Electric spindles (also called motorized spindles, motor spindles, or electro-spindles) are the powerhouse of modern CNC machining. By directly integrating the motor into the spindle unit, the electric spindle eliminates the traditional pulley and gear transmission structure, realizing the “zero transmission” design, so that the spindle speed and positioning accuracy have been significantly improved.

The electric spindle is a new technology in the field of CNC machine tools in recent years that integrates the machine tool spindle and spindle motor together, and together with high-speed tool technology and linear motor technology, it pushes high-speed machining into a new era. An electric spindle is a set of components, including the spindle itself and its accessories: the spindle, cooling device, oil mist lubricator, high-frequency inverter, built-in encoder and tool changer.

As we all know, mechanical equipment needs maintenance, which is the same as cars. Even a good car, if you don't care about maintenance, it will have problems and may break down in a long trip. CNC machine tools need maintenance, especially the high-speed spindle, which is a very important and fragile part of the machine, and even more so. Daily maintenance of the spindle is mainly cleaning, it seems trivial, but it has an important role in extending the life of the high-speed spindle. The spindle motor is a part that wears out every day, and to extend its life, you need to provide it with a good working environment through maintenance!

The Lifeline for Electro-Spindles: Cooling Systems: 

As the rotational speed can reach tens of thousands of rpm, the heat generated during the operation of the motor spindle directly affects the machining accuracy and equipment life. A double cooling program is adopted:

Stator cooling: A circulating oil circuit wraps around the motor stator to take away the heat from the coil.

Bearing Cooling: Specialized lubricating oil film has both heat dissipation and lubrication functions.

Maintenance points:

Check the coolant flow rate every day to ensure stable pump pressure (recommended to keep the pressure at 2-3 bar).

Clean the filter every month to prevent microorganisms from clogging the pipeline.

Check the PH value of the coolant quarterly to control the acid-base balance.

Pay attention to the direction of the pipeline, to avoid 90 ° sharp bends caused by poor circulation.

Daily Care for Motorized Spindles

Cleaning management norms

Daily cleaning procedure:

Use the anti-static vacuum cleaner to clean rotor end debris

Check the insulation status of terminals (resistance value > 5MΩ)

Wipe the spindle shell residual coolant

Weekly deep cleaning:

Disassemble the tool interface to clean the taper residue

Check pressure cap thread wear

Clean sensor surface with anhydrous ethanol

Tool operation norms

Tool change process:

Wait for the speed to zero after stopping the machine (>30 seconds)

Use a special wrench to loosen the pressure cap

Gently rotate to take out the tool to avoid scratching the taper surface

Pre-cool the new tool to room temperature before installation

Tool management:

Keep tool shank clean (roughness Ra <0.4μm)

Store tools vertically to prevent deformation

Check the clamping force of the tool magazine monthly (recommended value 20-25N-m)

Lubrication system maintenance

Oil mist lubrication:

Daily check the oil mist concentration (recommended 0.5-1ml/h)

Weekly replenishment of special high-speed bearing lubricant

Observe the colour change of the oil discharge port (normal light yellow)

Quarterly maintenance:

Clean the oil-air mixing chamber

Replace the filter element (recommended 3000 hours cycle)

Detect the oil pump pulse frequency (standard value 2Hz±0.5)

Through scientific and standardized maintenance, high-quality electric spindles can maintain a stable service life of 8-10 years. The maintenance cost only accounts for 15% of the total cost of the equipment but can reduce the failure rate by more than 60%. It is recommended that a digital maintenance file be established to record each maintenance parameter and provide data support for preventive maintenance.

Rico supplies various spindle and spindle motors, you can check our spindlemotor shop.

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