High speed handpiece maintenance, with a focus on extending service life, is a common topic we discuss with our customers.

Here are our top 5 tips to maximize handpiece service life and performance:

1. Make sure your air pressure is between 32-35 PSI. 

High speed handpieces, depending on the make and model, are designed to operate at a maximum speed of 350,000-450,000 RPM at 32-35 PSI. High speed handpieces will operate at higher speeds with higher PSI and this will provide more torque. However, operating above 32-35 PSI will cause your handpieces to spin at a higher RPM than they are designed to withstand and will drastically reduce the service life of the handpiece.

2. Clean and lubricate your handpiece properly before every steri cycle. *Star 430 Lube Free handpieces see below.

Make sure you clean, lubricate, then expel all excess lubricant before sterilization.  Think "less is more". You need only a thin coating of lubricant to protect the turbine components. Too much lubricant without expelling the excess will build up and become thick over time. Follow this link to our complete step-by-step handpiece maintenance guide

*Star 430 Lube Free handpiece users: A common occurrence with Star 430 Lube Free handpieces is getting accidentally cleaned and lubricated along with other high speed handpieces. If this happens, not to worry. Just remember, from that point on, you will need to clean and lubricate that Star 430 handpiece before every steri cycle just as you do with all other highspeed handpieces.

3. Never attempt to run your high speed handpiece without a bur inserted in the chuck.

Attempting to run your high speed handpiece without a bur could damage the turbine and cause it to fail prematurely. This is especially true when cleaning and lubricating your high speed handpiece (see #2 above). When attempting to run your high speed handpiece without a bur inserted in the chuck, the top of the turbine, called the actuator, can touch the bottom of the push button back cap restricting the turbine from spinning. If the turbine is not spinning properly during the cleaning and lubrication process, the lubricant will simply wash over the turbine and not work in the turbine components as needed to properly protect the turbine during the steri cycle.

4. Check your compressor. Make sure no moisture is getting into the air lines.

Condensation can build up over time in your compressor. If not properly filtered, this moisture can find its way into your air lines. Moisture and turbines do not mix.  Eliminating all moisture from your air lines will dramatically increase the service life of all your handpieces.

5. Finally, you have us!

We are your biggest asset when it comes to extending the service life of your handpieces. With 30 years of experience, we have seen almost every issue you can imagine when it comes to handpieces. If you have any questions about these tips, or anything else regarding your handpieces, we're here to help. Call us at 866-784-0366 or email us at support@theturbinesource.com! We will do our best to help you find solutions to any problem you might have. Many problems can be solved right over the phone without a need for outside repairs. If not, we have an extensive inventory of parts, as well as the specialized tooling required to repair any high speed or low speed handpiece quickly at a great price.