How to make your motor last long

Now that we are aware of the various types of motor failure modes, we can take better steps toward creating a preventive maintenance plan.

Many maintenance tasks can be addressed through a weekly hands on inspection. Make sure to grease the motors as needed with the proper motor rated grease. Add grease or oil only when needed.  Incorporating an ultrasound assisted lubrication program can go a long way in preventing bearing failure.

There are a number of ongoing tasks you can do to ensure that motors are in their best performance conditions. Keep your motors clean and at the proper temperature with consistent airflow, and store motors properly to keep moisture from contaminating them. Also, keep moisture and chemicals away from the motor so as to prevent contamination.

There are also a number of precision maintenance steps you can take in order to enhance the performance of your motors and reduce wear and tear. Always align your motors to under .003 in all three planes, while also taking care to eliminate soft feet. Specify the precision balance of the rotor to .05 in per second. Finally, only use certified motor rebuild shops, because as we discussed earlier, improper repairs can lead to greater damage down the line.

In terms of predictive maintenance measures, use motor circuit evaluation to detect all motor failures. Vibration analysis can be used for a number of other motor failures while mechanical ultrasound can be used for bearings, rotor bars and electrical failures – also use oil analysis on sleeve bearings with oil reservoirs.

There are a number of other ultrasound applications as well. Failures tend to first appear in bearings, meaning that the Ultraprobe 15,000 can be a great way to detect Stage 1 failures. The device is also great at detecting over or under lubrication. As ultrasound becomes an increasingly integral part of maintenance operations, so too are its applications. It can be used to detect electrical failures like arcing, rotor bar problems and rotor imbalance, along with alignment and soft foot issues.

Generally speaking, when a motor fails, you need to decide if it is worth rebuilding or buying a new motor. Using a motor decision flowchart can help guide this decision. Talk with a CMRP to find a decision flow chart for your operations.

Finally, you can get a lot more out of your motors by taking proactive maintenance steps. Purchase precision motors for all of your critical applications and always use precision maintenance for installation, alignment, balance and lubrication.

By adhering to these steps, you can extend the lifespan of your motors and limit downtime in your plant, effectively speeding up operations, limiting cost and improving performance.

Linqing Nine Star Bearing Science & Technology Co., Ltd 

( Insulated bearing, Hybrid ceramic bearing and  brass cage DGBB)

Follow us via E-mail info@jxkjzc.com; Website www.ninestarbearing.com.