The interesting thing about clichés is that they wouldn’t exist unless they contained an element of truth. So it is with the old saw “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” This is especially true in the world of CNC machine tool maintenance.

As much as we recognize the importance of servicing our cars, trucks, bikes and other machines, we have a tendency to ignore regular machine tool maintenance. Why is that? Well, in part because there’s a lot of pressure to keep production rolling and no one likes to see an idle machine when there are customer jobs to get out the door. Which is all the more reason to establish an ongoing preventative maintenance program. Because a machine tool that is not properly maintained is going to eventually break down, often when you’re facing a tight deadline.

Equally important, having a regular PM program saves time and money in many ways:

• Machine operators spend less time fixing machines, waiting for parts or repairs so they can get more real work done.
• Well-maintained machine tools last longer, so you reduce capital expenditures and enjoy a greater return on investment.
• Preventative maintenance programs eliminate large-scale, costly repairs that can bust your budget. For example, neglecting to replace worn out way wipers cost a machine shop over $100,000 to repair the ways on a machining center.
• When a machine breaks down it often inflicts damage on other components, thus increasing repair costs.
• Poorly maintained equipment can lead to scrap, rework, missed deadlines and lost customers.

Clearly it makes good financial sense to employ a regular preventative maintenance program. However if setting up and managing such a process is challenging for your CNC shop, contact Gosiger for help. They’ll tailor a comprehensive preventative maintenance program for your specific needs. So you can forget about machine maintenance and concentrate on making chips. Contact Gosiger today for more information.