How do you clean your milling machine properly?
Our tips for you.
Regular cleaning and maintenance of the milling machine is the basic prerequisite for trouble-free machine operation, clean and error-free work and increased service life. It also reduces repair costs and machine downtime and makes adjustments easier, as sticky and rusty moving parts are difficult to adjust. You should pay particular attention to the parts that need to be lubricated and oiled regularly. Wearing parts must also be maintained and replaced in good time. The frequency of maintenance required for a milling machine depends on the mechanical load.
Cleaning after use
The first step should always be to thoroughly clean the milling machine after use. This includes removing all coarse chips using an industrial hoover with a narrow suction nozzle, a brush or a hand brush.
Compressed air should not be used for this, as this poses a risk from chips flying uncontrollably through the air, which can be blown into the guides of the milling machine.
Make sure to remove the chips from the guides of the worktable so that T-nuts can be optimally clamped in them the next time the machine is operated. The dovetail guide should also be thoroughly cleaned of swarf.
Lubricating the milling machine
When lubricating the milling machine, the cleaning and maintenance instructions for the machine model, which can be found in the operating instructions, should be observed. These include, in particular, the recommended lubricants and operating fluids (see illustration as an example) as well as the specified maintenance intervals.
To prevent the guides on the worktable from rusting, make sure to oil them regularly after use.
Oil level check
If you use a gearbox machine on a daily basis, you should carry out a weekly oil level check.
An ideal oil level should reach the centre of the sight glass when the machine is at a standstill.
Care of the spindles
For optimum maintenance of the spindles of the X and Y axes, it is best to use a spray grease and spray the spindles with it (Fig. 1). Then let the spindle run through the spindle nut by cranking it a little to distribute the spray grease as evenly as possible on the spindle.
Please note that this step is not necessary for models F205-V, F207-V and F307-V, as these models have a recirculating ball screw.
The best way to maintain the Z-axis spindle is to use multi-purpose grease. To do this, apply some multi-purpose grease to a brush and brush it onto the Z-axis spindle through the opening provided (Fig. 2).
Lubricating the gear wheel
To maintain the gearwheel, first remove the cover from the opening provided for the gearwheel. Then carefully apply multi-purpose grease to the gearwheel through the opening using a brush and spread it evenly.
Make sure that the cover is then replaced on the opening so that the grease cannot escape.
Maintenance intervals
For daily use, the following maintenance intervals apply to a milling machine. Adjust the maintenance intervals accordingly if the machine is used differently.
| Activities | After use | Weekly | Half-yearly |
| Cleaning the milling machine | x | ||
| Lubricate all bare machine parts with the oil can | x | ||
| Lubricating the gears | x | ||
| Lubricating the spindle | x | ||
| Lubricating the oiler | x | ||
| Readjust the guide play on the drilling/milling head | x | ||
| Adjusting the guide play on the cross table | x |
Tip
Care products for your milling machine
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