Frequently Asked Questions - Peiffer Machine Services

FAQ

Here are several commonly heard, customer-asked questions and answers. Please call us or fill out the Contact Us form for a personal response to your specific questions. Machines are our business … we are here to help!

Q: My machine is down—how long will it take to get a service technician?
A: Peiffer's response time is typically 24–48 hours, although depending on the location and scheduling, we may be able to respond same day.

Q: I have an old machine that runs well, but the ways are in need of repair. How can this be addressed?
A: Peiffer's Service Technicians are experts in hand scraping bed ways; we have scraped almost every type of machine with dovetail or box ways.

Q: Must I send out the complete machine to repair way problems?
A: No. Peiffer's experienced Service Technicians can help you determine the necessary and most time-efficient method to assess and repair your machine ways, most likely not involving the entire machine.

We recommend starting with an assessment by our trained alignment experts (usually accomplished in a one-day visit). If repair is needed, we can often remove a worn cross slide, saddle, table, and/or gib and bring it back to the Peiffer shop. After the ways are repaired, they can be "scraped in" to your machine bed at your facility, thus eliminating the need to remove the entire machine.

Please note that in some cases, we can scrape the bed in location at your shop.

Q: Should I have an inspection done on an existing machine before upgrading or installing new CNC controls?
A: Yes. We highly recommend a full machine inspection prior to any upgrade or retrofit project. Peiffer's Service Technicians are well versed in thorough machine inspections and consultations before, during, and after machine enhancements.

From our experience, we know that key machine components must be in good operating condition for a successful CNC conversion; these include the machine ways, the ball screw, and the spindle, as well as overall machine alignment. Failure to address these key mechanical components prior to any upgrade project may prove to be disappointing in terms of performance expectations, not to mention costly for your budget.

Q: How often should I do an alignment check on our machines?
A: Peiffer recommends an initial check to establish a baseline for machine alignment, then yearly checks thereafter. Once a baseline alignment reading is obtained, if or when other machine problems arise, downtime for a particular repair is often reduced.

Q: How do I know if or when a machine needs to be re-aligned?
A: Here are a few telltale signs that alignment may be the culprit: If your machine operator is reporting problems with repeatability, overall size, taper, parallel, squareness, or finish, it's probably time for an alignment service call with Peiffer.

Q: What is laser alignment and leveling?
A: There are two types of lasers that Peiffer uses; one is for alignment and level, and the other is for ball screw pitch error compensation.

In general, laser leveling and alignment is a modern system that allows us to perform machine alignments in a lot less time than conventional instruments used in previous decades. The laser leveling and alignment system also generates graphs and other related raw data that is very useful in today's manufacturing environment.

In more technical terms, laser alignment lets us check vertical, horizontal, roll, pitch, and yaw on your machine.

In a recent laser alignment and leveling job performed for a Peiffer customer, the customer was using electronic levels for two weeks without success; Peiffer was able to assess and complete machine level and alignment in three days.