MZI Precision rebuilds Mazak spindles, from standard CAT 40 mills to Integrex five-axis units. Disassembly, cleaning, inspection, failure analysis and the quote are free until you approve the rebuild with a purchase order. A standard rebuild of a CAT 40 milling spindle typically runs around $7,500 and takes about three weeks. Integrex spindles with Capto tooling take more; this page explains why.

Whose spindle is inside a Mazak

Mazak’s own. Mazak designs and builds its spindles in-house. That is different from DMG Mori, which fits German-made Kessler spindles to many of its machines. When a Mazak spindle comes in, it comes in as a Mazak design. Every independent rebuilder works without drawings, and customers rarely have them either. Experience is what you are buying.

We are an independent rebuilder. In a given year, five or six spindles may arrive with a drawing. The rest are rebuilt on knowledge, experience and research. There are hundreds of spindle manufacturers, each with five to twenty models, which adds up to thousands of designs. Mazak is one of the leaders in the industry.

Rebuild, or exchange with Mazak

Mazak offers an exchange program. You send in your core and get a discount on a spindle back. For some shops that is the right call. Ask whether the exchange unit is new or rebuilt, and what it costs against a rebuild of your own.

A rebuild makes sense when you want your own spindle back. It also makes sense when no exchange unit exists for your model, or when the price gap is wide. A standard rebuild is about 30% of the cost of new. Call us with the model and we will tell you honestly which way to go.

Standard Mazak mills and lathes

Most Mazak spindles we see are CAT 40 and CAT 50 milling spindles and a variety of lathe spindles. These rebuild like any well-made spindle: disassembly, every part cleaned and inspected, bearings, seals and O-rings, assembly, run, test and balance. Typically around $7,500 for a standard CAT 40 rebuild. More with heavy rework, up to $12,000 to $13,000.

Integrex five-axis spindles

The Integrex is where Mazak gets complicated.

Capto tooling. Integrex machines use Capto tool retention, a three-lobe system rather than a round taper. The tool goes in one way. The lobed retention surface is ground to super-precision tolerances and cannot be requalified or reground without a special machine setup. We rebuild the spindle mechanically: new bearings, seals, O-rings and unions. We do not work on the Capto retention system. If it is damaged, it is replaced new.

The drawbar. Integrex drawbars are far more complex than a standard disc-spring drawbar. Some are nitrogen gas charged. On one job the customer bought a new OEM drawbar on our advice, at around $8,000. We assembled it on the bench with the rebuilt spindle. Tell us early if the drawbar is suspect.

Tool changes. Five-axis Mazaks run large automatic tool changers. The proximity sensors and encoders that time every tool change have to be set every time the spindle is rebuilt. When the spindle goes back together, they are clocked to within tenths of a thousandth of an inch. Get that wrong and the machine will alarm and will not change tools. It is part of our inspection and assembly, not an extra.

One job

An Integrex spindle came in from an aerospace bearing manufacturer. The mechanical rebuild went to the test stand without trouble. The Capto drawbar did not. The spindle stayed with us for months while we worked out the drawbar assembly, with the customer’s patience and a new OEM drawbar. It shipped functioning great. Months later the customer stopped by our booth at WESTEC. The machine had moved to a second facility, and the spindle was still running perfect.

Before you ship a Mazak spindle to MZI Precision

  • Tell us the tool retention type: CAT 40, CAT 50, HSK or Capto.
  • Send a good tool holder with its retention knob. We set the drawbar to your tooling and check drawbar pull force.
  • Send every rotating part: couplings, pulleys, the drawbar, and actuator parts.
  • Tell us everything you know about what happened: crash, smoke, noise, when it started. It does not change the quote. It gives us insight into the failure and points us to any issues with the spindle.
  • Fill out the repair request form and send it with the spindle.

Ship to 5572 Buckingham Drive, Huntington Beach, CA 92649.

Questions shops ask

Can you rebuild an Integrex spindle?

Yes, mechanically: bearings, seals, O-rings, unions, and the encoder and sensor clocking that makes tool changes work. The shaft for the Capto retention system itself is not reground. If the drawbar is damaged, it is replaced with a new one.

How long does a Mazak spindle rebuild take?

Three weeks for a standard rebuild. Rush service can be as fast as three to four days, for a 25% surcharge. An Integrex with drawbar work can take longer, and we tell you before you commit.

What is the warranty?

One year from delivery of the rebuilt spindle.

Call (714) 379-6505 and talk to a spindle expert. Tell us the model and what happened, and we will tell you whether to rebuild, exchange, or replace. Or send the repair request form.

Talk to a Spindle Expert

Start with a phone call

Ed Zitney, President, MZI Precision Edward Zitney President (714) 475-4016 He has spent more than 44 years in spindle rebuilding and remanufacturing. He learned the trade over more than two decades at Precision Balancing & Analyzing, the shop long regarded in the industry as the standard for spindle work, later oversaw SKF Machine Tool Services, held service leadership roles at Setco, and wrote a published column on spindle remanufacturing for Fabricating & Metalworking.
Marco Guerrero, Partner, MZI Precision Marco Guerrero Partner (949) 374-0060 He came up on the shop side of this industry. He started with his hands, welding and fabricating for the racing industry, then spent fifteen years as general manager growing a machining job shop, the same kind of shop that sends MZI spindles today. He has sold CNC machines too, so he knows what new equipment costs and when a rebuild is the smarter call. Today he and Ed are partners in MZI Precision, and his standard is simple: every customer feels informed and supported from the first call to the day the spindle ships back.

Call (714) 379-6505 and describe what changed. With a little information about your spindle we can diagnose the problem and determine your best action.

What to expect on the call:

  • You talk directly with a spindle expert.
  • Some problems can be diagnosed over the phone, and a few do not require removing the spindle at all.
  • If your spindle should come in: disassembly, inspection, failure analysis, and a line-item quote, at no charge until your purchase order approves the rebuild.
Call (714) 379-6505 Request a Repair

MZI Precision is an independent rebuilder and is not affiliated with Mazak.