Mazak Optiplex 3015 Fiber Laser
Called in for field service to a Mazak Optiplex 3015 Fiber Laser. The older Mazak lasers once used ball screws for all axes, but the newer fiber lasers often still had a ball screw for the Z-Axis. Over the years, several calls were received to fix blown out or jammed up Z-Axis screws in these machines.
Rebuilt the Z-Axis ball screw in a Mazak Optiplex 3015 Fiber Laser. Ballscrew Guys completed this service in one production shift at the facility. The most common issues fixed in this particular Fiber Laser were the Z-Axis ball screw and linear way guide slides and rails.
One of the Ballscrew Guys worked on the Z-Axis ball screw of a Mazak Optiplex 3015 Fiber. This particular unit had the Z-Axis ball screw blow out one of the ball bearing recirculation guide caps. While the ball screw core parts were made from steel, they had plastic components, which were most often the main points of failure. Ballscrew Guys ideally replaced heavily damaged parts with new ones. However, these replacement ball screws could be weeks or months delayed in delivery; in some cases, years. Ballscrew Guys had over a decade of experience in rapid prototyping and fabrication of essential parts. Fixing what was available ensured machines were running now, as opposed to waiting for a boat from Japan to arrive.
Protective covers were removed from the Z-Axis head of a Mazak Optiplex Fiber Laser. Field service repair and replacement of the THK motion systems were performed. There were a great many essential connections and cables of which the repair technician needed to be mindful for servicing the ball screw and linear way guide assemblies.
One of the skilled technicians worked his way into the laser head to access the ball screw assembly. Performed Z-Axis field service on a Mazak Optiplex 3015 Fiber Laser. One of the most common reasons the motion system of this axis had issues was because the lubrication system had either been missed when serviced for preventative maintenance, or auto lubrication systems had been interrupted or failed.
Access to the Z-Axis Ballscrew Assembly in a Mazak Optiplex 3015 Laser was quite a challenge. The debris and dust buildup were the main causes of failure. If the machines were not periodically cleaned out, the buildup of debris caused components to fail or lock up. Regular lubrication helped, but after many years, even the grease turned to sludge.
The ball nut from the Z-Axis on a Mazak Optiplex 3015 Laser was starved for lubricant and filled with cutting debris when the machine failed. Over time, it eventually blew out one of the internal ball bearing recirculation guides. The first choice was to acquire a new replacement ball nut and ball screw assembly. However, many customers found that these were backordered, in some cases, for more than a year. Ballscrew Guys could rebuild a ball nut in a condition like shown above and get the laser back to cutting parts, working with the parts available, not the ones waiting to arrive from Japan.