The question behind “how long will this take” is usually “when does my machine make parts again”. This page gives you the schedule MZI works to, what moves it, and what rush service actually changes.
Standard lead time
Standard lead time today is three weeks, or 15 business days, measured from the day your spindle arrives to the day it ships back to you.
Standard jobs are disassembled within the first two to three days of arrival, in the order received. Disassembly is where failure analysis happens, and it is what makes the quotation real rather than a guess, so it comes early on purpose. Every step between arrival and shipping is documented in the rebuild process guide.
Rush service
Rush service carries a 25 percent surcharge. In exchange, your spindle is disassembled immediately on receipt rather than in the order received, and the lead time shortens by roughly two weeks.
Whether that is worth it is arithmetic you can do yourself. For a production machine, two weeks of recovered uptime typically pays for the surcharge many times over, and that is before scrap and re-routing are counted. In aerospace work, where single parts run tens of thousands of dollars, the comparison is rarely close.
If you are weighing the whole bill rather than just the schedule, the cost guide has the numbers.
Why three weeks and not four days
A spindle rebuilt in four or five days is a spindle where something was skipped. Bearings have lead times. Rework such as plating and grinding takes the hours it takes. A rebuilt spindle has to be assembled, run, and balanced before anyone can honestly call it finished.
Done right takes the time it takes, and it is right when it ships. That is the whole argument, and it is the reason the schedule on this page is a real one rather than the shortest number that would win the job.
What can move the schedule
- What inspection finds. A standard rebuild and a rebuild carrying heavy rework are not the same job.
- Parts availability. Bearings, seals, encoders, and sensors have their own lead times, and older units can be slower to source.
- Approval time. The clock on the rebuild itself starts when your purchase order approves the quotation.
- Rush status. Immediate disassembly and a shortened schedule, for the surcharge above.
One documented rush example
A customer whose Haas VF2 spindle crashed described the timeline in a testimonial we publish: the spindle was checked while still in the machine, removed the same day, then rebuilt, remounted, and running within four days of the crash.
That is a real outcome and it is not a typical one. It is what an emergency looks like when everything lines up, not the schedule you should plan around. Plan around three weeks, or around rush service if your machine cannot wait that long.
The warranty
Every rebuild carries a warranty of one year from the delivery of your rebuilt spindle.
Where to go next
The cost guide covers what a rebuild costs and how it compares to replacement, and the rebuild process guide walks every step from arrival to the trip home. Both sit in the CNC spindle repair and rebuild resources hub.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a spindle rebuild take?
Standard lead time is three weeks, or 15 business days, from the day your spindle arrives to the day it ships back.
When is my spindle disassembled?
Standard jobs are disassembled within the first two to three days of arrival, in the order received. If you need rush service, the spindle is disassembled immediately on receipt.
What does rush service cost, and what does it change?
Rush service carries a 25 percent surcharge. The spindle is disassembled immediately on receipt and the lead time shortens by roughly two weeks.
Is rush service worth the surcharge?
For a production machine, two weeks of recovered uptime typically pays for the surcharge many times over, especially in aerospace work where single parts run tens of thousands of dollars.
Why not rebuild a spindle in four or five days?
A spindle rebuilt in four or five days is a spindle where something was skipped. Done right takes the time it takes, and it is right when it ships.
What warranty comes with a rebuild?
One year from the delivery of your rebuilt spindle.
Start with a phone call
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
(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.