Preventative Maintenance

What CNC Machine Maintenance is Needed?

To provide the best performance, CNC machines need to be upkept with a few different routine maintenance tasks. Some crucial kinds of CNC machine maintenance are:

Ensuring proper coolant and/or hydraulic oil levels in machines to prevent problematic overheating.
Lubricating CNC machine components with oil or grease to keep them running without substantial wear and tear.
Wiping down all surfaces, including windows, doors, and lights to remove dust, dirt, and grime that can have a negative impact on machine functionality.
Conducting in-depth inspections of each CNC machine to identify any issues that could result in diminished performance or a full breakdown.

How Often Should Maintenance Be Performed on CNC Machines?

To maintain the functionality of your CNC machines, maintenance tasks need to be completed on a regular basis. Certain simple tasks should be performed weekly or even daily by machine operators. More complicated CNC machine maintenance tasks will need to be performed monthly by trained staff, and annually by professional CNC technicians.

Monthly maintenance tasks for CNC machines include:

Cleaning air filters and replacing them as needed.
Cleaning coolant filters, cooling fans, and radiators.
Greasing and adjusting conveyors and chains.
Reviewing how often oil is filled in machines to see if any of them are consuming excess oil.

Yearly CNC machine maintenance services that should be completed by professionals include:

Completely flushing and replacing coolant and hydraulic oil as needed.
Removing coolant tanks to thoroughly inspect and clean out the system.
Replacing worn-out components such as bearings, belts, and seals.
Testing hydraulic oil for any contaminants, and replacing oil filters.
Testing out backlash compensation, and adjusting it as needed.