Re-manufacturing is the most cost effective option for maximizing the productivity and reliability of your existing machine tool. It differs greatly from manufacturing new equipment because often the machine tool we are working with was designed some twenty to thirty years ago. Often, this was carried out by a specialised manufacturer from drawings that are no longer available and at a time when labour for such things as hand scraping was generally available and economical.

These days, this is not the case and the important elements such as machine geometry and slide fits are much harder to achieve and may not receive the required attention. We have pinpointed this problem which is particularly important when working with electric and hydraulic tracing so accurate response is married to firmly fitted slide section

Remanufacturing is a combination of complete mechanical rebuilding and electrical retrofit. Included may be mechanical innovations and enhancements to adapt the machine tool to modern control system requirements and capabilities, often costing less than fifty per cent of the expense of a new machine. But should you keep your old machine, or would you be better off buying a different machine?

There is a compelling argument for the use of "old iron" in mating present technology with a machine tool in need of repair. For instance:

Solid Platforms
Older heavy cast iron machines provide a dampening effect while machining. This provides better finishes and may allow metal to be removed at a higher rate.

Older machines also have become stress relieved through ageing and when rebuilt tend to be more stable, requiring less frequent geometric alignments to produce quality parts.

 Example Machine Tool Remanufacture
Remanufacture of a table type horizontal boring mill equipped with a hydraulic shifting headstock and central axis drive system.

• Ways machined/ground flat and parallel to BL specifications
• Slides machined and fit with easily replaceable hard lined wear strips. These strips are required to compensate for way material removed.
• Scrape and fit slides, gibs and keepers to BL geometric specifications
• Replace bearings and seals including precision spindle bearings
• A new 50 taper spindle provided with draw bar and coolant through the spindle.
• Rebuild and modify headstock to accommodate new variable speed DC drive system including:
• Clean and inspect
• Repair or replace gears and shafts
• Repair or replace shifters as required
• Provide new scavenger pump to eliminate gravity hydraulic oil return system and feed to new headstock lubrication cooling unit.
• Engineer individual axis drive ends and mounts for the X, Y, W, and Z axis and install.
• Provide new ball screws and thrust bearings for all axis
• Rebuild hydraulic system including: clean and inspect; new filters, valves, seals, and hoses; rebuild or replace pumps and motor; flush, fill and check for leaks.
• Provide a new high pressure lubrication system including: new pump/reservoir unit, hoses, steel lines distribution manifold and interface to CNC control
• Rebuild coolant system including: clean and inspect; replace hoses, filter and valves; rebuild or replace coolant pump and motor; flush, fill and check for leaks.
• Provide new easily replaceable way wipers
• Grind table top flat.
• Complete alignment, positioning and functional testing including power cut.
• Sand, fill, prime and paint to customer's specifications