Machinery Rebuilders

There are three main types of rebuilding: rebuilding without identity loss, repetitive rebuilding without identity loss and rebuilding with the loss of original product identity. Rebuilt or remanufactured machines should be able to meet the same level of standards for potential customers as that of new machines, as rebuilding is a complete machine recovery process. In addition to rebuilding processes, many machinery rebuilders also offer retrofitting and equipment repair services. Some examples of the many industries that depend upon the services of machinery rebuilders include: industrial manufacturing, in which machine tool repair such as ball screw repair or pump repair is a crucial and oft required service; automotive, in which older (and especially antique) vehicles often require the services of engine rebuilders; printing, which can require the use of printing press repair services; and alternative power generation, in which gearbox repair services can be necessary for wind turbines.

The three main services that machinery rebuilders typically provide are remanufacturing/rebuilding, repair and retrofitting. Remanufacturing services are defined as the disassembly and recovery of a machine or equipment first at the module level and then eventually at the component level. Remanufacturing services should be a complete reconstruction of a piece of equipment, such as a spindle, press or gearbox, until it is restored to its original state. As a result, remanufactured machines should stack up well against new equipment in terms of both performance and service life. Repair services, on the other hand, are more of short-term fix than remanufacturing services. Repair services are defined as the restoration of a machine by replacing a part or by putting back together what has been torn or broken. Thus, instead of a complete overhaul of the machine, the service is only paid to one aspect of the machine that shows the most need. In addressing the one current need, repairs do not look at the bigger picture of the wear of the machine as a whole. Lastly, retrofitting is quite a different service than the other two main types provided by machinery builders. Retrofitting services are defined as providing equipment with parts, devices, or technology that was not available or in common use at the time the machine was originally manufactured. Retrofitting is not so much a fix of the equipment, as it is a means of updating outdated technology in equipment.

There are many different types of equipment that can benefit from any of the services commonly provided by machinery rebuilders. Some common examples of repair services required in the industrial manufacturing industry include tool repair, pump repair, and press repair. Tool repair is an extremely broad category of repair services. Tools are defined as devices that are used to perform or to facilitate either manual or mechanical work. As a result, tool repair services can include services performed on parts and components ranging from valves and levers to gauges and pressure sensors. Pump repair, on the other hand, is technically less broad of a category than tool repair. Pumps are defined as machines or devices that are used to raise, compress, or transfer fluids. However, there is a wide range of various styles of pumps including vacuum pumps, centrifugal pumps, hydraulic pumps, and metering pumps. As a result, pump repair services can also be a very broad category of machine repair services. Lastly, press repair services are another example of a category that is less broad than tool repair but still not able to be categorized as necessarily specific. Presses are defined as machines or equipment that are used to exert pressure or force upon a material or part. Some examples of the numerous types of presses used in industrial processes include hydraulic presses, stamping presses, C presses, printing presses, mechanical presses and more.

Although press repair, tool repair and pump repair are common examples of the type of services that machinery rebuilders provide, they do not even come close to illustrating the diversity of the types of machinery and equipment that require repair, rebuilding and retrofitting applications. Thus, to better depict the diversity here are some additional examples of the types of machinery that often require repair services including spindle repair, ball screw repair and gearbox repair. Spindle repair services are not as common as the previously mentioned other types of repair services, but they are still essential to many industries. Spindles are defined as a rod or a pin that is tapered at one end and typically weighted at the other end. Spindles are used to spin fiber by hand into thread that is then wound. As a result, it is clear that spindles are essential components of the textile industry in particular. Ball screw repair services are much more commonly required in the industrial manufacturing industry than spindle repair. Ball screws are defined as a mechanical device that is used in order to convert rotational movement to longitudinal motion. Ball screws are often utilized in industrial machinery such as linear actuators. Finally, gearbox repair services are essential to many industries, especially industrial manufacturing, aerospace and automotive. Gearboxes are defined as protective metal casings in which a system of gears is sealed. Gearbox repair services can also be a fairly broad category because gearboxes can house gears ranging from planetary gears and spur gears to worm gears and helical gears.

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Machinery Rebuilders Types

• Ball screw repair is a type of service that many machinery rebuilders provide, and specifically deals with the removal and replacement of broken or worn parts within ball screws.
• Engine rebuilders are service providers that offer the rebuilding of various engine types in order to either upgrade the technology of the engine or to return the engine to as close to its original state as possible.
• Equipment repair is a service that is performed in order to alter the state of worn or damaged parts in a piece of equipment in a manner that returns them to a similar state as when they were originally manufactured.
• Gearbox repair is one service often provided by machinery rebuilders that deals specifically with the replacement of worn or damaged parts and components from gearboxes.
• Machine repair refers to any service or process performed on a machine which results in a fixed or upgraded working status. Machinery repairs include rebuilding, retrofitting and remanufacturing and can cost anywhere from 10 to over 50 percent of the price of a new machine.
• Machine tool repair generally calls for all of the components of a machine to be cleaned, inspected and then reassembled using refashioned or new parts. Machine tool rebuilding usually costs around one-third the fee of a brand new unit.
• Press repair service providers refit presses with press controls, gears, shafts, clutch retrofits, etc. Press rebuilders service a variety of presses, ranging from small C-Frame presses to large straightside presses, typically automating and restoring them to a better-than-original status.
• Pump repair is a type of service in which damaged or worn components in a pump are altered in a way that returns them to their original state.
• Remanufacturing includes a retrofit upgrade, as well as a rebuilding service, which can cost up to 50 percent of the price of a new machine. In conjunction with these improvements, remanufacturing may also include design changes to benefit the performance capability of a machine beyond its original standards.
  
• Retrofitting generally refers to the upgrading or replacing of a CNC machine's servomotors, magnets, drives and wiring components. The cost of retrofitting ranges from 10 to 30 percent of the cost of a new unit.
• Spindle repair includes the complete disassembly and inspection of a spindle assembly and a possible balancing phase to correct the center of gravity. Internal bearings are taken out and substituted with new ones, the spindle gears are inspected for cracks/wear and the shafts are checked for straightness.
• Tool repair service providers refit tools with press controls, gears, clutch retrofits and more. Service a number of tools within a machine and can typically restore they to a better-than-original status.

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Machinery Rebuilders Terms

Average Life - The average length of time a component will last before it fails.

Bearing - A piece which guides, supports and reduces friction between both fixed and moving machine parts.

Buffing - Shining and smoothing of a surface using an abrasive material. Buffing compounds are commonly embedded in a belt or soft wheel.

Computer Numerical Control (CNC) Machine - A microprocessor controller dedicated to a machining tool. A CNC machine has programmable numerical controls to activate its spindle drive and servos, controlling various operations.

Counterbalancing - The use of weights to balance a work piece or rotating device, reducing machine vibrations while maximizing cutting force. Spindle rebuilding often involves this method.

Debugging - The act of performing adjustments to a new or contaminated system in order to ensure proper operation and maximized production.

Demanufacturing - A disassembly process that is used for products that will be recycled, such as vehicles, in order to reuse their materials.

Durability - The capability of products to be utilized for a longer period of time than other comparable products with minimal degradation.

Finishing - Any of various processes used to provide edges, surfaces and corners with desired properties. Common finishing practices include preparation, conditioning, cleaning and coating.

Grinding - A machining procedure in which excess material is removed from a work piece by way of a powered abrasive stone, wheel, belt, sheet, paste, compound, etc.

Inspection - The act of physically checking a machine or product for assurance that it meets specified dimensions or performance levels.

Interchangeable Parts - Components that are built to specific tolerances. The similarity allows them to be mass produced and substituted for one another.

Lapping - A finishing operation using a fine-grained abrasive mixed in with a liquid to correct minor surface imperfections and produce a tight fit between mating surfaces.

Part Orientation - The layout of a feeding mechanism, machine and product so that the components are properly aligned prior to and during assembly operation.

Polishing - A process that uses abrasive material attached to a backing. Polishing blends contours and improves surface finish.

Recycling - The process in which materials that would otherwise be destroyed are collected, processed and remanufactured into new products.

Refurbishment - A process by which a product is brought up to a new standard through extensive work for use in a new application.

Retooling - The act of revising and/or reorganizing with a new and improved set of machinery tools.

Servo - A control system which converts a diminutive mechanical motion into one that requires much more power.

Spindle - A mechanical part, found on CNC machines, which revolves and serves as axes for other, larger rotating parts.

Truing - A process utilizing a dressing tool, such as a diamond, to ensure that a grinding wheel is concentric and round. Truing assures that there will be minimal vibrations.

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