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What is the life expectancy of a CNC machine?

When someone buys a CNC machine, one thing that might trouble their mind the most is how long the machine is going to last. To be honest, there is no direct answer to this question. The life expectancy of a CNC machine is determined by several factors, and you cannot control them all. But you can try to enhance the life of your CNC machine by following some steps, and we will discuss that here. Not only that, but what factors influence your machine’s life and how you can do predictive maintenance for a better lifespan of the machine will be discussed in this blog. So, let’s dive deep to know all the details about the life expectancy of a CNC machine.

What determines how long a CNC machine will last?

Let’s start our discussion by knowing the main factors that determine how long a CNC machine will last:

Build quality and brand: Some machines have very strong frames, made with high quality materials like steel, aluminium, brass, or titanium. Robust cast iron frames and precision engineering styles of the machines make them last for long periods of time. Also, machines of high end, reputed brands like DMG Mori, Doosan, Okuma, Mazak, Haas, or Mighty Viper are meant to last for longer periods of time. Also, they have the finest network of support and better availability of parts.
Usage intensity and workload: How much you use your CNC machine and for what materials you use it, is going to affect the longevity of your CNC machine. Light usage can extend the machine life for several years; on the other hand, if machines run 24/7 or have to handle high stress jobs, then the machine will wear out faster.
Maintenance frequency and quality: Maintaining your machine in the right way, taking care of it, will also increase the lifespan of your CNC. Regular cleaning, lubrication, coolant changes, regular spindle care, and part replacements can help your machine operate for longer years.
Operator skill and training: Skilled machine operators know how to run a machine within its limits, which helps in not putting extra stress on the machine. They know how to avoid crashes and heed anomalies, helping in overall healthier and longer machining times of the CNC machine. Inexperienced operators can cause breakdowns, premature wear, and some major failures, too.
Operating environment: The machine shop’s environment also affects the lifespan of the CNC machine. The environment should be climate controlled, have low humidity, and have low dust, too. Any kind of exposure to dust, extreme temperatures, and moisture can accelerate the degradation of the CNC machine.
Technological obsolescence: Sometimes, even if you get all of the above things right and don’t take care of the technicalities like updating software and electronics at the right time, the machine can still face problems with its basic functionality and finally lose its capability in less time.

How to extend the life of your CNC machine?

Now, here are some things that you can do to extend the life of your CNC machine so that you can recover the most out of the upfront investment amount and not have to replace it soon:

Implement predictive maintenance system: Implementing modern predictive maintenance systems can help you improve the machine’s life. For predictive maintenance, you need to use sensors plus analytics to detect issues early. Its benefits include:

Decreases unplanned downtime.
Decreases field service time drastically.
Helps in the faster repair of the machines.

Then replace the worn parts like belts, filters, and bearings, before they finally fail.

Train your operators: As we said, untrained or unskilled operators can prove to be fatal for your CNC machine. So, when you buy a CNC machine, make sure your operators are well aware of the specifications of the CNC machine and how to run the software or the control system of the machine.
Upgrade and retrofit: In case your CNC machine is showing signs of ageing, then you can do some basic upgradation or just retrofit the machine for an enhanced lifespan. This method often involves updating the control system and software, and retrofitting some mechanical components like the spindle and servo motors for better precision.
Regular calibration and alignment checks: Lastly, make sure you regularly calibrate and check the alignment of the axes of your CNC machine for better precision and premature wear from misalignment.

Conclusion:

The life expectancy of a CNC machine is very hard to predict, and there is no exact answer for how long your machine can run. Some machines run smoothly for 20 years, while some start struggling after 5 years. If you need well running used CNC machines, then you can check our collection of used CNC machines, where we have machines of different premium brands for you.