Many smaller gearboxes have a fill hole and a drain plug. The only way to tell if the gearbox has the proper amount of oil is to unscrew the fill plug and stick your finger in it. To improve this process, replace the drain plug with a sight glass. This makes it easy for anyone walking by the equipment to notice if there is a problem with insufficient oil.
Today’s global economy is here to stay. Manufacturers from automobiles to toothpicks are under continuous pressure to reduce costs. In order to survive in this environment, a company must either adapt, embrace and master newly emerging technologies or be swallowed by those that do. EVTAC Mining is one of many companies currently striving to make such changes.
There is a lot to be said for reactive maintenance. “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!” is a common refrain across the country. In many of our hydraulic classes, the students tell us that their supervisors will not give them the time for many of the preventive maintenance techniques we teach.
Perhaps you’ve heard that machine reliability is everyone’s responsibility. In a general sense, this is very true and needed. We should all keep our eyes alert to issues, large and small. We should propitiate an inspection and proactive maintenance culture. Inspection is largely about relentless and purposeful sensory observation. Any competent and responsible person near a machine can and should serve as the inspector of the moment.
Paper machine oil deposits represent potentially serious problems to paper mills. Often these mills make decisions when deposits are found that result in more repairs than may be required. The purpose of this article is to discuss the proper way to evaluate deposits in solving problems.
