The Situation
A water treatment works had six sludge tank thickener drives on-site that had been operational for many years. The drives were experiencing various issues including oil leaks and spares no longer being available. The units were being overloaded, resulting in failure. These failures were costing the customer financially and in terms of increased downtime.
The Solution
Due to the nature of the application, the confined space around the units, and the multiple repairs completed by different sources, a simple drop-in solution would be difficult to implement. The HAYLEY DEXIS team worked closely with the Worcestershire-based customer to redesign the gearbox. The solution was a modern planetary unit, with larger output bearings designed to carry larger loads radial and axial upon the output shaft. The special fabricated output arrangement was matched to the original, down to the shaft and nose cone.
"DOWNTIME AND MAINTENANCE COSTS HAVE BEEN REDUCED"
The Result
The larger bearings within the new gearbox are able to carry larger loads, significantly reducing the impact overloading was previously having on the units and on production. Downtime and maintenance costs have been reduced for the site’s operation, with replacement components now also readily available off the shelf if required. The customer is also able to switch the new unit for a larger replacement if required, to help increase future production. The replacement units now meet the latest IE3 specification, and this has helped to improve energy efficiency across the operation.