At UNITED GRINDING North America, our Customer Care Team is devoted to everything after the sale of our premium CNC grinding machines. One of these components is maintenance, a vital (and easy to neglect) factor in having happy, healthy, profitable equipment. 

We take pride in our Customer Care Team and their ability to educate, support and be there for customers. But if you landed on this blog post with a grinding machine from a different manufacturer, there are some crucial tips that you may not know. We’ll cover those right here. 

Together with our Tool Division and Cylindrical Division, the Customer Care Team officially presents five critical CNC grinding machine maintenance tips.

1. Avoid risk by observing polycarbonate window replacement intervals.

Your CNC grinding machine’s polycarbonate windows are safety barriers that help protect workers against the possibility of propelled parts or exploding grinding wheels breaking through and doing significant damage. Polycarbonate has a high energy absorption rate and is well suited for this application compared to other materials.

CUSTOMER CARE RECOMMENDATION:
Strong and reliable windows are absolutely vital. Based on extensive testing by VDMA (Mechanical Engineering Industry Association - Germany), it is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED that these polycarbonate windows are REPLACED EVERY TWO YEARS. 

Over time, polycarbonate materials weaken due to exposure to coolants, oils, greases and cleaning agents. This deterioration of the polycarbonate material is not visible, and if a propelled part impacts a weakened polycarbonate window, the danger of it breaking through increases with age. 

Aged polycarbonate windows pose a significant health risk to the operator. And remember, if at any time you see visible cracks, scratches or visible penetration of coolants, you should immediately call the UNITED GRINDING North America Customer Care Team to have your polycarbonate windows replaced—even for windows less than 2 years old.

2. Update your software—but know when you can’t update further.

As of February 2026, machines with FANUC CNC controls can be upgraded to Windows 10 and still receive extended Microsoft security updates. Windows 11 is NOT currently supported by FANUC.

Our TOOL STUDIO software (used on WALTER tool grinding machines) is continuously updated with bug fixes and new features. Staying current is recommended as long as the CNC control hardware supports it. If required, FANUC CNC controls can be upgraded with newer hardware and Windows 10 to support the latest software versions.

Machines equipped with Andron HMC-500 and HMC-600 controls are limited to Windows XP. These machines should not be connected to an enterprise network or the internet, as Windows XP has not received security updates for many years. 

CUSTOMER CARE RECOMMENDATION:
either replace these machines completely, or bring us in to perform a complete mechanical and electrical overhaul. This includes the installation of FANUC controls and servo drives.

3. To maintain peak performance, don’t forget the workholding systems.

Healthy workholding and tool support options like collet systems and steadyrests is critical to maintaining consistency and repeatability in tool grinding. If you have Incorrectly aligned steadyrests and worn or damaged bushings (for both end mill and drill grinding), tool quality suffers. 

On top of that, carbide blanks may break, optimal feed rates will not be achieved and overall production costs increase—while output decreases. Not ideal!

4. Clean those measuring probes.

When your probes are clean, it improves tool and machine geometry measurement accuracy, and it greatly reduces the risk of probes becoming sticky or failing. 

CUSTOMER CARE RECOMMENDATION:
protective rubber covers should immediately be replaced if wear or tears are detected. Contaminated probes will not perform reliably.

5. Keep coolant pump filters, seals and valves pristine.

This improves lubrication during the grinding process, allowing higher feed rates and reduced cycle times. 

CUSTOMER CARE RECOMMENDATION:
coolant system filters must be maintained or replaced regularly, and pumps should be inspected for wear and leaking seals to prevent spills or flooding.

Coolant valves must also be checked to ensure coolant is correctly directed at the grinding point. This is especially critical for erosion machines. Improper coolant delivery can limit achievable feed rates and significantly increase the risk of flash fires.

Bonus tips from our Tool Division:

• Rotary axis oil changes are frequently overlooked. Gearboxes in these axes are major components and subject to accelerated wear if oil is not changed according to manual intervals. 
• Maintaining a CNC grinding machine is no different than maintaining a vehicle. Regular oil changes matter!
• General housekeeping practices like wiping machines after shifts, keeping coolant systems clean and maintaining uncluttered work areas help prevent failures and create a strong first impression of a well-run production facility. We also believe that a machine is much easier to maintain if the surrounding areas are properly maintained as well.
• Machine manuals provide detailed guidance for minor and major maintenance. These can be used as the basis for your specific maintenance schedules, and it should be freely shared between operators and maintenance personnel. Small efforts here have a significant impact on uptime and productivity.
   

Bonus tips from our Cylindrical Division:

• Monitor hydraulic sight gauges for milky or discolored oil
• Keep waycovers clean and check for hydraulic oil contamination
• Periodically move and clean under workheads and tailstocks
• Replace batteries annually to avoid extended downtime
• Properly shut down Windows controllers to prevent software issues
• On newer machines, change oil and filters every 2,000 hours
• Clean machines at least weekly (daily when possible)
   

Need help with your UNITED GRINDING machine? It’s why we’re here!

Contact us anytime. Visit the Customer Care page and learn more about all the ways we help your precision CNC grinding machines stay at the peak of their powers.