Makino Milling Machine Company, Ltd

Akihiro Mochizuki

Kazuyuki Hiramoto

Yasuhiko Kikkawa

Hiromi Hara

A spindle device of a machine tool such as a milling machine and a machining center and a method of replacing a spindle, the spindle device wherein the housing of a spindle head () is divided into a front housing () and a rear housing (), a spindle () is installed in the front housing () through front bearings (), and a built-in motor rotor (), a bearing case () through rear bearings (), and a draw bar () for clamping a tool are installed on and in the spindle () to form a front housing unit (); the method comprising the step of replacing the spindle () and the bearings by replacing the front housing unit (), whereby, when the spindle device comes out of order, the spindle and bearings can be easily replaced in a short time and the stop time of the machine tool can be minimized at a site where the machine tool is used.

Spindle device of machine tool and method of replacing spindle

A rolling-contact type bearing for rotatably supporting a spindle of a machine is cooled by a temperature controlled liquid lubricant supplied to an internal cavity or passageways provided in the spindle, and circulated toward the bearing so that the temperature controlled liquid lubricant comes into direct or indirect contact with the bearing in the order of the inner race, the rolling element, and the outer recess, to thereby apply a cooling and lubricating effect to those elements. The lubricant after cooling is collected to a lubricant-temperature controller to be subjected to a temperature control treatment for reuse as a coolant. An air seal is applied to a lubricant entrance of the spindle where the temperature controlled lubricant is supplied from a lubricant supply member into the spindle, to thereby prevent a leakage of the lubricant toward the exterior.

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Minamitsuru-gun, Japan

Akihiro Mochizuki