Tips on Purchasing a Milling Machine
A milling machine is a profitable expenditure for any machine shop. They are versatile and can cut all types of material including various metals, wood and even graphite with accuracy and precision. In order to save money, many machine shops buy used milling machines, but they must pay careful attention to the condition of the machine and check to make sure it is still capable of the operations it can normally perform.
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Spindle Head
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Inspect the spindle head for any damage. The motor should be tested for performance as well as smoothness of cut when being used for heavy drilling or cutting operations. Have the seller set the machine up for some quick cutting and drilling on some scrap or bring some scrap metal of different types for you to cut. Start the machine and change the rpm's covering the whole range from very slow for steel and full blast for softer materials. Listen for strain while cutting and not cutting. The sound should not be much different while the spindle is cutting.
Work Table Surface
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Clean the work table off to visually inspect its condition. Look for divots or high spots on its surface. Divots are rarely a problem, but high spots can cause issues when using a fixture or vise as it can cause inaccurate cuts and make it very difficult to hold the material flat or straight.
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Work Table Movement
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The work table must move smoothly in order to get a good finish on the material you are cutting. If there are issues in the table's movement, you may never get a good finish on material that needs it. Move the table using the X axis traverse crack. Pay careful attention to the way it feels and move it from one side to the other at multiple speeds. Move the table in the Y axis direction as well as up and down and make sure it doesn't stick or grind.
Lubrication System
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Check all of the oil reservoirs on the machine, checking to see if they all have oil in them. Look for oil below or around the machine and ask the owner if there is a leak or any obvious issues with the lubrication system. There is an oil plunger on the left side of most milling machines, so push that in and check to see if it engages smoothly. This distributes the oil to the work table. Moving the work table will also give you an idea of the lubrication system as well.
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