Konecranes Machine Tool Service Helps Manufacturers Extend Equipment Life Span

For customers ranging from small job shops to large international corporations, the highly trained and skilled specialists and engineers at Konecranes Machine Tool Service are restoring medium to complex machines to new machine condition. All electrical and mechanical rebuild work conducted by Konecranes Machine Tool Service carries at least a one-year warranty on parts and labor. More extensive warranty programs are also available.

“Machine tool rebuilding and retrofitting services offer an economical alternative to replacing or purchasing new machinery for businesses that must adapt to a changing product line or comply with new regulations,” says Mark Lohmeier, Sales Manager at Konecranes Machine Tool Service. “It offers the best value for customers who own medium to very large, complex or specialty machines. Horizontal boring mills, vertical turning lathes, bridge and gantry mills and other critical machines can be restored to their original condition.”

According to Lohmeier, Konecranes Machine Tool Service routinely rebuilds machines that can machine parts as big as an airplane wing to medium sized machines all at their facilities. When it comes to machine tool retrofitting, replacing the control system, axis motors and drives can typically be completed right at the customer’s facility.

Machine tool rebuilding includes disassembling the entire machine to the bare castings, reconstructing the machine mechanically to the OEM‘s original machine tolerances and upgrading the control system at a fraction of the cost of a new machine. Way surfaces are precision ground or machined to meet or exceed original OEM specifications for straightness, flatness, perpendicular angles, and parallelism.

It is not unusual for the machine tools rebuilt by Konecranes Machine Tool Service to exceed the original specifications set forth by the OEM when the machine was first built. Konecranes Machine Tool Service also has several machine tool geometry specialists with experience in precision hand scraping of ways and slides.

A machine tool rebuild from Konecranes Machine Tool Service also features state-of-the-art spindle reconditioning and a complete rebuild or replacement of the lubrication system, including replacement of damaged lube lines, hoses, manifolds, distribution blocks and metering units, as well as testing for proper performance, flow rates, and pressure settings.

Other machine tool rebuilding elements include inspection and reconditioning or replacement of precision ballscrews for proper positioning and repeatability.

No matter the type of machine, each machine tool retrofit or rebuild from Konecranes Machine Tool Service involves a comprehensive and customer-first approach. At the end of the process, Konecranes Machine Tool Service performs a detailed runoff and acceptance durability test prior to placing the machine back into production. Following the project, the customer is supplied with one of the most thorough and comprehensive documentation packets in the industry.

“Machine tool rebuilding and retrofitting is an increasingly valid strategy to maximize profitability today, particularly in the aerospace, oil and gas, construction, and agricultural manufacturing businesses,” says Lohmeier.  “Konecranes Machine Tool Service is the manufacturing industry’s silent partner.”