Symptoms of Spindle Failure
Is your grinding machine experiencing any of the following symptoms?
- Vibration?
- Excessive Noise?
- Part Quality Issues?
These are common issues that could indicate that your spindle may be failing, needs maintenance, or needs to be completely rebuilt.
Self-Diagnose Spindle Failure
Below are steps that can be taken internally to diagnose if your spindle needs to be rebuilt or if a double disc grinding spindle expert from C&B Machinery should be scheduled to evaluate further.
- Preparation – Turn off the machine and disconnect/lock out the power source(s), allowing the machine to be inspected safely.
- Inspection – Perform a visual inspection looking for signs of damage and wear. Some common items and areas to inspect are as follows:
- Spindle Bellow/Boot – Inspect the rubber spindle boot to ensure there are no cracks, tears, or holes. If damaged, this should be replaced to avoid damage.
- Lubrication – Inspect all lubrication ports and lines to ensure that all critical areas of the spindle are being greased.
- Grease – Inspect grease in all areas of the spindle to ensure proper consistency. If any of the grease has a “milky” type consistency or texture it may be contaminated with coolant/water and further evaluation is necessary.
- Measurements – Checking the spindle for deflection or backlash can tell you a lot about the condition of the spindle overall. An excessive amount of deflection or backlash in the spindle assembly or infeed system means that the spindle should be torn down, inspected, and rebuilt to ensure the longevity of the grinding machine.
- Pro Tips!
- Outboard Bearing Support – Be sure to also inspect the outboard bearing support, if applicable, as sometimes the failure could be in this assembly and not the actual spindle.
- Rotary Union (Deublin) – This component, which allows for through spindle coolant, may fail causing excessive vibration and noise. This can be misleading while diagnosing a spindle failure and can be easily tested by removing the rotary union and running the spindle temporarily to see if the vibration and noise go away. If it does, replace the component before any further damage occurs to the spindle.
Conclusion
The most effective way to avoid spindle repairs is to perform regular, scheduled preventative maintenance on all of your grinding machines. Keep in mind that time and use will wear down parts of any machine and repair and/or replacement will eventually be required. After following the steps above, if you find that your spindle is in need of repair or rebuild, it is best to work with a company that specializes in these types of spindles. C&B Machinery has a long history of providing spindle rebuild services on a variety of different machines. Our team specializes in rebuilding Besly, Gardner, Giustina, and Mattison grinding machine spindles and is familiar with the varying specifications for each machine make/model.
We look forward to connecting with you and discussing your spindle rebuild needs.
