An industrial grade CNC router is an important investment. The best way to protect the investment is to maintain the machine on a daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly basis. Whether they invest in new or used CNC woodworking machines, woodworkers will sustain the equipment’s performance and dependability by practicing the daily maintenance measures below.
Daily maintenance for CNC routers
The following eight maintenance checks should be performed at the end of each workday.
One. The equipment’s air pressure regulator should be checked to ensure the incoming air pressure meets the specifications of the manufacturer. Not every model has an air pressure regulator. For those that do, the correct incoming air pressure is typically in the range of 110-120 psi.
Two. The equipment should have its oil and water separators purged. The separators purge the air stream so no debris will enter the machine. When they become dirty, the chance of debris entering the equipment through the air stream increases.
Three. Check the heat exchanger if the spindle is liquid-cooled. The coolant reservoir in the exchanger is typically filled with an equal mixture of water and ethylene glycol. If the reservoir runs dry or the heat exchanger fails, the bearings in the spindle will become heat damaged.
Four. Check the spindle fan if the spindle is air-cooled instead. Dust that gathers on the blades of the fan can make it distribute air unevenly, which could cause the spindle to overheat. The blades can be cleaned with a damp cloth or with compressed air.
Five. Make sure the equipment’s computer connections are firmly in place. Sometimes loose computer connections in new or used CNC woodworking machines are misinterpreted as a problem within the computer. This can lead to a company paying hundreds of dollars for a CNC router technician to simply tighten loose connections.
Six. Clean up the work area of the equipment. Stepping in accumulations of wood dust causes infinitesimal pieces of dust to circulate, which causes the cooling reservoir to become dirty quickly. Keeping the area around the equipment station free of dust will also prevent workers from slipping.
Seven. Examine the tool set before using it. Similar to manual woodworking tools, CNC tools experience wear that affects how they cut. If a tool is warped or has a nick in the blade, discovering it before a production run commences could prevent hundreds of waste pieces from becoming produced.
Eight. If a machine has dust collector bags, be sure to empty them at the end of each work shift. If another worker uses the equipment without the bags being emptied, the un-emptied bags could expose its parts to excessive amounts of dust.
Call RT Machine for CNC equipment
CNC machinery simplifies woodwork, but it needs to be maintained daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly to remain dependable and offer the best performance. If you need an industrial grade CNC router that offers topnotch reliability and performance, call RT Machine today. We carry an extensive inventory of new and used CNC woodworking machines.
