Performance upgrade of an existing spindle or motor spindle
Beyond like-for-like repair, Brochexpress can upgrade an existing spindle or motor spindle to improve its performance — rotation speed, power, accuracy — or change its tool clamping system to suit new production requirements.
Repairing like for like is not always the best option
TLDR: When a spindle or motor spindle fails, repairing it like for like is not automatically the most relevant answer: if your production needs have changed since it was installed (new materials to machine, higher output, new standard tooling), it is often an opportunity to improve its performance rather than simply restore its original condition.
A spindle or motor spindle installed several years ago was often sized for production needs that have since changed: new, harder materials to machine requiring more speed or power, higher production rates, or new tooling standards (different clamping interfaces) that have become the norm in your workshop. Faced with a failure, repairing the spindle like for like restores its original performance — but does not resolve those gaps, which have become a problem. As an alternative or a complement to a conventional repair, Brochexpress offers an assessment of the upgrade options available on the spindle or motor spindle concerned.
Two main lines of improvement: performance and the clamping system
TLDR: Upgrading an existing spindle or motor spindle generally follows two lines: intrinsic performance (rotation speed, power, accuracy, thermal management) and the tool clamping system (changing the interface to suit new tooling standards).
On the first line, intrinsic performance, our design office assesses the room for improvement on the existing spindle or motor spindle: replacing the bearings with a higher-performing generation, reviewing motor sizing for a motor spindle (within the limits of the available space and electrical supply), improving the cooling system to push back thermal limits, or optimising balancing to reduce vibration at high speed. On the second line, the tool clamping system, the aim is to change the spindle interface (for example from an ISO taper to an HSK taper, or the reverse, or to a different type of collet) to suit a new tooling standard that has become the norm in your workshop, without necessarily replacing the whole spindle.
What an upgrade project can cover
- Higher rotation speed, within the limits allowed by the existing spindle architecture
- More power or torque, particularly on motor spindles
- Change of tool clamping system (interface change: ISO, HSK, BT, specific collet)
- Improved thermal management, to push back the limits of continuous operation
- Optimised dynamic balancing, to reduce vibration at high speed
How to assess whether an upgrade is possible on your spindle
Any upgrade has to work within the physical constraints of the existing architecture: available space in the machine, capacity of the electrical supply for a more powerful motor spindle, compatibility with the CNC in place. Our design office always carries out a feasibility study before proposing an upgrade project, so as to tell you clearly what realistic gains are available rather than promising performance incompatible with the physical constraints of your machine.
Frequently asked questions
Can the rotation speed of an existing spindle always be increased?
No, it depends on the bearings, the balancing and sometimes the CNC of the machine. A feasibility study is needed before any project.
Is changing the clamping system (for example ISO to HSK) always possible?
It depends on the design of the existing spindle. Some interfaces can be modified, others require more complete remanufacturing of the spindle.
Does an upgrade cost more than a conventional repair?
Generally yes, because it involves additional design work compared with a simple overhaul. The extra cost has to be weighed against the performance gain being sought.
Can repair and upgrade be combined in the same project?
Yes, and that is the most frequent situation: a failed spindle is an opportunity to assess an upgrade alongside its overhaul.
How do I know whether an upgrade is worthwhile for my current spindle?
Contact us with your current production needs and the characteristics of your spindle — our design office will assess the realistic room for improvement.
Brochexpress, beyond repair: making your equipment evolve
Our design office and manufacturing workshop, based in Beaurepaire (France) and Lussery-Villars (Switzerland), assess the upgrade options for your existing spindles and motor spindles, alongside our conventional repair services.
Request a quote