, you can easily find Mazak replacement parts, Fanuc replacement parts, etc. online.

 

How Often Do You Do Maintenance Checks?

A CNC machine’s sensors, detector system, etc. also gives signals if anything is wrong. Apart from that you must indulge in a routine based on the hours of machine used. To save yourself from doing all the tasks at once, you can divide these tasks strategically.

 

We have made a list for you but can change the time intervals as your work requirements and usage of the machine. 

 

Daily Maintenance tasks:

• Check lubrication levels and refill if needed

• Any part that looks dry must be greased

• Check coolant concentration and level; add more if required

• Empty chip hopper

• Check hydraulic system levels

• Clean surface and the surroundings

 

Monthly Maintenance:

• Clean or replace air filters

• Clean coolant filters

• Clean radiators

• Clean cooling fans

• Review the checklists for unusual oil consumption

• Adjust chains or conveyors

 

Yearly Maintenance:

• Completely remove coolant tank and take out metal chips to check for bacterial growth

• Inspect and clean the system

• Check hydraulic oil for contaminates

• Replace filters

• Drain and clean lubrication unit and refill new oil

• Check drawbar tension and chuck cylinder

• Replace the X and Y axis gibs if needed under backslash program

 

Wrapping Up

All CNC machines perform different tasks but the processes like coolants, lubrications, filters, etc. are common for almost all CNC machines. Even if a small breakage happens your in-house team will be able to repair it in no time if you already have replacement parts of your CNC machine handy. You will easily find the Mazak replacement parts, Fanuc replacement parts, etc. Hence, this way it ensures your delivery schedule is not affected.

Source: https://altpartsinc.wixsite.com/altpartsinc/single-post/how-to-maintain-a-cnc-machine

5 Advantages of Using Laser Cutting Method

If you belong to the manufacturing industry, you probably might have thought about using a laser cutting method for your next project. But the doubt clouding on your head would be, 'how to trust any other process than the traditional one?' To answer that, I have mentioned some of the advantages of using laser cutting methods. This will help you know how this method saves your time, money, decreases your labor work, and gives versatility, productivity, and precise cutting. The accuracy of the laser cutting method also depends on the parts you use for it. So, always opt for quality laser parts like Mazak laser parts. This will improve your output's precision and the shelf life of the machine.

 

1. Provides High Accuracy and Precise Cutting

 

The laser cutting machine includes a small, powerful laser that provides a focused light beam on the material. This way, the machine can cut the material precisely. This laser usually possesses a tolerance of 0.003 mm to 0.006 mm. And a plasma cutter possesses a typical tolerance of about 0.02 mm. Some die-cutting tools may have tolerance power as high as 1-3 millimeters or even more. The powerful laser melts material with impeccable accuracy.

 

2. Versatile at Cutting

 

You can use laser cutting for various tasks like cutting complex shapes and on different types of materials including metals like copper, stainless steel, brass, wood, aluminum, plastic, and on various types of textiles. Laser cutters are also useful for engraving, drilling, and marking. The versatility of laser cutting machines makes it an essential part of modern machining.

 

3. Handles Complex Cuttings

 

You can use a laser cutting method to work on highly narrow sections of any material. For example, if you want various complex geometries on a material, then laser cutting will provide precise outputs rather than traditional methods. The result of cutting with this method is nothing but precision. It causes zero distortion or warping to the cut area.

 

4. Benefits Economically

 

One of the significant benefits of a laser cutting method is that it is economical to use. Traditional cutting methods require dyes, punches, and other things custom-made, particularly for individual orders, but that is not the case with laser cutting. 

 

Whether you use this technique for daily project works or limited-run projects, this technology will prove to be economically friendly in any scale of work. How? Laser cutters do not use any specific type of tooling. For example, you do not have to custom-prepare individual dyes for different shapes or projects.  

You just need to have a material, a laser cutter, and a schematic design to load into the computer. This way, you can save costs for small-batch projects.

 

Plus, laser machine tools have fewer mechanical moving parts. Thus, you do not have to pay high maintenance costs or harbor much effort in operating it. For that, it’s essential that you use quality parts like Mazak laser parts or mazak replacement parts to benefit from all the advantages of laser cutting machines.

 

5. Less Sheet Waste

 

The laser cutting method uses the highest amount of your sheet material. The laser cutter maximizes the number of usable parts and components from the sheet material by a process called nesting. This results in less wastage of materials and more output from a single sheet. Additionally, it saves time by exchanging new sheets more quickly than the traditional method. 

Wrapping it Up

I hope this article helped you to know how laser cutting can be advantageous for your business and why the majority of businesses have already started using it. It provides unparalleled precision accuracy, saves cost, and reduces raw material wastage. You can avail all these benefits only if you invest in quality parts like Mazak laser parts. You can get these parts online and in near by market too.

Source: https://altpartsinc.wixsite.com/altpartsinc/single-post/5-advantages-of-using-laser-cutting-method 

Top 6 Benefits of Laser Engraving Machines

Laser cutting is an advanced level technology useful in many metal fabrication projects. There are many different methods that fabricators use to cut metal, but laser cutting is one of the most advanced techniques, because of their ability to make precise cuts at an unmatched speed.

So, if you too are in manufacturing and are considering using laser cutting in your next project, you might be thinking about its benefits.

Today, in this article, we decided to come up with the benefit of laser cutting machines. Let’s discuss them in brief:

1. Short lead times:

Laser cutting is known to cut metals accurately at faster speeds. When you are dealing with metals under ⅜” thick, laser cutters will cut faster. When dealing with thick materials, the cutting time length increases, but they still work quickly. Laser cutters suit well for operations of both small and large scales and can help shorten production time. To do so, it decreases the time occupied by cutting materials. With the right type of laser cutter, fabricators offer the fastest cutting speeds on the market. Additionally, use laser machines which have mitsubishi replacement parts, mazak replacement parts  as they are easy to find and replace.

Laser cutters can be very useful in helping to rapidly create prototypes. Additionally, you can decrease the cutting times, and laser fabrication increases efficiency because you can program multiple parts simultaneously.

2. Precision:

Nothing can beat laser cutters in precision. CNC routers program the cutters for complex cuts in elaborate geometric patterns, and the result is accurate cuts and shapes. A laser cutter provides clean edges and a smooth finish. They can easily burn, vaporize, or melt. Due to this, there is no extra debris, which can lead to rough cuts. This not only creates high-quality parts but even helps to reduce waste during production. Laser cutters can produce parts with a high degree of accuracy; they are a perfect choice to cut parts to fabricate aerospace parts and medical devices. It’s a tight dimensional tolerance, and quality standards are necessary. 

3. Energy:

The efficiency of laser cutters, combined with technology, causes it to use less energy than other cutting methods. Laser cutters will use about 10kW of power during the cutting process. At the same time, other cutting mechanisms use 50kW of power. The manufacturers work smarter and use less energy both as a cost-saving mechanism and environmentally friendly. They are a great way to cut down energy usage during fabrication.

4. Consistency:

Laser cutters provide precise cuts. You need to be sure that your parts and assemblies are accurate. Laser cutters programmed with CNC CAD/CAM programs. It ensures that the same cuts can repeat as many times as necessary. Because laser cutting is very precise, you can be sure that its cuts will be exactly as programmed. The result is consistency in each fabrication project. When creating multiple copies of the same products, you can be sure that each copy comes out. You can also assure that each time you use the laser cutter, it will produce the same quality product.

5. Versatility:

Multi-axis lasers allow a wide range of projects that laser cutters can complete. Laser cutters can accurately cut a wide variety of material, including metals, alloys, diamonds, plastics, woods, and glass, and even different materials at once in intricately precise shapes. Their precision and accuracy mean that the types of cuts that laser cutters can make are endless.

6. Reduced Finishing Requirements:

The laser cutter produces highly precise cuts that lead to a few necessary finishing requirements. Edges produced by laser cutters are smooth and free from burrs. The beam focuses tightly, meaning there will not be internal flaws from heat exposure. Laser cutters will produce high quality, precise cuts; quality checks will take less time. They ensure that all parts specifications are met and lead to efficient quality checks.

Conclusion:

Make sure to use the laser engraving machines to its full potential and show your creative side to the world. You can also turn into a fabricator and start your own business. Make sure to use the laser machines with Mitsubishi replacement parts, Mazak replacement parts as they are easy to find and replace.

Source: https://altpartsinc.wixsite.com/altpartsinc/single-post/top-6-benefits-of-laser-engraving-machines