[arch1]

I was talking to the owner and .....
I was talking about amount of issues our router a 5-Axis CNC Wood working machine...
Well, in the last 3 years we have had to replace the Inverter B Axis Servo motor and just had the Main spindle sent in to have the offset spindle bearing replaced... This is an SCM/ Italian Machine. Because it is also a high end machine there a not a lot in the States. And this has general cost 3-5 grand for each of the 3 items and a week turn around time.

He was under the impression that even the american made machines still use foreign spindles for wood working machines..

Can anyone say otherwise..

Bradley Anderson
Architectural Stairways

[ger21]

Most high end router spindles are Italian. HSD and Colombo. Perske is German.

How old is the machine? It's not uncommon to have to replace spindle bearings every 3-5 years.

[MarkT]

Haas, who is a more prevalent cnc metal machine manufacturer uses HSD on their small sheet router, other american manufacturers that use(d) HSD spindles (owned by Biesse, Pesaro Italy) that I know of are Onsrud, Northwood and Thermwood and several other economical machines such as Shopbot. Gerry is spot on on the major brands also. 5Axis spindles are a different animal than 3 axis spindles and in my opinion should be used with different machining strategies to preserve the spindle for by design they are less rigid. That said, 3 years is on the lower end of the time scale to replace bearings, UNLESS you are truly running your machine (spindle is turning 6~6.5 hours during an 8 hour shift) and running multiple shifts. Another part of the equation is I highly recommend rebuilds and bearing replacements to be done offsite ( this is near clean room style work and it adds life to your spindle as oppossed to doing onsite ), a good source is Northland Tool & Electronics | Quality Spindle Repair & Rebuilding, ask for Moe St. Onge and tell him I refferred you.

Mark Tomlin
CNC Custom Services

[HorridHenry]

in the last 3 years we have had to replace

Well yes,I mean I had a Milwaukee wood router from new and after 2.5? years I had to replace the bearings because I used it on a day to day basis.

This was supposedly an American piece of kit(No its made in China).

[ger21]

We're talking about $10,000 spindles here.

[arch1]

Gerry's right about the cost of the spindle.

We ended up sending to a place on the East coast who said they could rebuild since the manufacturer wanted to buy a new one for 10,000 with a core exchange...

well the east coast company said they could do it. had it for 2 days then said they couldn't figure how to take the pulley off the drive shaft since was an auxliary spindle. so Now it is in canada at a place... I will have to check out the New Hampshire place if they have problems.

[underthetire]

Just a FYI, have had good luck with these guys

C&M Precision Spindle - New Rebuild Manufacture - Bearings Ballscrew Support - Taper Grind - Dynamic Blancing

[arch1]

do you know if they handle spindles with an HSK style tool holder...

Oregon is much closer to SLC, UT then back east or canada..

[underthetire]

I'm sure they do. HSK is pretty common.

[ger21]

Who's the manufacturer of the spindle. We've had our HSD's rebuilt by HSD-USA in Florida.

[arch1]

the router is an scm 240 routech 20 ft by 5 ft. the 5axis is a prisma K head configuration..
the Spindle is setup on a shorter shaft then typical from the main motor so that it driven with belt one advantage to this configuration that when the spindle is horizontal that the center of shaft only has to be about 2inch above the work piece to clear this gives a lot of flexibility on boring holes on the side and running shaper profile heads horizontal on top of the workpiece without obstruction from the motor.