# CNC & Machine Tool Lubrication > Centralised lubrication for CNC machining centres in India: volumetric distributors metering oil to slideways, ballscrews, spindle bearings and rotary tables. Source: https://herglube.in/applications/cnc-machine-tool-lubrication/ Herg Lubrication India: centralised lubrication systems for industrial and automotive machinery, supplied across India. Enquiries: https://herglube.in/contact/ --- A machining centre can carry anywhere from a dozen to nearly 300 lubrication points across its slideways, ballscrews, spindle housing and rotary axes, and every one of them needs the same small, exact dose. We supply the volumetric distributor systems that meter that dose to CNC machining centres, lathes and grinders in India, factory-fit for machine builders and as retrofit kits for job shops and rebuilders. ![A CNC lathe turning a metal shaft, held in a three-jaw chuck with a live center](https://herglube.in/images/application-machine-tools-cnc.webp) *The lubrication points* ## What a machining centre's lubrication system feeds Four kinds of point, repeated across every axis the machine has. *Diagram: A vertical machining centre: a column carrying the spindle head, a table on the bed, and a rotary table fitted to it. Four numbered points mark where lubrication is applied: the linear guideways, the ballscrews, the spindle head bearing housing, and the rotary table.* *The same four point types, however many axes the machine has.* *Point type 1* ### Linear guideways & slideways The rails and gib strips every moving axis rides on. Each guideway block takes its own metered dose so the table or saddle moves on a consistent film across its whole travel, not just near the pump end. *Point type 2* ### Ballscrews The screw driving each axis, oiled at the ball nut. A dry or unevenly lubricated screw shows up as backlash and thermal growth, both of which are exactly what a machining centre is built to not have. *Point type 3* ### Spindle head bearings The bearing housing carrying the spindle, running at the highest speed on the machine. Metered lubrication here holds bearing temperature and preload steady through the working day. *Point type 4* ### Rotary tables & 4th/5th axes Where fitted, the rotary indexer or trunnion adds its own bearing and worm-gear points to the same network, on the same schedule as the linear axes. *The architecture* ## Why volumetric metering is the standard here A machining centre can put its farthest lubrication point, a rotary table or a column guideway, several metres of pipe run away from the pump, and that point still has to get exactly the same dose as one right next to it: too little and it wears unevenly against the others; too much and excess oil finds its way onto the workpiece or the coolant. A [volumetric distributor](https://herglube.in/shop/rh3-type-volumetiric-distributor/) doses by piston stroke rather than by flow, so the distance a point sits from the pump plays no part in what it receives. See [how the three metering architectures compare](https://herglube.in/how-it-works/#metering) for the mechanism. **Machine tool lubrication points and matching Herg components** | Point type | Metering | Herg components | | --- | --- | --- | | Linear guideways | Volumetric, fixed dose per cycle | [RH3 volumetric distributor](https://herglube.in/shop/rh3-type-volumetiric-distributor/) + [TZ pump](https://herglube.in/shop/tz-type-oil-lubrication-pump/) | | Ballscrews | Volumetric, small dose | [34 type distributor](https://herglube.in/shop/34-type-volumetric-distributor-for-oil/) + [HL pump](https://herglube.in/shop/hl-type-oil-lubrication-pump/) | | Spindle head bearings | Volumetric, continuous light film | [RH3 volumetric distributor](https://herglube.in/shop/rh3-type-volumetiric-distributor/) | | Rotary table / 4th axis | Volumetric, added to the same network | [34 type distributor](https://herglube.in/shop/34-type-volumetric-distributor-for-oil/) | | Monitoring | N/A | [Level indicator](https://herglube.in/shop/oil-level-indicator/), [pressure switch](https://herglube.in/shop/pressure-switches/), [filter](https://herglube.in/shop/filiter/) | A filter ahead of the distributor matters more on a machine tool than most: coolant and swarf reach everywhere on the bed, and a fine metering orifice is the first thing a contaminant blocks. *Supplied for Indian shops* ## Built for the machine builder's drawing Machine tool builders in India specify their own point count, pipe routing and electrical supply, and the lubrication package is engineered to that drawing rather than sold as a fixed kit. Pumps are available in 12/24 V DC, 110/220 V AC and 415 V 3-phase, on a built-in timer or cycled from the machine's own PLC, with a [grade of oil](https://herglube.in/lubricant-selection/) to match the guideway and spindle manufacturer's specification. Every product carries an [installation and operating manual](https://herglube.in/downloads/). *Who we supply* ## Factory-fit for builders, retrofit for job shops *Machine tool builders* ### OEM production supply We supply lubrication systems against OEM production schedules, engineered to the machine builder's drawing with consistent specification and batch documentation for every unit. If you build machining centres, lathes or grinders, start with the pump and distributor range and we'll match it to your design. [Discuss an OEM programme →](https://herglube.in/contact/) *Job shops & rebuilders* ### Retrofit & replacement A machine running on a manual grease gun or a worn-out lubrication system can be retrofitted without redesigning the whole network: pump, distributors and tubing sized to what's already routed on the machine. We also supply drop-in replacement pumps and distributors, with [troubleshooting guidance](https://herglube.in/troubleshooting/) online. [Ask about a retrofit →](https://herglube.in/contact/) *Common questions* ## Machine tool lubrication, answered ### What does a CNC machine's lubrication system lubricate? The linear guideways and slideways every axis rides on, the ballscrews driving each axis, the spindle head bearing housing, and a rotary table or 4th/5th axis where fitted. These are the sliding and rolling contacts that wear if the oil film isn't maintained. ### How many lubrication points does a machining centre have? Anywhere from a dozen, on a small manual mill retrofit, to close to 300 on a large gantry machining centre with several axes. The point count is what makes volumetric metering the standard: every point needs the same dose regardless of how many there are or how far from the pump they sit. ### Why is volumetric metering used instead of resist type? A resist-type distributor splits flow by resistance, so the dose to each point is only proportional. A volumetric distributor doses by piston stroke, so a point at the far end of the machine gets exactly what one next to the pump gets. That precision is what a machine tool's accuracy depends on. ### Can coolant or swarf get into the lubrication system? Not if a filter sits ahead of the distributor, which is standard practice on a machine tool. Contaminants that do reach the network tend to block the finest metering orifices first, which is why the filter is checked as routine maintenance rather than only when a point runs dry. ### Can this be retrofitted to an existing machine? Yes. A retrofit is a pump with reservoir, distributors and tubing routed to the existing guideway, ballscrew and spindle lubrication points, sized to the machine rather than requiring a redesign. ### Do you supply CNC machine builders in India? Yes. We supply machine tool OEMs, job shops and machine rebuilders across India, engineering the pump and distributor package to each builder's drawing. [Send us an enquiry](https://herglube.in/contact/) with your point count and machine type. ## Building or retrofitting machine tools? Tell us the machine, the axis count and the lubrication points, and we'll come back with the pump, distributor and monitoring package that fits, for one retrofit or a production line. [ Send an enquiry](https://herglube.in/contact/)