Below is information regarding when and how to perform maintenance tasks on a Solo machine.

Note: If cables need to be disconnected, none of the cables should be plugged or unplugged while the machine is powered up. This can cause damage to the machine’s electronics!

Quick Reference Chart

Maintenance Item	Why/What	Recommended Interval	Link to instructions
Empty chip bin	Empty chips from bin to avoid overflow	As needed	Solo Standard Maintenance \| Empty Chip Bin
Clean the spindle taper	Remove chips or coolant	Weekly
Change chip bin filter	Allow cutting fluid to flow back to the tank	Weekly or Monthly as needed	Solo Standard Maintenance \| Changing the Chip Bin Filter
Clean bellows	Check for damage, remove chips and cutting fluid residue	Monthly	Solo Standard Maintenance \| Cleaning the Bellows
Change cutting fluid filter	Allow cutting fluid flow	Monthly or as needed	Solo Standard Maintenance \| Changing Cutting Fluid Filter
Clean tool holders	Remove chips that prevent proper clamping	Monthly or Quarterly
Clean the tool changer drawer	Remove chips and cutting fluid residue	Monthly or Quarterly
Lubricate the door air cylinder	Remove debris and ensure smooth function	Monthly or quarterly
Check Probe Calibration	Confirm that the probe runout is within tolerance, check accuracy	Quarterly or after crash	Pico Digital Probe User Manual \| Probe Alignment AND Pico Digital Probe User Manual \| Probe Calibration
Check Tool Setter Calibration	Check accuracy/repeatability	Annually or after crash
Clean cutting fluid system	Restore full volume, prevent bacteria growth	Annually
Check cutting fluid system hoses and fittings	Look for damage/leaks	Annually
Check pneumatic system hoses	Look for damage/leaks	Annually
Check coolant system hoses and fittings	Look for damage/leaks	Annually
Check coolant system level and top off		Annually
Re-grease ball screws and linear bearings		Annually
Replace trunnion spiral cable wrap	Preventatively done to ensure cables to do not get damaged	Annually
Check electronics	Check that there is not excessive debris/dust build up in the electronics compartment. Check that connections are secure and not damaged	Annually

Detailed Instructions

Emptying the Chip Bin

The bin that collects and stores the chips produced by the machine should be emptied as needed. It is recommended that the bin be emptied when the chip level is about 1.5 inches from the top of the bin, this helps avoid accidentally spilling chips into the cutting fluid reservoir.

It is best to empty the chip bin after the machine has sat idle for a while (30 min to 1 hr), which allows most of the cutting fluid to drain through the bin and back into the reservoir.

To remove the bin, simply open the door on the front of the machine’s base, tilt the top of the bin towards the back of the machine, and slide the bin out through the door.

There may still be some cutting fluid in the bin that will drain through the holes in the bottom of the bin so tilting the bin back will help reduce the amount of cutting fluid that comes out while transporting the bin to the location it will be emptied.

After emptying the bin, inspect the polyester filter located in the bottom of the bin. If it is clogged with small chips consider replacing it using the corresponding instructions on this page.

To reinstall the bin, ensure that the filter is installed, orient the bin so that drain holes are towards the back of the machine, tilt the top of the bin towards the back of the machine, and then slide the bin into the machine until it can sit flat on the shelf above the cutting fluid reservoir. Ensure the bin is far enough back into the machine to catch all chips that fall through the cavity under the machine’s trunnion.

Changing the Chip Bin Filter

The Solo’s chip bin is meant to be used with a polyester filter installed in its base. This filter keeps the fine chips and debris from getting into the cutting fluid reservoir. It should be replaced whenever it appears full of chips.

To replace the chip bin filter a new filter will need to be cut out of the same or similar material. The filter provided by Penta is made out of 2” thick polyester air filter material (McMaster Carr part # 2182K62) and is cut to match the shape of the bin’s bottom. Simply tracing the bottom of the bin onto the filter material works well for achieving the needed filter shape.

Changing the Cutting Fluid Filter

The cutting fluid filter is meant to catch the fine debris and particulates that make it through the chip bin filter. Depending on the material being cut, this filter may need to be replaced often. A clogged cutting fluid filter is the most likely cause of low cutting fluid flow at the spindle.

The cutting fluid filter is an polyethylene screen available on McMaster Carr’s website (part # 8680T57).

To replace the filter follow these steps:

Open the door on the front of the machine’s base and remove the chip bin
Locate the cutting fluid filter housing at the back of the machine just above the cutting fluid
By hand, unscrew the clear housing and remove it from the machine with the filter inside
Note the orientation of the filter (smaller diameter up) and then remove it
Place the new filter inside the clear housing in the same orientation as noted previously
Reinstall the filter housing, with filter inside, into the machine
Hand tighten the filter housing until snug

Cleaning the Bellows

The bellows are the accordion folded barriers on the back wall of the Solo’s enclosure. Over time, or after heavy use of the machine, the bellows can become covered or filled with chips and debris. It is important that the bellows are cleaned at least monthly to maintain their function and reduce the possibility of damage.

It is recommended that the bellows be cleaned using the cutting fluid wash down gun. DO NOT use compressed air to clean the bellows. When cleaning the bellows, keep the following in mind:

Wash from the top down to avoid pushing debris under the bottom of the bellows into the space behind them.
Jog to one end of an axis' travel and wash all of the accessible surfaces of the bellows, then do the same on the other end of the axis’s travel. This is primarily done with the X and Z axes.
Use a soft rag to gently wipe off any chips or debris that will not wash off with the wash down gun