Maintenance is a critical part of achieving optimal machine operation. The tasks below are especially important for those who use their AltMill 4×8 as a production machine.
Materials Needed
- Lithium grease can
- Nylon wire brush
- Soft toothed brush
- Grease gun kit
- Lithium grease tube, 3oz
- Grease gun
- Nozzle
- Spout
- Shop towels
- Scotch Brite
- 2mm Allen key
- Flathead screwdriver
Preparations
Clean the Components
Wipe down the linear guide rails, blocks and ball screws with shop towel to remove dirt and excess grease. If there is rust, scrub down with Scotch Brite. Remove debris from the ball screw by using a soft brush to get into the threads. Jog the machine to access the entire rail for thorough cleaning. Use nylon wire brush to clean the rack and pinion (you do not need to remove the housing, the pinion should be accessible from the bottom of the Y-gantry).
Set up Grease Gun
1. Pull the handle on the grease gun to its furthest extent, then lock it into place at the notch.
2. Grab the lithium grease tube, and remove the caps on both ends using a flathead screwdriver.
3. Put the grease tube into the gun, with the foil facing up.
4. Remove the foil.
5. With the top of the grease gun, push the grease tube as you twist the top on.
6. Grab one of the spouts and the fine tip nozzle, fasten the spout onto the grease gun, then fasten the nozzle onto the spout.
7. Unlock the handle from the notch.
8. Pump the grease gun until grease comes out.
Rack Lubrication
Do this every 160 hours of usage. If you are running the machine 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, you should be greasing every 4 weeks.
Linear Guides Lubrication
Do this every 160 hours of usage. If you are running the machine 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, you should be greasing every 4 weeks.
If you used 3-in-1 or Mobil Vactra #2 oil in the past, feel free to continue using that on the linear guides. Otherwise, follow the instructions below for the grease gun with lithium grease:
1. For the Z-axis, first jog to the top to get access to the screws
2. Remove one (1) screw from each linear guide block using the Allen key. See below for locations on each axis.
3. Push the nozzle firmly against the hole, and slowly pump until a small amount of grease comes out between the block and rail.
4. Wipe with shop towel to remove the excess.
5. Refasten the screw.
6. Jog to each end of the axis, to fully distribute the grease.
7. Repeat the above steps for each axis.
Ball screw lubrication
Do this every 165 hours of usage.
1. Remove the dust shoe from your machine.
2. Jog the machine to middle of the axis.
3. Pump a large amount of grease gun into a shop towel.
4. Put shop towel behind ball screw, then with some force, rub the towel onto the ball screw from one end to the middle.
5. Then repeat on the other end, again applying grease while moving towards the middle.
6. Once applied, jog to both ends completely to distribute the grease.
Other Maintenance Tasks
In addition, the AltMill 4×8 should be regularly checked for loose parts, irregular sounds and foreign objects including large buildups of dust or chips that could block moving components. Staying alert and noticing any changes to your machine over time will inform your maintenance routine, keeping it in tip top shape.
Spindle Warm-up
For regular upkeep of your spindle, we recommend running a shorter “warm up” g-code, especially if you run your machine in a cold environment or if you hear sounds in the spindle while it is running. This will help redistribute the grease in the bearings.
Just download the file and run it like you run other jobs. The machine will not move, only the spindle will spin a bit. It will take about 10 minutes to complete.