ShopBot Maintenance In Massachuestts

[bellowsproducts]

Hello Forum,

I need maintenance-repair and check up on my 5x12 prs-alpha. I purchased the machine in 2006 and have been using it more and more and some wear is starting to appear. There does not seem to be a company in my state that I can find to service CNC machines. Can anybody in New England recommend a company? My machine is not broken but could use a look at. Steve

[Brady Watson]

Steve,
I am currently in Grodon, CT servicing a tool & will be in the Midwest tuning up a tool in a week or two. You can contact me via email if interested.

Out of curiosity, have you called ShopBot about sending someone out?

-B

[bellowsproducts]

Hi Brady,

I did contact ShopBot and they mentioned it would be way more than I could afford for a tune up. I was looking for somebody in my area rather than a down payment on a car for somebody.

[bleeth]

Contact Brady-He only needs a new motorcycle!!

Seriously the honest issue, that you probably know, is that for someone to spend a day in travelling or airfare is charged by any manufacturer to come out and spend several hours tuning and/or repairing equipment. Although we have woodworking equipment guys here in my neck of the woods it is murder to get them to come in for that type of service as well. Most bottors learn the ins and outs of keeping their equipment tuned themselves. They include, but are not limited to:
1. Making sure racks are properly greased and pinions are checked for tightness and replaced on a regular basis (wear depending on use)
2. Check that all bolts are tight everywhere.
3. Check for gantry squareness and re-square as needed (See Gary Campbells article in squaring the PRS-it's not the only way but it is a good one)
4. Verify your z is perpindicular (A trammel works just fine here and you can make your own)
5. Not a bad idea to verify your rails are still level and have no excessive wear.
6. With control box off unplug motors and run gantry and x car back and forth by hand to verify that there are no "tight" spots and all wheels ride on the rails as they should.
7. With all hooked up and running do the same as six except do it by moving the axis individually at a slow rate (as in from 0,0 to 96,0 at 1.5ips and watch the x wheels for good contact. Then do the same cross table.
8. Make sure your grounding is still intact where it should be.
9. Verify the distance between x rails and y rails is still the same throughout.
In reality this should be done much more often then once every 5 years and if you do do this regularly you won't really need a "professional" tune-up.