Rapid Gear offers expert advice on preventing needless gearbox failure

Improper lubrication, misalignment, and overload are the most common causes of gearbox failure in gear reducers.

Rapid Gear is well-known and respected for custom gears, gearboxes, and machining solutions. But this Kitchener, Ont. company is not just a provider of products and services; it also prides itself on its wealth of expertise in this area. Rapid Gear’s team can help customers get the best performance and longest life out of its gearboxes.

In a recent article for Machinery and Equipment MRO, Renato Foti, Rapid Gear’s director of business development, offers expert tips on how to prevent gearbox failure in large gear reducers and avoid wasteful downtime.

Three things cause premature failure

According to Foti, the three most common causes of premature gearbox failure in gear reducers are improper lubrication, misalignment, and overload.

• Lubrication – Users need to lubricate bearings and gears, and it is vital to do it right. Because contaminated lubricant can cause scuffing and accelerate wear, maintenance mechanics must check lubricant for contamination at least annually. Lubrication must comply with the recommended oil level and method for each respective gearbox. The volume and properties of the lubricant are also critical to consider.
• Alignment – Gears are built to mesh with shafts to work properly, and even the smallest misalignment can lead to premature wear or failure, as the weaker parts of the gear teeth end up bearing excessive loads. This is especially important in mining, in which gear reducers are used in heavily loaded applications. Foti recommends that repair shops conduct a full disassembly, inspection, and cleaning of every reducer that comes in, to check for possible misalignment.
• Overload – Sometimes, gear reducers are pushed to work beyond their limits to bear excessive loads, due to high speed, conveyance of heavier objects, or sudden starts and stops. It can take years to identify the signs of damage that result from overload. Roti advises companies to carry spare bearings and seals to minimize downtime and repair costs.

With Rapid Gear’s expert advice, users of gear reducers can prevent unnecessary gearbox failure and save time and money. Careful monitoring, inventory of important parts, and a preventive-maintenance program are the keys.

For more information, contact Rapid Gear.

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