The Heat is On – Are You Ready?

The summer months are fast approaching, and the technicians in Okuma Board Repair are all too familiar with the spike in orders during the summer months. Why is it the summer months seem to be harder on CNC machine tools than other months throughout the year? The summer heat is one factor that can be hard on your machine, and not all manufacturers have the luxury of air conditioning in their workspace. Here are a few tips that will help prolong the up time of your machine over the long hot summer days:

• If your company doesn’t have air conditioning on the cutting room floor, remember, cleanliness counts. 
• Close the doors on the electrical cabinets while the machine is in active service. This will help keep dirt, dust, and metal chips out of the cabinet while it is operating. 
• While performing regularly scheduled preventive maintenance on your CNC machine, take the time to check and clean the fans on the spindle and axis drives in the electrical cabinet.
• Keeping the air flowing through the heat sink on the drive units will help keep the drive running cooler throughout the entire year.

Heat Got You Down?

What should you do if the summer heat takes its toll and you find yourself with a down machine? Contact your local Okuma distributor (in North or South America) to help troubleshoot your machine and identify the defective drive unit or control board. In most circumstances, your local distributor will have the part you need, which is available through the Okuma Board Repair exchange program. You simply return your defective component to the Okuma Board Repair department for evaluation, repair, testing, and return to service in the exchange program.

Who You Gonna Call?

Support for the lifetime of your CNC machine is the business of the Board Repair department at Okuma America in Charlotte. We repair over 350 parts through the exchange program that date from the 1980s to current OEM production. Defective drive units that enter the repair cycle are stripped down and cleaned. The obvious defective components, fans, and other consumable items are discarded at that point. We use test equipment to check the internal board for the drive units, and replace components that are identified as bad – if it’s a feasible repair. After testing the internal components, the unit is rebuilt, the latest applicable firmware is loaded, and the drive is tested as a complete unit. Once the testing is passed, the unit is put back into stock at Okuma, waiting for the next order to be filled.

Advantages of the Okuma Exchange Program:

1. Minimal downtime. Most exchange items are in stock and ready to ship. If the item is not in stock we make it a priority that one is repaired to fill your order.
2. We use OEM parts sourced from Japan with original manufacturing specifications.
3. Our technicians have over 35 years combined experience making quality repairs to Okuma drives, panels, and control boards.
4. We offer a 12-month warranty on all repairs made by the exchange department.
5. Prepaid return shipping for your core unit.
6. Exchange cost is typically 50% cheaper than buying a new replacement unit.
7. We are also available for test-and-check to aid in troubleshooting if needed.
8. Repair and return of your original unit if requested.
9. We support and repair units that date back to the 1980’s until present.
10. We maintain a close relationship with the largest distributor network in the Americas.

So when the heat is on, remember that Board Repair has been testing and repairing Okuma drives, panels, control boards for over 20 years and offers a significant savings to Okuma CNC machine users when the need arises. We’re confident in the quality of our repairs and offer a 1-year warranty on all repairs completed in the Board Repair Department. We will keep you up and running for the lifetime of your machine.

What happens in your shop when heat strikes? Comment below and share your stories, or contact us if you need repair help.

Jeff Spotts is Work Group Supervisor, Okuma America Corporation.