Spindle wear & tear

[harryball]

David has me hearing sounds now... :-)

OK, I've decided to replace the bearings in my spindle during the next lull. That may be another several weeks but I can cut ahead to make sure I have enough parts for 30 or so bat houses.

Anyway...

Was a decision made on where the best place for service is for the HSD (mine is the 4HP) spindles?

Why ceramic bearings? I know some of the reasons but does the ceramic take the plunge loads as well as the regular bearings?

If ceramic bearings are $700 or so (assuming the price is about the same for a 4HP) then does anyone know what a set of regular bearings would run?

Lastly I'm considering doing the job myself. I've torn apart and repaired/reassembled things much more complicated and precise than a spindle so I don't see why I couldn't do it. Anyone know a good source of parts and are they sold in kits or will I need to purchase each bearing? Is there a parts list somewhere?

/RB

[rhfurniture]

Very informative on the subject of DIY:
http://www.mechmate.com/forums/showthread.php?t=797
R

[bcammack]

I don't know if comparing Colombo bearing prices to HSD bearing prices is comparing apples to oranges, but the non-ceramic bearings for our 5HP Colombo spindle are approximately $400, delivered from Alpine Bearings. Just to give a ballpark cost amount.

[andrea]

Hello all,

I am Italian and i am working for HSD marketing department. I am doing a bench mark about HSD Service and postsale service. Bu the way my colleague Giorgio from Service dept can help you for any HSD question you may need.
marco.marchionni@hsd.it

[wberminio]

Grazie!


Erminio

[harryball]

I emailed HSD, here is the response...

-----
Good morning Robert,

I’m sorry I can not help on your inquiry, HSD USA do not offer a rebuild program for the type of spindle mounted on your ShopBot machine, the reason we do not offer to repair the collets spindles is not price effective, the cost of the bearing plus labor time for the repair will amount to the same price for a new spindle.

Thank for contacting HSD best regards

Luca.

HSD USA
----

I have to admit personally I would not spend a chance on $800 with early problems vs. a new $1700 head. I would either run it until it caused problems then replace or if the bearings were available and $300 or less I'd give it a shot myself.

I guess my other option would be to sell my spindle head with full disclosure and buy another one. Though I wonder what it would bring. It would probably last an occasional user a very long time.

Mine is doing fine right now, just the pitch has changed a bit, not overheating nor any runout. I was thinking along David's lines of "preventative maintenance".

/RB

[navigator7]

@ David...if you are still watching this thread....

Do you know if any of the bearing inner races on your spindle spun on the shaft?

[beacon14]

Chuck, I'm afraid I don't even know what your question means let alone know the answer.

The spindle is still in service and has cut without mishap since the rebuild. (I know, I shouldn't have said that, especially with 45 sheets cued up to be cut this week)

[navigator7]

Richard,
I'll take that as a compliment intended or not.
Bearings have what's called B-10 life.
Many different types of bearings can go into the same housing but all may have a different B-10 life and part numbers to match.
The higher the B-10 life the higher the price.

The classic conversation at a NAPA counter: "Do you want the $5.37 bearing or the $52.29 bearing?"
"What's the difference?"
"Well they both fit, one is just more expensive"
"Ok, I'll take the $5.37 bearing. Give me two just in case."

Me personally... I'd buy the best bearing I could buy if it's on a steering axle but might go cheap on a wheelbarrow.

The difference is B-10 life and it costs money.

I've replaced my fair share of bearings in my career. I don't understand the use of heating an entire unit or cooling an entire unit...but I do under stand the use of heat and cold.

I'm sure you know what a bearing looks like. There is an inner race and an outer race. The inner race is often thousandths smaller than the shaft it is pressed onto. Therefore the shaft is cooled or shrunk and the bearing heated. Done properly the new bearing slides right on and is quickly locked in place as the temps normalize.

My thoughts while reading the thread was the potential the inner race spun on the output shaft. Or ...for that matter it could be the outer race spinning as well?

I've got no experience with your spindle type but bearings are bearings. What I'm describing has happened to all the equipment I've ever worked on or repaired.

Noise tells you something...and the more noise the more problems and heat.

If it's cutting fine....why not buy a temp gun and keep and eye on it and track the temps??

Work means heat so if your spindle is working it creates heat.
The question is ...what is normal heat?
Again...not experienced with CNC spindles I'd say if you can't hold your fingers on the bearing housing it too hot and work is being spent on driving the bearing or the tool is overloaded.

There is also something known as pre-load. Usually there is an output bearing or a group of output bearings that are pressed onto the shaft. The end is a tapered roller bearing. A washer and nut is used to tighten or "pre-load" the assembly.
Not unlike the steering axle on your car.

Too loose and heat and noise are created. Too tight excess heat and noise is created.

Just some ideas to make your butterflies feel better in the AM.
;-)

One thing is for sure....who can argue with results? If you are producing parts and not scrap...why fix anything??
;-)

[beacon14]

If you are producing parts and not scrap...why fix anything??

That's my plan for the moment.

Thanks for the info.