Maintenance - Probotix COMET Quick Start Manual

MAINTENANCE

Daily Use:
Put a couple of drops of 3-in-1 oil on each of the six linear rails before homing the
machine each day. This will allow a tiny amount of oil to be sucked up into the
bearing housings before cutting any parts.
Use the included linear motion grease on the leadscrews. A light coating is enough,
as Delrin is self-lubricating. You can use WD-40 and an air nozzle to remove debris
from the screw. Be sure to dry the screw of the WD-40 before re-applying grease
as WD-40 is a solvent and will dissolve the grease.
The Grease Zerks on the z-axis bearings are not used.
All of the other bearings are sealed. The most important thing is to keep any dust
cleaned off of the machine, especially if you are cutting abrasive materials such as
MDF, fiberglass, or carbon fiber.
High Humidity Environments & Storage:
If you use your machine in a high humidity environment, ie in a shed or other non-
airconditioned environment, or if you plan to store it without use, rust can form on
the linear rails, leadscrews, and the black-oxide machine fasteners. Coat these
surfaces with grease or WD-40 often. Again, be sure to dry the screws and rails of
the WD-40 before re-applying grease and oil before use. The black-oxide machine
fasteners will not need to wiped dry.
Bearing Replacements:
Depending on the amount of use and the loads on the machine for your application,
the linear bearings and leadscrew ball bearings will need to be replaced eventually.
You will notice excess slop, marks on the rails, or jerky motion on the affected axis.
Replace them annually for worry free operation.
Anti-backlash Nuts:
The Delrin anti-backlash nuts are designed to wear and may need to be replaced
periodically, depending upon the amount of use and abuse your machine receives.
When they fail, you will notice backlash on the affected axis. You can check them
by pulling and pushing on each axis and observing slop between the leadscrew
and the drive nuts. The replace them, you will need to remove the leadscrews.
Replace them annually for worry free operation.