The electronic shaft of the equipment takes the burden of the vigorous functioning of the equipment. Engineers and managers of equipment are aware that after years of continuously doing their duties, the stress might take its toll on them. The electronic line shafts are susceptible to the destructive effects of tension, torsion, and compression, all leading to various equipment issues. Applying these pressures to the driveshaft of a machine would inevitably end in its failure, which is a consequence that machine operators and manufacturers can ill afford.
The electronic shaft break is one of the most costly ways electric motors may fail. This is where stress risers were introduced to the shaft’s material at some time in the life cycle of the motor. This might have been caused by environmental conditions, improper application, misuse, or a manufacturing mistake. The question is, how can one make sense of what took place? Examining the actual breakage is the first step in the diagnostic process for this failure scenario, so continue reading below!
What Causes Motor Shaft To Break?
Analysis of shaft failure, whether it be in connection with motors, pumps, or any other kind of industrial gear, is usually misunderstood, and it is generally considered as being difficult and costly. The majority of machine shafts, on the other hand, should have an analysis that is not too complicated. Because the failure often offers significant indicators as to the sort of forces acting on the shaft, the amount of those forces, and the direction in which they were acting, this is because the failed pieces will reveal precisely what occurred.
Corrosion, wear, overloading, and fatigue are the most common fundamental processes that may cause failure. The first two, corrosion and wear, practically seldom produce machine-shaft failures, and when they do, they leave unambiguous evidence. Both wear and corrosion are two of the most common causes of machine-shaft failure. Out of the other two failure modes, fatigue is the more typical cause of failure than overload. You need to keep in mind that the failure of a shaft is often the result of a combination of fatigue, stress, and corrosive action.
How To Diagnose Motor Failure: Warning Signs
Motors need to be reliable, but they could break down if you don’t take care of yours. Motors can be expensive to fix; if they break down, it can be a big loss. By knowing your motor’s early warning signs, you can keep it running well and maybe even keep it from breaking down. Have you noticed that your bearing housing is hot to the touch, oil or grease leaks from your bearings, or connections are coming loose? These are signs that your motor might break down soon.
Knowing what causes common motor problems and how to fix them can make the difference between a motor that works and one that breaks so badly that it needs to be fixed or replaced. Some things that can cause a motor to fail are hard to find or may not be seen until it is too late. Being aware from the start is important and can save you a lot of money on repairs in the future.
1. Failed bearing
Too much weight on your motor shaft could be a major cause of motor failure. When a belt turns a pulley, the pulley’s shaft bearing often has to support a lot of weight. One way to check for shaft overload is to track how often your belts bottom out. If it happens more often than usual, shaft overload is probably the cause.
2. Stator winding
Overloading the motor shaft, which causes too much heat and eventually motor failure, can cause the windings to fail. A common way to protect against overload is with a thermal overload relay. The cooler your motor runs, the longer you can expect it to run. Overheating is often caused by too many starts. When a motor starts up, it usually gets 6 and 8 times its rated current. This can make the motor hotter, which puts more heat stress on the windings and makes the motor more likely to break down. One way to tell if your windings are under stress is to look for darkened spots on the motor windings. These dark spots are usually a sign of overheating.
3. Outside factors
Water and electricity don’t go well together. To get rid of humidity, you can remove drain plugs, put in anti-condensation heaters, and use more corrosion protection (i.e., enhanced paint systems or coatings). If you can’t completely seal against moisture, ensure the breather plugs are in place and kept clear.
4. Rotor shaft
Both thermal stress and inertia fractures can be caused by heating, cooling, speeding up, and slowing down. Starting time depends on the torque of the load, the inertia, and the motor’s torque. As the starting current is always much higher than the rated current, a too-long starting period will cause the motor’s temperature to rise, which is bad.
5. Shaft coupling
Problems with the shaft coupling cause only 2% of reported motor failures. Misalignment and bad installation are two problems with shaft couplings that can cause a motor to fail. When a coupling isn’t lined up right, it experiences unusual load stresses that can cause the motor to break. Make sure your coupling is lined up with the shafts. Most couplings fail because they are not mounted correctly. Make sure to research and use the right methods for fitting your motor.
Checking for Motor Shaft issues
| Issues | What to do |
| The motor won’t start when first installed because it’s not wired right | Check the wiring diagram to make sure the motor is set up right. |
| The motor is broken, and the rotor is hitting the stator. | Turn the shaft of the motor and feel for any rubbing. |
| Power or line trouble. | Check the power source, fuses, controls, and so on. |
| The fuse or circuit breaker has blown. | Change the fuse or turn the breaker back on. |
| Motor overloaded or jammed. | Check to make sure the load is empty. Check the motor’s amp draw against what it says on the label. |
| The motor is going the wrong way. | The wiring is wrong; wire the motor back up using the diagram that came with it. |
| Motor Overloaded/Thermal Protector Continuously Drip – Load Too High | Check to see if the load is stuck. If the motor is replaced, ensure it has the same rating as the old one. If the old motor was made specially, a standard motor might not be able to match its performance. |
| Overload. Compare the measured amps with the nameplate rating. | Find the source of too much friction in the motor or load and get rid of it. Reduce the load or switch out the motor for one that can handle more. |
| Over voltage or under voltage | Check the voltage coming into the motor at each phase to ensure the motor runs at the voltage shown on the nameplate |
| Improper connections | Check that all the electrical connections are properly terminated, have enough space between them, are strong, and don’t lose power. Look at the diagram of the motor leads. |
| The motor shakes | The motor wasn’t set up right to load or shift the weight. |
| Motor bearings that don’t work | Check out the motor on its own. If the bearings are worn out, you will hear noises or feel roughness. |
| High voltage | Check the voltage of the power supply to make sure it is right. |
| High temperatures outside | A different kind of grease may be needed if the motor is used in a place where the temperature is always high. You might need to ask the factory for help. |
| High temperatures in the motor | Check the actual loads on the motor and compare them to what the motor is rated to handle. |
Types of Motor Tests
Motor testing looks at how well a motor works by using computer-aided tools or equipment that watch for changes in the motor. The main goal of testing a motor is to find hidden problems and keep it from breaking down for no reason. Electric motor testing looks at static parameters like insulation, wire damage, and electrical current leakage, as well as more dynamic parameters like distortion, temperature changes, and balance.
There are many ways to test a motor, especially when testing an electrical motor. Most of these can be tested online or offline, or they can be tested statically or dynamically. Most of the time, both are used in a good program for predictive maintenance.
- While the motor is running, online dynamic testing is done. It tells technicians about the power quality and how well the motor works. Dynamically testing the equipment should be able to collect and plot all the important data for electric motors. This includes the power condition, voltage level, voltage imbalance, harmonic distortions, current and imbalances, load levels, torque and rotor bar signatures, etc. By looking at things like power condition, motor condition and performance, load assessment, and operating efficiency, you can find problems by looking at the data collected from online testing.
- Offline static testing should be done regularly to check how the parts of a motor (windings, rotor bar, etc.) are working and to analyze the current and voltage. During static testing, problems like broken or loose rotor bars, problems with the end rings, eccentricity or the uneven air gap between the rotor and the stator, and misalignment are often found. This motor testing is done when the machine is stopped, as the name suggests. Static testing looks at resistance/insulation resistance, high-potential (HiPot) tests, polarization, surge tests, and more.
How to Pick a Service Center for Motor Shafts Repair
The majority of customers prefer to pay for a repair service that is of high quality, but what constitutes high quality? It is not enough to just keep the outside, and inside of the motor in pristine condition when a motor is fixed by someone who makes mistakes or is sloppy with their job, the efficiency of the motor decreases, and its lifespan decreases.
- Repair services for shafts may often fix components that have been damaged in a broad range of ways, such as drive shafts that have worn universal joints or shafts that seized bearings have been damaged. Shafts can also be damaged when bearings get jammed. Repair services for shafts can also treat shafts that have been corroded or degraded due to exposure to salts, acids, or other harsh chemicals.
- Customers of motor repair service centers need to be informed about the services they are acquiring to guarantee they will get a high-quality finished product. Having a specification that outlines the anticipated range of work and the level of quality in that work is undoubtedly significant. However, if the service facility cannot do excellent work, this will not guarantee quality work.
- Choosing a service facility that is both qualified and reputed is the single most critical thing that savvy buyers can do for themselves. Evaluation of a service center may be done in several different methods. It is possible to verify the effectiveness of a repaired motor and identify specific mistakes or shortcuts made by the repairer by having the motor tested at an accredited laboratory. This costly endeavor is only feasible for a modest representation of the total number of motors when a substantial amount of trade is involved. In addition, it is possible that it will not show whether a lower efficiency than that listed on the nameplate was the consequence of a recent repair or if it existed before the repair.
In addition, it is impossible to determine if the characteristics of one repaired motor represent all of those from the same shop. Inspecting the service center and speaking with the employees there might provide you with more information. There should be indicators that point to the product’s low quality, while others provide confidence, and that is why a thorough evaluation is needed. If you want to know more about electronic shafts and how to deal properly with various problems, you may visit https://www.fortune-cross.com/th/ for further elaboration.