If you work with electric motors, you should know that maintaining them regularly is key. By practising regular checks and maintenance, you can guarantee that your electric motors would not break down unexpectedly or give you any issues. Hence, the reason why certain maintenance like electric motor rewinds are regularly required to maintain the condition and performance of your equipment.
Moreover, there may be a considerable impact on your business when electric motors break down. For instance, it would take some time for the mechanics to access and fix the issue. During this time, your company would take a significant hit in terms of productivity and even monetary loss.
As such, comes the importance of maintaining your electric motors routinely However, a common dilemma that many face is not knowing how they can perform the optimal maintenance for their electric motors. Keep reading on for seven ways to ensure that you are performing the proper care for your electric motors.
Visual inspections
One of the most straightforward yet effective ways to ensure that your electric motors are well maintained is by doing regular visual inspections. During the inspections, you should keep an eye out for several tell-tale signs of an impending malfunction.
If your electric motor is kept in an environment that is muddy, unclean – you would be able to spot signs of corrosion and a build-up of mud and debris. These affect your electric motors’ performance over time; hence, you should clean it if you spot them.
Brush and commutator inspection
If your electric motors have been used for a long time, you need to perform brush and commutator inspection. During this inspection, you should be looking out for signs of possible wear and tear – this is common for electric motors that have been in use for years.
When inspecting the commutator, it should not have any dents or scratches since they are signs of brush sparking within the machinery. After noting down all the areas that have signs of wear and tear, it is vital to have them replaced as soon as possible.
Perform a motor winding test
Most people in the industry tend to not check the motor winding of their machinery when performing inspections. However, this is one of the best ways to make sure that your electric motor is in optimal working condition. This is because the motor winding test allows you to pick up on any irregularities in the windings.
This can be in the form of cracks or even a strong burning odour. Catching these anomalies early will allow you to prevent any malfunctions due to overheating or a possible fire.
Perform a bearing check
Apart from wear and tear, your electric motor is also prone to issues like a build-up of debris and inadequate lubrication. When checking the bearings, you should touch its housing to gauge its temperature roughly. If it is too hot, it could either mean that your motor is overheating or there’s a need for lubrication.
Similarly, this may also apply to other equipment within the workplace – such as your generator. Be it faulty bearings or a change in temperature – an engineer would be able to conduct generator overhauling for a thorough inspection, giving a clear idea of which exact component requires repair, replacement or even an upgrade.
Carry vibration tests
One handy tip is that the vibrations of your electric motors can significantly reduce its lifespan. However, these vibrations can be tough to detect manually. What you can do is to operate the motor after removing the belts or disconnecting the load from it. By doing so, you would be able to deduce where the vibrations are coming from.
Predictive maintenance: Infrared thermography
This method of inspection is growing in popularity because of how effective it is. The infrared thermography used during this inspection gives you a clear picture of the inside of your electric motors without affecting its operation.
Since the images are infrared, it captures high levels of heat and allows you to see the areas of your machinery that are emitting high levels of heat. This is usually a clear sign of a potential overheating. The infrared technology also helps you detect if your electric motors have any form of unstable voltage.
Note down all your observations
If you are performing all the mentioned tests, you would have a series of deductions and notes from your observation. It is essential to document all your findings and keep a clear record of them. Not only would it help you to keep track of the parts that need to be replaced, but it also is of use during audits or future inspections
Essentially, these are the few steps that you can take to make sure that your electric motor is maintained properly. Follow them closely and keep your electric motor in tiptop condition.
