Do you level on a schedule or just when parts go out of spec?

[RaidenOlga]

Curious how often everyone here re-levels their machines. I’ve got a small shop and usually wait until I start seeing slight alignment issues or tool marks that don’t look right. Last time I checked mine, it was off more than I expected even though everything felt fine while running parts. Do you guys do it by the book on a set schedule, or just trust your gut and fix it when something starts looking off? I’ve read that temperature swings and concrete settling can throw things off faster than you think, but I’ve never tracked how much it actually affects accuracy. Might be time to start making it part of my maintenance routine.

 

[Alan]

That’s something a lot of shops handle differently. Some guys level quarterly, others only when tolerances start drifting. Even concrete expansion can throw a machine off a few thou over a season. Have you noticed whether it’s worse in certain months, or does it seem pretty random from check to check?

 

[ManorFarmer]

I am a small shop (i.e. just me!) and my CNC machines (Harrison Alpha lathe and Hurco KM3 mill) are supported on rubber feet which I have 'justified' to myself that they will 'find their own level' - in fact the mill is not level and I find this useful as the suds runs away better! Why does everybody think there is a need for 'level' - if, in the old days!, you were setting the job up with a spirit level I can understand but who does that today? I use a digital level that I can zero to the bed if I need to set a job parallel to the bed.

 

[Captain_Goofy]

I don’t follow a strict schedule, but I don’t wait too long either. If the parts start looking slightly “off,” I’ll check it, but I also give the machine a quick level check every couple months just because concrete shifts more than I expect. Smaller mills show that stuff fast.

 

[Lehsen]

Curious how often everyone here re-levels their machines. I’ve got a small shop and usually wait until I start seeing slight alignment issues or tool marks that don’t look right. Last time I checked mine, it was off more than I expected even though everything felt fine while running parts. Do you guys do it by the book on a set schedule, or just trust your gut and fix it when something starts looking off? I’ve read that temperature swings and concrete settling can throw things off faster than you think, but I’ve never tracked how much it actually affects accuracy. Might be time to start making it part of my maintenance routine.

This is only a comment as every situation is different. If you are making a living with precision tooling then the machine should be mounted on a solid foundation with enough mass that it is not likely to change with seasonal effects that might mean a base below the frost line. And if it is of enough concern check levels can be mounted in place to indicate where things are at. Its sort of a constant quality control. If the machine is smaller and used for small parts not requiring precision I would say level it so there is no twist on anything and leave it alone. But there are machines that once set require no further adjustment either because of its mass or design. And I would look closely at the leveling mechanism because maybe machine vibration with time will cause it to shift. I keep thinking of the Navy which has shops on board rocking and rolling with the sea and they do not seem to concerned about the issue. I am interested in what others have to say cause I have never been in a position where stuff was that critical.