Checking Spindle Motor Brushes

How will I know if my brushes are going bad?

It is a good practice to check the spindle motor brushes every six months. It is recommended to replace both brushes at the same time, even if only one brush is worn.

Never ignore worn motor brushes. Worn brushes can have adverse effects on the engraving machine and also can cause permanent damage to the spindle motor.

Below are just a few related problems with worn brushes.

• The spindle motor will hesitate on start-up and take extra time reaching top speed.

• The Z axis may not pick up all the way between characters and/or lines of text.

• The Z axis may drag between letters and/or lines of text.

• Any one or more axis might not respond or make a growling noise.

• The spindle motor might make a growling noise.

• The spindle motor might not respond.

Where are my spindle motor brushes?

This will all depend on what type of spindle motor is on the engraver. For all spindle motors, with the exception of the Western motors, the brushes can be found on each side of the motor near the bottom. For the Western spindle motors, the brushes can be found on each side of the motor near the top.

Be sure to take extra care when removing and replacing brushes, the plastic caps can break very easily.

When should I replace my brushes?

Spindle motor brushes should be replaced when 1/3 of its original length has been worn away. Use the images below as a guide for knowing when to change the spindle motor brushes. The brushes can be removed from the spindle motor and placed on the corresponding picture to help indicate if the brushes need to be replaced.