Generator Maintenance

Diesel generator sets – used

for either prime or backup (emergency) power – must be regularly maintained to
ensure they provide quality power throughout their service life. Larger
companies who own many generators, or those who rely on gensets extensively
for prime power, may require an in-house engineer to maintain their gensets.
Smaller companies, or users who own a generator to provide backup power in
the event of an outage, may establish maintenance contracts with generator
dealers and/or electrical contractors to maintain their gensets. In either
instance, the life-cycle of power generators is well established and documented
making routine maintenance fairly straight-forward. Best generator maintenance
practice is following the maintenance schedule provided by the manufacturer of
the generator.

The long outstanding use of generators over time has provided the necessary
knowledge to predict when certain components will fail or be in need of service.
A fairly reliable maintenance schedule can usually be acquired from the
manufacturer and can be employed by a local generator dealer or other
electrical contractors/engineers with experience in power generation. Adhering
to this schedule will ensure maximum service time for the generator and proper
operation when it is called upon to provide power. Large generator
manufacturers have established maintenance plans and will not only service
their own generators, but many of the other industries major brand names as
well. Below are links to Caterpillar and Cummins generator maintenance
programs that most any generator owner can subscribe to:

Caterpillar Customer and Maintenance Support

Cummins PowerCare Preventative Maintenance

The main responsibilities of the maintenance contractors would be to inspect

systems, study the technical data provided by the manufacturers, maintain
records and take precautionary measures for safety as suggested by the
manufacturers.

Some of the
steps taken to ensure smooth generator operation while carrying out scheduled
maintenance include:

• Timely removal of worn out parts or upgrading the components

• Checking fluid levels
• Battery inspection and cleaning of connections
• Load bank testing
• Verifying control panel readings and indicators
• Changing fuel and air filters

Small investments made in replacing components and maintaining generators on

a regular basis can save expensive and unnecessary upgrades or even
replacement of the entire genset in the future.

When performing routine maintenance, each action taken should be logged, and
the readings and various parameters are recorded along with the date of
inspection and hour meter reading of the generator. These set of readings are
compared with the next set of data collected. Any absurd variation of readings
indicates faulty performance of the unit.

Load testing of automatic transfer switches in regular intervals keeps track of

the component’s electrical and mechanical integrity in the actual mechanical
transfer operation. Other factors to be checked periodically are starting and
timing relays, start signal continuity, and utility phase sensing.

Preventative maintenance thus ensures that you get uninterrupted power supply
for all your needs. You are assured of service on priority basis in case of dire
emergency and discounted service rate for additional support or work. Once a
business enters into such contracts, the facility can relax on this aspect as the
maintenance provider keeps track of when the next servicing is due and makes
the visits in regular intervals. They ensure that the products purchased through
them receive consistent and reliable service.

Centrifugal Pump Maintenance

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Centrifugal pumps
Centrifugal Pump operating problems that may cause damage to the centrifugal
pump can be either hydraulic or mechanical. In the first category (hydraulic), a
pump may fail to deliver liquid, it may deliver an insufficient capacity or develop
insufficient pressure, or it may lose its prime after starting. In the second category
(mechanical), it may consume excessive power or symptoms of mechanical
difficulties may develop at the seal chambers or at the bearings or vibration noise
or break-age of some pump parts. For example increased wear at the running
clearances must be classified as a mechanical trouble but it will result in a reduction
of the net pump capacity—a hydraulic symptom—without necessarily causing a
mechanical breakdown or even excessive vibration. So it is important to classify
symptoms and causes separately.

Daily inspections should be made and any irregularities in the operation of a pump
should be recorded and reported immediately. This applies to changes in sound of
a running pump, abrupt changes in bearing temperatures and seal chamber
leakage.

A check of pressure gauges and of flow meters and vibration should be made
regularly during the day. If recording instruments are provided a daily check should
be made to determine whether the current capacity, pressure, power consumption
or vibration level indicates that further inspection is required. Trending charts
should be produced to allow observation of changes as a function of time. Certain
trends may allow for scheduled outages to address deterioration of specific
performance values.

Precautions against damage of centrifugal pump.

 Centrifugal pumps must be monitored regularly, correctly and accurately according
to a specific plan which is made by a specially trained personnel. The following six
parameters should be regularly monitored to understand how a pump is
performing:

1. Suction pressure (Ps)

2. Discharge pressure (Pd)
3. Flow (Q)
4. Pump speed (N)
5. Pump efficiency (η)
6. Power.

The advantages regular monitoring of the pumps are -

1. No dismantling of the pump is necessary.

2. Offers cost savings and energy savings by increasing the pump availability and reliability
coefficients for pumps.
3. The time to maintain the pump set maybe predicted and planned more accurately and in
a qualified manner in line with predictive and planned maintenance strategies.
4. If a flow meter is installed to measure process liquid flow, then the pump monitor is able
to verify the accuracy of the meter readings by calculating ‘Q’ from the empirical formula
for power ‘P’.

In addition, it is very important to monitor some other conditions for centrifugal

pump during normal operation such as:-

1. Vibration monitoring.
2. Oil level and schedule oil Analysis.

Centrifugal Pump Inspection Schedule

Centrifugal pump inspection should be done regularly. But for different the level of
checking varies with how frequently these pump inspections are carried out. For
during routine pump inspections only the easy to monitor factors such as pressure,
temperature, vibration etc can be cheched. But during quarterly inspections, shaft
alignment and oil levels should also be checked. Some typical inspection schedules
are discussed below along with the checklist of activities to be performed.

Routine inspections
Perform the following tasks whenever you check the pump during routine
inspections:

•Check the level and condition of the oil through the sight glass on the bearing
frame.
•Check for unusual noise, vibration, and bearing temperatures.
•Check the pump and piping for leaks.
•Analyze the vibration.
•Inspect the discharge pressure.
•Inspect the temperature.
•Check the seal chamber and stuffing box for leaks.
•Ensure that there are no leaks from the mechanical seal.
•Adjust or replace the packing in the stuffing box if you notice excessive leaking.

Three-month inspections

Perform the following tasks every three months:

•Check that the foundation and the hold-down bolts are tight.
•Check the mechanical seal if the pump has been left idle, and replace as required.
•Change the oil every three months (2000 operating hours) at minimum.
•Change the oil more often if there are adverse atmospheric or other conditions
that might contaminate or break down the oil.
•Check the shaft alignment, and realign as required.

Annual inspections

Perform the following inspections one time each year:

•Check the pump capacity.
•Check the pump pressure.
•Check the pump power.

If the pump performance does not satisfy your process requirements, and the
process requirements have not changed, then do the following:

1. Disassemble the pump

2. Inspect it.
3. Replace worn parts.

Pump Maintenance Schedule

 Routine maintenance (Can be made during pump operation)

Perform the following tasks whenever you perform routine maintenance:

 Clean bearing bracket from any oil if found.

 Check oil drain plug.
 Lubricate the bearings.
 Inspect suction and discharge flanges for any leak.
 Inspect pump casing for any unusual damage signs.
 Inspect the seal.
 If the pump is offline check the coupling and its shims for any damage.
 Make sure that the coupling guard s well tightened to pump base plate.
 Check that motor alignment bolts are all in place.

SUBJECT: Pump and seal preventative maintenance - what is it all about? 2-6

Smart shop maintenance can be approached several different ways:

 Reactionary Maintenance - The equipment has failed and you have to fix it right now! If
you have an installed spare it helps, but you must fix it immediately because you can't
afford to run without a spare. This is the "norm" in most plants.
 Preventative Maintenance - You'll take appropriate actions and thereby prevent the unit
from failing . Most companies are still trying to figure out what those appropriate actions
are.
 Predictive Maintenance - By taking selected readings we hope to be able to predict an
impending problem and calculate how much longer the unit will run before failure. A lot
of information is being collected, but the concerned parties are still trying to figure out
how to use it. Most predictive maintenance calls for shutting down the equipment when
some arbitrary time limit has been reached and this puts you back to reactive maintenance
again.
 Continuous Diagnostic Maintenance - You'll take constant readings and note any
significant change in these readings. Hopefully you'll then be able to predict impending
 failure. This is very similar to reading the instruments on the dashboard of your
automobile.
 Machinery History - By keeping good records we hope to predict the life of the unit or its
individual components. This system assumes that the life of the previous unit somehow
relates to the life of the present one.

The problem with most of these systems is that we collect more data than the operator or any one
else can deal with. The result is that Reactionary Maintenance is a "reality" in most plants today.

Since the taking of readings is part of most of these programs let us take a look at the type of
information we can gather for analysis.

You can monitor :

 Heat - Especially in the seal chamber and bearing case. A changing reading at the pump
suction would be helpful in predicting cavitation. Volute casing readings could indicate
internal recirculation and minimum flow problems as well as an indication of impeller
rubbing.
 Pressure - You can take readings at the pump discharge, suction and stuffing box to
determine where you are on the pump curve and see if you're within the operating range
of your mechanical seal.
 Speed - To see how it affects pump curve data. The pump curves were generated with a
variable frequency motor at a speed different than your induction motor.
 Noise - To indicate cavitation, rubbing, location on the pump curve, bad bearings, or
some other abnormal condition.
 Flow - To check the status of wear rings, impeller adjustment and the discharge
recirculation system.
 Strain - To anticipate rubbing and stress corrosion problems.
 Liquid level - To anticipate npsh,bep and air ingestion problems.
 Leakage and Fugitive Emissions - To check the seal performance in both the stuffing box
and bearing case locations.
 Product contamination- To monitor the performance of dual seals and flushing controls.
 Functioning of stuffing box environmental controls - To anticipate seal failure.
 Power Consumption - To check pump efficiency and to anticipate heat problems.
 Vibration - At multiple locations in the system to indicate that a failure has already
started.

The monitoring of vibration is confusing to many people. We hear about frequency, amplitude,
velocity, acceleration, I.P.S. and all sorts of technical jargon. Probably the system verbalized the
most, is the reading of acceleration ( in./sec2 or mm/ sec2). The problem with this system is that
it is dependent upon the frequency of the vibration. Other companies use decibels as a method of
measurement with a decibel defined as:

20 log10 input /reference

In this system everyone uses a different reference except the people measuring sound who have
agreed upon background noise as their reference. Since this is a logarithmic scale it allows you a
big range to compute change in levels. In fact each 6 db is equivalent to a two times increase in
vibration level.

The bottom line is, regardless of the method you are using, only a relative number. Most people
agree that a two times increase in reading is cause for concern and the equipment should be shut
down for a visual inspection.

The transducers that pick up this vibration can be either permanently mounted or portable, with
permanent being the preferred method. Be sure to install the transducers on a flat, clean surface
and be careful how you screw them down. To insure good contact it helps to place a small
amount of silicone grease under the transducer to fill in irregularities that might trap air and give
a false reading.

If you are going to use the portable type of vibration analyzer you should drill a small recess at
the location you wish to monitor and lubricate it with silicone grease to prevent corrosion. This
recess should match the curvature of the probe. Be sure the area is clean before placing the probe
in the recess and be sure to hold the probe in a vertical or horizontal position, never upside down.
If it must be at an angle you must try to duplicate the same angle each time you take a reading.
Your readings will be relative readings so they will have no meaning outside of your own
organization and this particular piece of equipment.

Many problems become visible when we look at the disassembled hardware.

An inspection of individual components is still one of the best methods of troubleshooting. You
can see :

 Wear.
 Corrosion.
 Discoloration
 Evidence of rubbing.
 Damage.
 Clogging
 Product attaching to the hardware.
 The presence of foreign objects.
 Missing parts.
 A wrong part.

Be sure to note the order in which the parts came out to determine an improper assembly.

There are things you can measure as well as things that can be monitored or observed:

 Clearances - At the wear rings and bearing fits.

 Dynamic balance - of the entire rotating assembly or the individual components
 Alignment - Between the pump and the driver as well as the piping and the pump flanges.
  Settings - For the seal face loading and impeller clearance.
 Shaft deflection - To insure that rotating parts will not contact stationary parts.
 Shaft axial movement - Especially equipment with sleeve or babbitt bearings. Both
impellers and mechanical seals are sensitive to this movement.
 Oil analysis - To learn if we are experiencing excessive wear or if our lubrication is
breaking down. An 18 degree Fahrenheit (10 C.) increase in oil temperature will cut the
service life of the oil in half.
 X-Ray - To detect cracks in metal, especially at the welds or to indicate evidence of
Stress Corrosion cracking.
 Thermal imaging - To detect rubbing and heat losses.
 Magnetism - Especially in the bearing area. Magnetized bearings or seals attract the metal
particles found in worn lubricating oil.

Lists like the one above could keep a maintenance staff busy forever, and no one could deny that
the information would be valuable. The real question, however, is how practical would it be to
do those things? A human being could be wired to give constant readings of his blood pressure,
pulse, E.K.G., cholesterol etc.. but no one would think of doing it unless he were in terrible
health and in intensive care.

Most maintenance programs start with the false assumption that the life to date is some how
related to how much service life is left in the equipment. In other words; if half of the seal
wearable face is still left then the seal can be logically expected to run the same amount of time
as before. The problem with this logic is that it only works if the components are wearing out. In
the case of seals and bearings, failure is the most common condition with "wearing out" taking
place less than fifteen percent of the time.

You only have to look at the mechanical seals that have been removed from your pumps to
verify this statement. The only sacrificial part of any mechanical seal is the carbon face and an
inspection of used seals will show that in better than 85% of the cases, the used seals have
substantial face material left. Normally fatigued bearings are even more rare than worn out seals.

Some years ago the U.S. Navy contracted for the building of K (Killer) Class submarines. They
were super SONAR (listening) ships with the capability of detecting enemy submarines from a
long distance. They did an excellent job of detecting enemy submarines, but were too slow to
catch and destroy them. The result was that they recorded only the passing of ships and were
eventually scrapped. I see this as the same problem with most of these maintenance programs.
We are recording the data, but the seals and bearings are still failing at the same rate.

I have no problem with people who want to monitor equipment, but I do have a problem with
people who want to substitute monitoring for good maintenance practices. Unfortunately these
two groups are often composed of different people operating under different budgets.

Lecturing to maintenance groups, I find very little concern with sensible maintenance practices
and a growing concern for monitoring. The common complaint among maintenance people is
that there's no time to do the work correctly because of the pressures of production. I also find a
lack of training in the basics such as :
  How to read a pump curve
 How to make a system curve and how to relate it to the pump curve.
 The causes of Cavitation and how to stop it.
 How to align the pump and motor.
 How to prevent pipe strain.
 Good piping practices to prevent liquid turbulence.
 Troubleshooting pumps and seals.
 How to set impellers.
 How to install a bearing.
 How to install a Mechanical Seal and still be able to adjust open impellers for thermal
growth and wear.
 How to install wear rings.
 And the list goes on......

Most experienced people, and almost all pump manufacturers agree that the main cause of
premature pump shutdown is seal and/or bearing failure. What then would be minimum good
maintenance practices for seals and bearings?

Stop shaft deflection. It'll cause problems with packing, mechanical seals, bearings and will
change critical dimensions such as impeller clearances, wear ring clearances, seal settings etc.

 Use "C" ( Metric uses "D") frame adapters to simplify pump/motor alignment.
 Use Centerline wet ends if the operating fluid temperature exceeds 200° Fahrenheit (100°
C)
 Balance all shaft assemblies and check they are straight.
 If you're using open impellers keep them adjusted to the correct "hot" setting.
 Maintain the correct oil level and change bearing oil frequently. If you're using grease
lubrication it's more difficult to change the grease, but it has to be done. Two thousand
hours (83 days) should be a maximum unless you can guarantee there was no moisture
ingestion or the lubricant was not overheated. Be careful not to over lubricate the
bearings.
 Use labyrinth, or positive face seals to keep moisture out of the bearing lubrication and to
prevent shaft fretting damage.
 Do not use shafts with an L3/D4 ratio above 60 (2,0 metric)
 Try to keep Suction Specific Speed numbers below 8500 (10,000 metric) and never
above 15,000 (16,500 metric)
 Maintain the correct clearance between the impeller and the pump cutwater or tongue. It
should run between 4% and 6% of the impeller diameter. Use 4% for impeller diameters
up to 14" (355 mm) or less and 6% over 14" (355 mm).
 Use corrosion resistant solid shafts only. Sleeves do not add strength to shafts. Sealed
pumps shouldn't need sleeves, unless you're using the type thet frett and groove shafts.
 Make sure you have enough Net Positive Suction Head Available (npsha) to prevent
cavitation.
 Do not let air enter into the system. Air comes in through shaft packing, flanges, and
valves above the water line. Vortexing, aerating the incoming liquid, and pumping the
suction dry are some other common causes.
  Replace wear rings any time the original specified clearance doubles.

Other good practices :

 Pay attention to parts storage.

o As an example, Buna "N" rubber has a shelf life of only one year because of
ozone attack. Proper packaging can increase this life considerably.
o Many pump power ends are already rusted internally at the time of installation
because of poor storage policies and lack of internal corrosion protection.
o Lapped seals should be packaged in such a way that they can survive a one meter
(39 inch ) drop without injuring the lapped faces.
 Use only hydraulically balanced seals for all of your sealing applications. They'll be able
to handle fluctuating system and flush pressures.
 Use only non-fretting seal designs to prevent costly shaft damage. All real seal companies
have them available.
 If possible, bore out your present stuffing box, or install a commercially available large
bore sealing chamber to give the mechanical seal room to move and centrifuge dirt and/or
solids from the faces.
 Use universal seal materials to prevent material mix up and lower inventory costs.
o Grade 316 stainless steel seal metal components can usually be used in any pump
manufactured from iron, steel, stainless steel or bronze. CAUTION do not use
stainless steel springs or metal bellows because of Chloride Stress Corrosion.
Hastelloy "C" would be the best choice for these locations.
o Use only unfilled carbons. They'll be chemically compatible with any chemical
except an oxidizing agent. Oxidizing agents combine with carbon to form carbon
monoxide and carbon dioxide
o Silicone carbide is the best universal hard face material. Two versions are
available, reaction bonded and alpha sintered. Alpha sintered is the preferred one
o Most of the chemical in this world can be sealed by either Viton® or Ethylene
Propylene elastomers. Dupont's Kalrez ®, Green Tweed's Chemraz or a similar
product should take care of the rest.
 Unless you're pumping a fluid at, or close to its vapor point, connect a recirculation line
from the bottom of the stuffing box back to the suction side of the pump, in place of the
line installed from the discharge side of the pump to the stuffing box..
 To insure good seal life, be sure that the installed environmental controls are working.
 Cooling/heating jackets can become clogged with calcium and become inoperative. If
your cooling water is too hard or dirty, use condensate instead.
 Flushing pressures can vary, or flushing lines can become clogged. You may have to
install a separate system. A flow meter will help yo to be sure that you're flushing the
correct amount.
 Quenching must be regulated to prevent water entering into the bearings. (Another good
reason to use labyrinth or face type bearing seals).
 Convection tanks can run backwards, make sure the piping is installed correctly and the
rotating components are centered in the stationary gland.
 Install cathode protection where ever practical and possible.
  Use o-ring seal designs whenever possible. O-rings seal iboth vacuum and pressure, and
can flex to compensate for minor shaft vibration and movement. Remember also that the
o-ring is a natural vibration damper.
 Avoid pipe strain problems by piping from the pump to the pipe rack and use a
"centerline" wet end any time the pumping fluid temperature exceeds 200° Fahrenheit.
(100 C.)

The most sensible thing you can do to prevent unexpected pump shut down is to install a "back
up" mechanical seal in each of your pumps. Since the seal is the most likely component to fail.
and you want to maximize the seal life, the "back up" seal will allow you to run to failure and
will give you time to schedule a shut down at your convenience.

 You can use either tandem, face to face, or "two way balanced seals", but never rotating,
"back to back" designs. A convection tank can be installed between the seals and the
level / pressure in the tank will indicate which seal has worn out or failed first.

The only other sensible solution to an unexpected costly shutdown is a split mechanical seal that
can get you back on line, usually in less than an hour.

Once these maintenance practices have been initiated and back up sealing provided, a well
thought out monitoring system can be of great value. If given a choice I would vote for a
constant monitoring type of system, but the fact of the matter is that any of them would be of
value.

Preventive maintenance of motors and controls

Oct 1, 1995 Electrical Construction and Maintenance

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A well-planned preventive maintenance program is the key to dependable, long-life operation of
motors and generators.In modern plant operations, unscheduled stoppage of production or long
repair shutdowns are intolerable. The high cost of the resultant downtime eats deeply into profits.
Although management probably realizes the value of a good preventive maintenance (PM) program,
they sometimes resist

A well-planned preventive maintenance program is the key to dependable, long-life operation of

motors and generators.

In modern plant operations, unscheduled stoppage of production or long repair shutdowns are
intolerable. The high cost of the resultant downtime eats deeply into profits. Although management
probably realizes the value of a good preventive maintenance (PM) program, they sometimes resist
the investment in proper tools, instruments, practices, or technical assistance. Therefore, it's very
important that you show how a properly planned motor/generator PM program is justified.

The first step is to show that PM pays dividends. For example, illustrate the advantages gained by
employing a motor maintenance program. You can do this by collecting case histories of motor
breakdowns and the cost of resultant lost production. Show how budgeted PM costs are significantly
less than the cost of lost production.

Second, select the best approach. Organizing and setting up the budget for a motor PM program is
usually a difficult chore. The program must be effective and, at the same time, its cost must be kept
to a practical minimum. Don't underestimate the importance of this initial planning. A PM program
won't work if you don't have the proper test equipment and tools, along with trained men to properly
apply them. Consider which equipment you'll need and the time required to perform inspections and
keep accurate records. Determine which procedures are essential and whether they should be
performed by facility electricians or a service organization geared to do the job.

Finally, select the best motor-maintenance techniques. For each type of motor, controller, or related
equipment, a variety of maintenance methods may be selected. Choose the best methods and
determine to what extent they should be applied. For example, should you check for possible
bearing trouble on a motor simply by feeling components for over temperature and listening for
unusual sounds, or should you install temperature monitoring devices and make inspections using a
stethoscope or an infrared scanner?

Basic guidelines to motor maintenance

Here are some valuable guidelines that you can use in your PM program.

Lubrication. Lubricate regularly according to manufacturer's instructions. On sleeve-bearing and

other oil-lubricated machines, check oil reservoirs on a regular basis. In poor environments, change
oil at least once a month. Never over-lubricate; excess grease or oil can get into windings and
deteriorate insulation. Be sure to use only the lubricant specified for the machine in question.
However, you should also check into the possibility of using modern lubricants that have excellent
life and lubricating qualities.

Bearing inspection. Bearing failures are one of the most common causes of motor failures. Typical
bearing problems include improper lubrication, misalignment of the motor with the load, replacement
with the wrong type bearing, excessive loading, and harsh environments.
On essential motors or those that are heavily used or frequently duty cycled, you should check
bearings daily using a stethoscope or infrared scanner (or camera, if appropriate). Check bearing
surface temperature with a thermometer, electronic temperature sensing devices, or stick-on
temperature indicating labels. Compare temperature of hot bearings with the temperatures of
normally operating bearings. Check oil rings and watch for excessive end play.

Rotor/stator inspection. Check air gap between the rotor and stator with feeler gages at least
annually. Measurements should be made at the top, bottom, and on both sides of the stator.
Differences in readings obtained from year to year indicate bearing wear.

Belt inspection. Check belt tension; belts should have about 1 in. of play. Sheaves should be seated
firmly with little or no play. Couplings should be tight, within tolerances, and should operate without
excessive noise. An alignment check should be made on all motor-generator sets and on motor-load
couplings when trouble is suspected.

Brush/commutator inspection. Inspect brushes and commutators of DC motors for excessive wear.
Check brushes for proper type, hardness, conductivity, and fit in brush holders. Check holder spring
pressure with a small scale. In most instances, pressure should be 2 to 2 1/2 lbs per sq in. of brush
cross-sectional area. Call manufacturer or service company to solve recurring problems of brush
chatter, excessive brush wear, and sparking, streaking, or threading of commutator.

Motor mount inspection. Check mounting bolts, steel base plates for possible warping, and concrete
base for cracking or spalling.

Annually, perform vibration-analysis tests. Excessive vibration may be hard to detect by hand, but it
could be enough to shorten motor life significantly. It can cause bearing failure, metal fatigue of
parts, or failure of windings. The cause of vibration is usually mechanical in nature, such as
excessive belt tension, defective sleeve or ball bearings, misalignment, or improper balance. The
most common cause is the unbalance of a rotating member (the motor rotor, rotating load, or other
drive train component). Simple testing of the motor is done by uncoupling the load or removing the
belts and then running the motor. Electrical problems also can cause vibration.

Field vibration analysis can be accomplished by using a portable instrument that identifies vibrations
and displays their amplitudes and frequencies.

Motor temperature control. Restricted ventilation will cause a motor to operate at a higher than
desired temperature. Dirt, dust, chemicals, snow, oil, grass, weeds, etc., can clog ventilation
passages of an open-frame motor. Keep motor clean and cool. In poor environments, blow out dirt
with dry compressed air (no more than 50 lbs) as often as needed.

Open dripproof and totally enclosed motors are protected but must not be installed where air flow will
be restricted or where excessive ambient temperatures might be encountered. In high-temperature
locations, consider the use of energy-efficient motors that operate cooler than standard motors.
Excessive ambient temperatures will shorten motor life.

Pull and disassemble important motors during summer shutdowns for thorough inspection, testing,
cleaning, checking of bearings, couplings or accessories, or complete reconditioning.

Record keeping. Keep accurate records. Perform annual insulation-resistance (IR) and other
appropriate tests. Important motors should also receive a thorough visual inspection, as well as
voltage and current checks. All values should be recorded and compared each year. The trend of
the readings will indicate the condition of the motor and offer a guide to its reliability.

Basic guidelines to control maintenance

These guidelines will help you maintain motor controls.

Cleanliness. In poor environments, blow out dirt weekly; in normal environments, a quarterly or semi-
annual cleaning should be adequate. Make sure that dust or contamination is kept off high-voltage
equipment. This is important because dust may contain conducting materials that could form
unwanted circuit paths, resulting in current leakage or possible grounds or short circuits.

Moving parts inspection. Moving parts should operate easily without excessive friction. Check
operation of contactors and relays by hand, feeling for any binding or sticking. Look for loose pins,
bolts, or bearings. If the control is dirty, it should be wiped or blown clean.

Contact inspection. Check contacts for pitting and signs of overheating, such as discoloration of
metal, charred insulation, or odor. Be sure contact pressure is adequate and the same on all poles;
verify with manufacturer's specification. Watch for frayed flexible leads.

Contact resistance testing. On essential controls, perform contact-resistance tests with a low-
resistance ohmmeter on a regular basis. Proper contact resistance should be about 50 micro-ohms.
Record readings for future comparison. This will indicate trends in the condition of contacts.

Overload relay inspection. Overload relays should receive a thorough inspection and cleaning. You
also should check for proper setting. In general, maintenance requirements for these relays include
checking that the rating or trip setting takes into account ambient temperature as well as the higher
inrush currents of modern, energy-efficient motors. You also should verify that contacts are clean
and free from oxidation and that the relay will operate dependably when needed. Relays should be
tested and calibrated every one to three years. Special equipment such as an OL relay tester can be
used.

Maintaining Overhead Stirrers

Posted on December 18, 2012 by CAT ScientificDecember 19, 2012

How to Maintain a Laboratory Overhead Stirrer

 Laboratory overhead stirrers used in product development research are precision
instruments representing substantial investments. When budgets are tight, lab managers and
research personnel should pay special attention to maintaining overhead mixers. Maintenance
in this instance relates both to matching overhead stirrer performance specifications to the
media being processed and to a regular program of care and cleaning.

Overhead stirrer specifications and overhead selection criteria vs. other stirring mechanisms
are separate subjects with suggestions provided elsewhere on this website. Here we take a
look at how lab personnel should maintain their stirrer equipment in order to protect the
investment.

Of course the key criterion to maintaining an overhead mixer is trained personnel. A research
scientist operating an overhead stirrer should be intimately familiar with operation
instructions. Beyond that, housekeeping procedures are recommended for inclusion in the
company’s operations manual.

Maintenance starts with proper mounting, which will help avoid vibration and possible
dislodgment of the stirring motor/paddle assembly causing the mechanism including the
precision drive motor and its associated electronics to fall into the stirring vessel. Two support
rods are typically supplied that screw into the overhead stirrer motor housing. A clamp with
knurled knobs is affixed to these rods and tightened on the vertical support rod attached to a
base that serves as a platform for the sample container.

As well, the stirring shaft must be firmly attached to the overhead mixer motor chuck taking
care that the mixing element – propeller, blade, dissolving or centrifugal – does not contact the
walls or bottom of the mixing vessel.

These steps will help ensure reliable operation of your CAT over head stirrer. But there is more:

The design of these precision overhead mixers is such that they will adjust their stirring speed
or shut down in the event of excess torque developing during the stirring process, and shut
down if the stirring element contacts an obstruction. Do not try to override the shutdown but
instead determine its cause and make appropriate adjustments.

Malfunction Alerts

Higher end CAT over head stirrers such as the R100C series are equipped with error alerts
activated by on-board diagnostic programs that, in the event of possible failures, will shut the
equipment down. By switching the overhead stirrer back on error messages are shown on the
liquid crystal display. Examples include expired time, stuck rotor, motor temperature too high,
and temperature measurement malfunction.

Please note that if by addressing the reason for the shutdown does not restore operation of the
CAT overhead stirrer you should not attempt repairs on your own. Pack it up and return it to
CAT Scientific for qualified maintenance and repair.

Cleaning your CAT Overhead Stirrer

Never immerse the motor housing. Warm water and a suitable laboratory detergent should be
used along with a soft cloth or sponge to remove soils from the casing of CAT overhead stirrers.
Steel wool or any other material with a rough surface will scratch the membrane key pad and
the painted or anodized aluminum motor housing. Don’t forget to remove residues from the
stirring rod chuck assembly.

Stirring rods and mixing elements should be thoroughly cleaned after use to avoid cross-
contamination of media. Follow industry recommendations concerning the need for either
sanitizing or disinfecting.

Please feel free to ask us a question if you have questions or concerns about selecting and
maintaining an overhead stirrer.