CNC routers work hard. They need to be taken care of or their accuracy will deteriorate, and your probability of failure increases dramatically. Maintenance is fast and easy, and if done every day, you’ll get much better performance, less unplanned downtime and prolong your machine’s overall life. Here are five easy steps:

1. Keep your machine clean. After the end of every shift, inspect the rack and pinion, ball screws and linear bearings, cleaning off any chips surrounding the sensors.
2. Replace worn tooling. Damaged or worn collets, covernuts and tools affect your cut quality. Machine manufacturers recommend changing collets every 3-6 months. 
3. Inspect your machine. Check for broken parts that affect your machine’s ability or the safety of your employees, such as emergency stops.
4. Turn off your machine at the end of the day. Avoid having your CNC machine on all year long, as electronics get extremely hot. By turning off your machine, you will reduce the chance of burning the connectors and keep you and your employees safe from unexpected power surges.
5. Delete old files. Making your machine efficient should be your #1 priority. Make sure old files are backed up on an external drive.
6. Grease your bearings on time. It’s recommended to check your bearings at the end of every shift and grease where appropriate. 
7. Change your vacuum pump oil. Most manufacturers recommend changing your vacuum pump oil after 20,000 hours of use.
8. Change your belts. On machines with drive belts on transmission assemblies, ensure you change your belts once every two years.

Source: AXYZ Tailored Router Solutions. For more information, call 905-634-4940 or visit AXYZ.com.