Process for replacing X and Y-axis guideways and ball screws on a machining center

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The project involved replacing the X and Y-axis components on four machines. To improve efficiency during disassembly, oil lines were cut directly. Disassembly and cleaning each took 3 hours per machine, while installation required one full day.

Before installation, contact surfaces had to be completely free of debris; they were dressed with an oil stone and inspected by hand. Screws were initially threaded from the center outward rather than being fully tightened all at once.

A dial indicator was used to align the two guideways to within 0.01 mm (10 microns) of parallelism. Post-installation, verticality was verified with a dial indicator and precision was fine-tuned using a laser interferometer, restoring accuracy to within 0.01 mm. The total time required for a single machine was one and a half days.

Disassembly (3 hours) and cleaning (3 hours): Removing oil lines, slide block screws, and other components; cleaning contact surfaces.

Installation (1 day): Applying anti-rust oil, installing new guideways, aligning for parallelism, and adjusting screws.

Total time (1.5 days): Installing the saddle, worktable, and motors; setting the machine origin.