ELECTRIC MOTORS

Key Benefits:

  • See and predict failures before they occur
  • Schedule down time for repairs
  • Thousands of dollars potentially saved in loss of production due to down time
  • Replacement and repairs less costly

What Can Be Seen :

  • Overheated motors
  • Imminent bearing failure
  • Shaft to shaft misalignment
  • Not enough or too much grease (over-greasing causes more damage than under-greasing)

HAVE YOU EVER LOST A MOTOR WHEN YOU DID NOT NEED IT?
WHEN DO MOTORS USUALLY FAIL?

Motors most often fail when they are needed the most. That is only logical, they fail when they are being pushed the most and worked the hardest. Another thing is they usually fail during the time that maintenance is off work. Maintenance usually works the day shift therefore that leaves 2/3 of the day without maintenance there so they have to be called back adding to the repair expense. That is why we predict the failure so that the down time and repairs can be scheduled. We shut the motor down on our schedule and not the motors failure schedule.

These images show the classic signs of a shaft to shaft misalignment. Notice the rubber in the center of this Martin Style coupler. Also notice the heat caused from the stress being placed on the inboard bearings of both the pump and the motor.

Notice the hest in the inboard bearing. Normally the bearings should be cooler than the jacket of the motor. The center of the motor is where the very slight tolerances are from the rotor bars and the stator turning. It should be hotter in the middle of the motor and not on the ends. This bearing is most likely in the first or early second stage of failure. The grease will break down and start leaking out and the bearing will eventually fail. Once they are bad they stay bad, they can not heal themselves.

It is a proven fact that allowing a machine to run to failure usually results in 5 to 7 times the expense to repair as it would if it was predicted and scheduled for repair. This only includes repair costs and does not take into account the loss of production.