Adding a lathe to your machine shop expands the range of operations you can execute, but lathes are costly devices. Even a used model can cost thousands of rupees, and the price of a Heavy Duty Lathe Machine is typically in the tens of thousands.
So, if you do get a lathe, you must keep it fully operational for as long as possible to obtain the best value for your money. In this blog, we will share preventive maintenance tips for your lathe tools.
Steps for Proper Lathe Machine Maintenance
Here are three basic actions to take to ensure a successful maintenance program for your lathe.
Choose a Lathe From Reputed Brands
Make sure not to buy a low-quality lathe. Select a high-quality lathe from a trusted manufacturer like Surelia that continues the long legacy of high-quality machine tools. A high-quality lathe will make maintenance easier and increase the shelf life of your machine.
Train your Lathe Operators
Poor operation is the fastest way to harm a lathe. An operator can cause catastrophic damage to a metal lathe by running it too fast or putting a heavy-duty item through it too quickly. Train your employees so that they are more likely to follow a regular maintenance plan.
Schedule your Maintenance Routine
Lathe machine maintenance is not something you can perform once and then forget about. You should perform a proper maintenance routine daily. Following a basic but well-defined maintenance routine, every day will limit the amount of fixes and major overhauls you need.
A Simple Lathe Maintenance Checklist
Almost every maintenance checklist will be divided into several activities based on frequency: daily duties, weekly tasks, and so on. This is a maintenance checklist that most lathe manufacturers offer in detail on what has to be done and when. You should always consult with your lathe manufacturer when creating a maintenance checklist.
Daily Checklist
Make sure to follow these lathe machine maintenance tips daily. These steps are not time-consuming or complicated:
- Clean the lathe properly
- Check all nuts and bolts
- Lubricate all moving parts
- Clean the Spindle gearbox
- Check if there is any abnormal sound.
- Also, check for any oil leakage.
Weekly checklist for lathe machine
- Remove the settled debris and chip from the dirty coolant tank
- Check the coolant levels and concentration.
- Inspect for oil or grease accumulation.
- Top up the oil levels.
- Check motor heating.
Monthly or annual checklist
- Spindle bearing examination
- Drive belt examination
- Oil inspection/change and alignment
Conclusion
The more trash and waste material that accumulates around your metal lathe machine, the more probable it is that something can become jammed somewhere it shouldn’t be. It pays to keep your workstation tidy. Tidiness will make all lathe inspections easier to execute and mistakes easier to detect.
Many manufacturers will do additional technical maintenance for you on a yearly or semi-annual basis. Maintenance schedules do not have to be harsh to be successful; they just need to be completed regularly and strictly adhered to. If you keep up a decent maintenance program, your heavy duty lathe machine should endure for decades.
Surelia Industries
Surelia Industries has immense expertise in the manufacturing of lathe machine. We have been providing top quality Lathe Machine to our clients since 1975.
