Preventative Maintenance Checklist for CNC in Woodworking
You’ve purchased CNC wood router machines for your woodworking shop, and it’s a substantial investment. You want to limit downtime and get the most from your CNC machines. What should you do?
- Optimize your shop layout
- Arrange for staff training
- Follow preventative CNC maintenance schedules rigorously.
Diversified Equipment and Supply (DES) is ready to work with your team. Our
preventative maintenance CNC services will lead to reduced downtime and increased productivity.
In this article, we’ll discuss:
- Why preventive maintenance matters
- Daily CNC maintenance tasks
- Weekly and monthly checks
- When to call DES for expert CNC maintenance services.
Why Preventive Maintenance Matters
Wood CNC routers run continuously. You will benefit from establishing a preventative CNC maintenance schedule that covers daily, weekly, monthly, and annual tasks. Routine inspections, adjustments, and servicing will allow you to:
- Reduce CNC wear and tear
- Prevent costly breakdowns
- Increase machine uptime
- Improve output quality
- Extend the life of the machine and its cutting tools
- Maintain safety standards
- Increase productivity and profits.
Multiple CNC wood router machines like yours will always be running to meet orders and deadlines. What determines how frequently you need to perform maintenance?
- Type of machine
- Usage hours
- Materials processed
- Coolant exposure
- Environmental factors such as excessive dust.
Daily CNC Maintenance Tasks
Always follow the manufacturer’s guidelines when you do preventative CNC maintenance. It protects your CNC wood router and your business. Include the following cleaning and maintenance tasks in the CNC operator’s daily schedule.
Cleaning
- Clean the machine bed and slide rails
- Clean the spindle nose
- Clean all tool holders
- Clear debris from cabinet filters and chip pans.
Maintenance
- Report unusual sounds that could indicate mechanical problems
- Report problems with the software
- Check the indicator lights
- Test the emergency stop buttons
- Inspect the hydraulic systems
- Verify hydraulic fluid and lubrication levels
- Check coolant levels and concentration.
Weekly & Monthly Checks
Furniture and cabinet CNC machine care is required weekly and monthly to address issues that are not evident during daily checks.
Weekly maintenance checks
- Inspect belts for tension and wear. Adjust or replace.
- Examine all cables and wiring
- Inspect coolant and hydraulic lines for minor leaks
- Clean and inspect the vacuum pump filters.
Monthly CNC maintenance checklist
- Lubricate the axis
- Inspect the spindles
- Perform coolant system maintenance
- Inspect gearbox and hydraulic filters, replace if necessary
- Ensure all motors operate efficiently and re-torque mounting bolts
Pro Tip: Do the following every 500 to 1,000 hours:
- Grease chip conveyors
- Inspect and clean chucks and jaws
- Replace fluids.
When to Call DES for a Professional Service
DES professionals have over 40 years of experience with CNC technology. We understand the challenges cabinet shops and furniture makers face. Call DES to design and execute an annual preventive maintenance plan customized for your company.
Heavy-use machinery may require biannual or even quarterly service checks. Our technicians can provide guidance on the correct schedule for your production volume and usage patterns.
DES experts are also available when you experience the following:
- There has been an operator turnover, and you want to reevaluate settings
- You are getting fewer units than expected and want to solve the problem
- You want to implement new tooling or process advancements.
Our master technicians perform the following preventative woodworking CNC maintenance when they visit clients annually or upon request.
- Update software diagnostics and firmware
- Check alignments and do recalibrations
- Do mechanical inspections and lubricate
- Perform a tooling condition analysis and replace tools where required
- Guide operators on improved machine use
- Complete maintenance documentation for tracking and compliance purposes.
Want to keep your CNC equipment in top shape?
Schedule preventative CNC maintenance with Diversified Equipment and Supply today.
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