FAQ

First of all, a firm quote is required to be worked out before starting repair. Either based on the data filled in the questionnaire or on the condition of the spindle physically received and dismantled at our factory, we will prepare the quote.

Once quote is approved with a receipt of purchase order,actual repair work starts. For Electro spindles of BT40 or HSK-A63 type, typical lead time is 2-3 weeks. For non-electro spindles, lead time is 1-2 weeks.

However, there are spindles with added complexity eg mill turn spindles, spindles that requires stator rewinding and spindles received with broken shaft or shafts that requires plating. For such spindles, extra 1 week lead time is required.

As a simple thumb rule, you may take that our costs are 30-60% cheaper than OEM repairs.

Further explaining in detail, the cost to repair a spindle is determined by many factors, possible rework of parts, replacement of parts, rework or replacement of motor (if applicable), technician man days involved, possible drawbar/ collet issues, price and availability of bearings, and generally the condition of the spindle itself. Every spindle dismantled may not have same issues- in some spindles we may see more failed parts and in some lesser.

We have a database of spindle repairs that were done before and we can able to quote (ballpark price) quickly if the same or similar spindle is repaired before.

Yes, SE Asian countries are our target market. We support number of customers in these countries.

We prefer our customers to engage a local servicing company or using their in-house maintenance team to dismantle and assemble the spindle. However, if there is any difficulty in doing this way, our experienced Spintec engineers will visit the customer site and help to dismantle and assemble the spindle.

While doing this exercise, we encourage local maintenance team to work along with our team so that for any similar machines in future, they can confidently execute spindle dismantling and assembling task. By doing this way, besides learning there will be good savings on total cost of spindle repair.

We have serviced more than 100 brands of spindle. However, when you look at the thinking behind this inquiry is that a customer effectively wants to know for certain that a particular spindle is a prime candidate for repair over replacement. This is a daunting challenge, because there are thousands of makes and models of spindles and a quick response to this question may not come easily at the outset.

The question can best be answered with a complete spindle profile possible. Helpful information includes the spindle manufacturer (not always the same as the machine), the model number, maximum rpm, power in kW, tool nose configuration, and drive type (belt, gear, coupled, or electro spindle motor). Can the spindle bearings be identified from the OEM manual?

When information such as this is available, the remanufacturer will be more fully equipped with highly useful knowledge to help answer the “can-you-repair” question

On modern day high speed spindles, P4 class (JIS/ DIN) or class 4 (ISO) or ABEC 7(American Bearing Engineers Committee) are widely used. On low speed support shafts and on journals where the bearings are primarily not used for accuracy, P5 class bearings are used by few OEMs.

Spintec strictly uses or follows OEMs design and choose the bearings.

We have all studied in high school science about the influence of centrifugal force.

Centrifugal force is determined by the square of speed. The higher the speed, more force is exerted to pull all of the spinning components outward from the axis of rotation. The difference between 10,000 and 20,000 rpm is a factor of two in terms of speed, but it brings about a four-fold increase in the force that the bearing sees. Similarly, increasing the speed from 10,000 to 40,000 rpm increases the centrifugal force by 16 times.

Assume there is an unbalanced mass present in the spindle assembly, this cause a centrifugal force (vibration) at the frequency/ speed of rotation. If the vibration is significant, it can shorten the life of the bearings and damage other parts of the spindle. Imbalance can be corrected by dynamic balancing either by adding weight by attaching smaller screws or removing material by grinding, or drilling. This process will improve spindle performance and add to the longevity of the spindle bearings.

Field balancing is the process of balancing a rotor in its own bearings and supporting structure, rather than in a balancing machine.

Especially when spindles encounter any accidents, depend on magnitude of hit taper bores of spindles will also get damaged.

If the damage is not severe, a grinding touch up would be done just enough to remove imperfections. Ground surfaces are checked with a taper gauge/ air gauge for seating and dimensions are checked with reference to spindle gauge line.

On certain cases, a grinding touch up would be insufficient to clear and the taper bore might be badly damaged. In such cases, rough grinding is done to fully clear the damaged surface and extra material by hard plating is deposited. Finish grinding is done later by ensuring the taper seating and dimensions to the exact nominal dimension.

With thousands of different types of spindles being used in the field, it is usually only by chance that an exact replacement spindle will be carried in stock to match a particular unit. However, we do keep stock at our European counterpart so for sometimes an alternative model – or even a new and better spindle – can make an exchange possible.

With thousands of different types of spindles being used in the field, it is usually only by chance that an exact replacement spindle will be carried in stock to match a particular unit. However, we do keep stock at our European counterpart so for sometimes an alternative model – or even a new and better spindle – can make an exchange possible.

WARRANTY

As the image of Spintec Engineering is “reflected” in each serviced spindle, we will ensure that an erroneous service on our end, is rectified & returned to the esteemed client at the earliest.

Spintec Engineering’s liability under this Warranty shall be either to repair the nonconforming or defective spindle or to reimburse to Customer, the cost of the repairs, at Spintec Engineering’s sole and absolute discretion.

TERMS & CONDITIONS

• Warranty is applicable upon installation of the spindle unit onto the machine, and won’t exceed the stated term/period (in quotation) under any circumstances.
• In the unlikely event of a complaint from the customer, Spintec Engineering will conduct a brief “study” and launch an investigation
• If the investigation reveals a mishap/error that does not hold the customer responsible, Spintec Engineering will bear all costs associated with “fixing” the spindle to ensure that the customer’s downtime of the machine is kept to the bare minimum
• Where feasible, Spintec Engineering will attempt to initially clarify and resolve issues over a tele-conversation. This is an important step and will aid in retrieving as much information as possible, to ensure that all possibilities for the error are evaluated. Thereafter, Spintec Engineering will carve out solutions to resolve the issue, at the soonest
• Warranty does not cover transport costs for the faulty spindle, from/to the customer
• Spintec Engineering will not be liable to bear any costs that arise from ‘downtime’ of the spindle during the Warranty period, or thereafter

CONDITIONS THAT VOID THE WARRANTY

For every Spindle repair job, there are 2 stages: On-site disassembly / re-assembly and Spindle service at Spintec Engineering’s facility. On-site disassembly & assembly is a crucial step and the service personnel who are responsible for this job should try to find out the root cause of the failure by asking key questions to the operator/end-user. Failures that are caused because of an accident have an easier “reasoning, regarding the RCA (Root Cause Analysis). However, there are more questions to be added and answers to be sought: Lack of lubrication to bearings, insufficient cooling by chiller unit to the bearings/ bearing jacket? What if there was a higher tool unclamp force that caused more thrust force while unclamping the tool and if there was any coolant seeping to the stator (causing a short circuit). These are just a few examples of questions that will aid us in ascertaining/identifying the root cause of spindle failure.

Again, once we return the spindle after repair, it is important to re-install the spindle with the utmost care. To avoid a repeat of the spindle mishap, the customer has to also ensure that the root cause was correctly identified and that firm steps have been taken to mitigate/ arrest a recurrence.

The Warranty will be null and void when caused by any of the following:

• Disassembly of spindle unit by personnel other than Spintec Engineering
• Modification of Spindle Unit
• Tampering (loosening of screws and adjustment of any misc. settings)
• Adjustments on pneumatic and hydraulic flow/ pressure settings related to Spindle
• Spindle Crash
• Contamination (of Spindle (bearing) lubrication oil, jacket cooling oil, and moisture within the air)
• Lack of lubrication and insufficient cooling
• Improperly balanced tools and tool holders