Technology is changing so rapidly that by the time a gear reducer reaches the end of its life, it’s not uncommon to discover that it has become obsolete. This is particularly common in the pulp and paper industry.
In some cases, it may be possible to find a similar new model that will work in the discontinued drive’s place; in other situations, such as when a factory configuration is highly customized, accommodating a newer model may be prohibitively expensive. When this occurs, facility managers typically have two options:
Shop for Surplus Gear Reducers
The best recourse may be to contact a supplier with a large inventory of surplus gear reducers. Surplus dealers are frequently able to replace obsolete drives with refurbished or surplus gear reducers of the same model. Here at Mar-Dustrial, we’ve compiled a large inventory of surplus gear reducers and other surplus parts over the years. Chances are, we have the obsolete gearbox you need – or, if we don’t, we can usually find someone who does.
Rebuild the Existing Drive
If no equivalent surplus gear reducers are available, the next best option is to rebuild your obsolete gearbox. This is why it pays to work with a surplus dealer (like us) that also doubles as a Repair & Renew facility; if we can’t replace your drive, we can rebuild it for you on the spot. Our skilled technicians will thoroughly clean and analyze your gearbox, replace any worn-out parts – including all bearings, seals, shims and gaskets – and restore it to original specifications.
Posted under Machinery Maintenance, Tips and Tricks on Monday, April 23rd, 2012