FJV-20 spindle going south.

Machine is a '95 put into service in '97. 12,000 rpm spindle, no gears, no belts. About 8 months ago, it started to make some funky sounds at certain RPMs. At 10,800 it was vibrating and loud, but at 11,200 or 10,400 it was normal. Now these vibrations start out at about 6000rpms and occur more frequently as RPMs go up. I don't need to run the spindle up that often, but when I do need to, I have to find the right revs for each tool that won't wake up the neighbors.

I know the spindle is going to hell, but for right now, it still works at lower revs. I just got a quote today from our local Mazak dealer, new spindle is $23,000 with 11.5k back with the return of the core, so, $11,500. An estimated $1300-$1400 installation price. Add tax and shipping probably a little better than 14k.

Is this reasonable? Are there any other sources for a spindle rebuild that won't suck? I can hobble this machine along until I go on vacation(very little Al, so no big deal), which would be a good time to send it out, but they have one on the shelf in Kentucky. I usually do all of the work myself, but is it worth it to have someone "qualified" come in and make the swap?

Wondering what to do, its a big chunk of change for a small shop.

Thanx.

An FJV spindle is not that bad of a swap. If you know what you're doing, nothing wrong with doing it yourself. But you'll probably not have any warranty with that spindle since you're not a "certified" installer. If you need a spindle right away, seems like getting the one from Mazak installed it the way to go. If you have a little time, I'd hit the phone books and call some spindle shops for pricing on rebuilding your spindle and even have Mazak quote a rebuild.

Before you do any of this though..... Be sure the spindle is bad. Get somebody to put a scope on the spindle and check the PLG sensor. These things can get out of whack enough that it will simulate a bad spindle bearing and make all kinds of noises and vibrations. All you might need is an electrical "tune up".... and be sure the adjustment screws get a little dab of silicone or a putty to keep from turning which what throws the current out of whack to the motor...

Thanx Psychomill for giving me a glimmer of hope with the PLG thing. I talked to Mazak tech today about it and they said, run the spindle up, cut the power at the breaker and let the spindle run down by itself. Sure enough, with no juice to the machine, it has the same vibrations as its winding down.

I have some time, 95% of all the work we do, the spindle never gets up into the nasty area, so I can limp along for awhile. If I do find somebody to rebuild it other than Mazak, I'll probably install it myself. Off to Google for spindles.
Thanx.

with no juice to the machine, it has the same vibrations as its winding down.

Click to expand...

It's always good to check for this. I'm surprised you talked to a tech who knew this. Sad to say, quite a few of them don't. I neglected to give you the information on a quick way to check for the PLG.

I can give you some names of good spindle shops to rebuild your spindle but they're not in your area. You'd have to ship to CA or OR. I'll ask around though and see if there is someone close to you....

Psychomill, thanx.

I would appreciate some rebuild places, I've been googling and calling. Someone on this board recommended FPS in Berlin Ct. If I could get this spindle on a plane with me(how much is this thing going to weigh), It could be rebuilt while I'm home visiting the folks in September.

I'm going to have to ship this thing no matter what, there is nothing here. Phoenix or Dallas would probably be the closest, maybe Denver, but everything I've found so far is on the East coast.

Some recommendations would sure put me at ease.

Thanx.