For many shops, the reason they forego using the machine tool OEM and instead go with an outside service provider for spindle repairs is often price. While these shops hope to save money, they run the risk of spindle repairs that are okay but, in reality, can actually hinder machines tools from performing at their highest levels. When opting for an outside repair service provider, the risk often far outweighs the cost savings.
Because Mazak is the OEM of the machine tool as well as its spindle, the company’s repair service brings benefits and capabilities to the table that independent service suppliers just can’t match. For starters, Mazak repairs spindles with the same parts check list used to produce the original spindle as well as the latest versions of those parts if they’ve been redesigned and improved upon. This is critical in repair situations because many Mazak spindle parts, in particular bearings, are proprietary, making it impossible for other service providers to fix a spindle with these exact same high-quality Mazak components.
In addition to quality parts, only factory-trained Mazak spindle technicians have the certification and expertise necessary to perform the exacting procedures that must be followed when disassembling, repairing and reassembling a Mazak spindle. These technicians go through stringent training from the actual engineers that design and build these spindles.
That training is also continuously updated in terms of the latest Mazak spindle technology and data. This is information other repair suppliers are unable to keep pace with or simply don’t have access to. Without that information, they can still repair a spindle, but nine times out of 10 it won’t be to Mazak’s exact specifications, mainly because it is impossible for them to know all the engineered details of the machine tool model housing that particular spindle as well as Mazak does.
Having in-house knowledge of both the spindle and the construction of the various Mazak machine tool types, Mazak technicians can quickly remove a spindle, make repairs and reinstall it fast to significantly reduce overall machine downtime.
When shops opt for non-OEM spindle service, they lose reliability and quite possibly spindle life, and, in turn, productivity. In addition to trained technicians using the right parts, all Mazak spindle repairs come with a two-year warranty.
Because time is of the essence when it comes to a down machine tool, Mazak’s Spindle Repair & Rebuild Department provides shops with quick three- to five-day turnaround times, and it has the data to back up that claim. While some outside service providers boast shorter repair times, what often happens is a shop agrees to the service based on that shorter turnaround time and ships the spindle to the repair shop that, ultimately, is unable to fix the spindle. The shop then wastes additional production time and money getting the spindle back and shipping it to an OEM who can do the repair.
Additionally, Mazak’s Spindle Repair & Rebuild Department can rebuild/remanufacture any spindle the company produces, even those manufactured as far back as the 1970s. With the large inventory of replacement parts the company stocks, these legacy rebuilds are made to factory specifications using only Mazak parts.
Mazak keeps hundreds of spindle types in stock for swapping out with a spindle that needs repaired or rebuilt. In doing so, 95% of the time Mazak has the spindle a customer needs in stock that can be immediately ordered and delivered the following day.
Every spindle Mazak repairs or rebuilds goes through rigorous testing afterwards. Unlike outside service providers that typically use random components in their test stands, Mazak spindle test stand setups are basically identical to a customer’s machine – replicating it one-to-one in terms of drives, controls and other components to simulate precisely how that spindle will run in the customer’s machine. Again, the same Mazak engineers that designed the spindle also developed the spindle testing stands, allowing spindles to be runoff back to precise original specifications.
Mazak constantly updates and improves upon its Spindle Repair & Rebuild Department’s equipment and capabilities to further streamline the spindle repair process. This includes the addition of new test stands for simulating new machine models and ongoing training for its technicians to further increase overall efficiency.
While Mazak strongly advises against it, many shops continue to base their spindle repair service on cost and, in doing so, will opt for third party repair service providers. That decision, however, comes with risks. Spindles repaired by anyone other than the OEM often end up with shorter working lives, and while third party providers promise the lowest price and quickest delivery, often they are unable to actually repair the spindle, adding to further machine downtime. In the long run, Mazak’s high-quality spindle repair is a much better value and a safer way to go