Lubrication

Way oil lubricates the machine guide ways and prevents stick-slip motion during slow feed movements. Deep hole drilling machines operate at low feed rates — 0.01-0.10 mm/rev — which makes stick-slip a potential problem. I have dealt with stick-slip on three different machine models and the fix always came back to the right oil selection. Viscosity Selection by Way Type The oil viscosity depends on the way type. Box ways need higher viscosity oil than linear guides. For box ways, I use ISO 150-220 way oil. For linear guides, I use ISO 68-100 way oil. ...

I retrofitted automatic lubrication on a deep hole drilling machine that was having way wear problems. The operators were supposed to grease the ways every morning, but it was not happening consistently. Some ways were dry, some were over-greased, and the machine was losing accuracy over time. The automatic system solved all of those problems. Here is what I learned from the retrofit and from installing systems on three machines since then. ...

Deep hole drilling machines need lubrication for the bed ways, ball screws, guide bushings, and spindle bearings. I have worked on machines where poor lubrication caused thousands of dollars in way damage, and I have also seen well-maintained machines hold their original alignment for over a decade. The difference comes down to having the right lubrication system and following a consistent schedule. A deep hole drilling machine faces higher coolant exposure and more abrasive conditions than a standard CNC, so the lubrication demands are more rigorous. ...