Motor Maintenance

ELECTRIC MOTORS

“ TEFC “ IN PARTICULAR ARE

ROBUST
HOWEVER

PERIODIC INSPECTION

AND

OVERHAULING

LENGTHEN THE LIFE OF THE MOTOR

IN NO SMALL WAY

Feb‘01 M00
 Storage

Do not remove plastic cover

Clean, Dry, Covered storage with levelled surface

Prevention of rain water accumulation

Avoidance of corrosion due to moisture / dust combination

Vibration free environment - protect bearings against induced standstill

vibrations

Do not remove rotor locators provided on motors with roller bearing till
final commissioning stage

Feb‘01 M01
 Pre-Commissioning Checks

CHECKS IN STORES
• Choose correct motor
• Visual inspection - Physical soundness
• Change of grease - Prolonged storage
• Insulation resistance

FOUNDATION
• Perfectly levelled (Shims if necessary)
• Rigid
• Isolated from induced vibrations

DRIVE / TRANSMISSION ELEMENT

• Dimensions - Check
• Dynamic balancing
• Mount carefully (use appropriate tools)
- Heavy blows to be strictly avoided to protect bearings
• Lock the drive element suitably
Feb‘01 M02
 Connection of Motor to supply system
BEFORE CONNECTING ENSURE
• Free unobstructed air supply for cooling
• Free passage of hot air
• Terminal box interior is clean (no cable remnants etc.)
• Tight and firm cable connections with proper air clearances
Minimum 10 mm for 415 V
• Sealing of unused conduit entry holes and proper assembly of gaskets
and covers

BEFORE STARTING ENSURE

• Shaft free to rotate
• Supply system OK
• Motor protection system OK
• Earthing provided (Both inside terminal box and on motor body)

Feb‘01 M03
 Commissioning Checks

RUNNING ON NO-LOAD
- Check direction of rotation
- Check terminal voltage
- Check no load current
- Check mechanical noise, if any
- Check vibration level
- Check bearing noise, if any

LOAD MOTOR GRADUALLY, IF POSSIBLE ON LOAD CHECK

- Full load current - Vibration level

- Motor speed - Motor / Bearing temperature (if
- Noise level possible)

SIMILAR MONITORING OF DRIVEN EQUIPMENT, WITH RESPECT TO ITS

CHARACTERISTICS, SHOULD ALSO BE DONE IN THE INITIAL PERIOD

Feb‘01 M04
 Maintenance

PREVENTIVE BREAK-DOWN

- Planned - Forced type

- Low down time cost - High down time cost

- Carried out at ease and in line - Carried out under pressure

with production schedules and tension

- Best available methods adopted - - Emergency method adopted -

Achieving best results - Quality of work short of best
Economical in the long run possible, many a time

Feb‘01 M05
 Preventive Maintenance
PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE CAN BE DIVIDED INTO TWO PARTS :
- Periodic check-up of motors while running
- Periodic servicing of motors

HOW TO GO ABOUT THESE TASKS

- Classify the motors depending upon their IMPORTANCE and
CRITICALITY to the running of plant
- Depending upon criticality fix up “ Monitoring - Cycles “ for motors
WHAT TO BE OBSERVED
- Full load current
- Voltage and frequency variations
- Vibration level (both motor and equipment
- Bearing health
Recording of these readings helps in identifying the DEVIATIONS from
the normal trend
- Periodic cleaning of cooling air paths
- Observance of motor regreasing cycles
- Occasionally checking “ fasteners “ tightness
Feb‘01 M06
 Preventive Maintenance

STAND - BY SPARES

Cage Motors : Set of Bearings

Slipring Motors : Set of Bearings

Carbon Brushes

Spare rewinding kit - Advisable if there are a no. of

identical motors at same site.

Feb‘01 M07
 Preventive Maintenance
DRYING OF WINDINGS

- Normal Moisture Ingress

• For motors provided with space heaters, switch on heaters for 8 - 10 hours.
Check IR improvement after every 2 hours.

• For smaller motors where space heaters are not available, supply windings
with 24 V, 1 ∅ supply.

If it is noticed that motor is submerged in water OR large ingress of water has

taken place, dismantle motor and heat in oven and revarnish. Thoroughly clean
and dry other parts also.

- While dismantling and assembling motors, use proper tools.

Feb‘01 M08
 Preventive Maintenance

- Rotor components normally are “ Interference Fit”.

Use correct pullers - Mechanical or Hydraulic

Avoid Hammering

- Always support the rotor with crane or Hydraulic Jack.

- Protect open windings from moisture and Dust.

Feb‘01 M09
 Preventive Maintenance
OVERHAULING OF MOTORS

Windings and bearings to be serviced properly for good and long service
from the motor.

- Remove bearing carefully

Look for

- any grease contamination before cleaning with thinner

- blackening, overheating
- damaged or cracked cages

- dent marks, scratches on rolling elements or races

- markings indicating eccentric loading

- sufficient grease quantity inside bearing

Feb‘01 M10
 Preventive Maintenance

Replace bearings if any defects noticed.

- Replacing a doubtful bearing is always economical in the long run.

- Always procure the bearings from a genuine / authorised source.

- Adhere to the correct radial clearance as per original bearing.

- Mount the bearing by heating it to approx. 80°C.

NEVER HAMMER THE BEARING

- Thin coat of grease on shaft and bearing housing helps to a great

extent in easy assembly.

Feb‘01 M11
 Preventive Maintenance

- Use correct type of grease.

Unirex N3

Grease should be clean - free from impurities.

DO NOT MIX GREASES OF DIFFERENT BASES

- Fill up grease in the bearing, as also the inner bearing cover - to about
one-third of the available volume.

- Clean the grease nipples and grease pipes thoroughly.

- Fill up grease pipes before assembly with grease.

While assembling the components apply a thin coat of graphite grease on spigots
to maintain the quality of motor enclosure.

Feb‘01 M12
 Preventive Maintenance
GENERAL PRECAUTIONS

- Check soundness of brazed joints in brazed rotors.

- Look out for looseness of end lamination teeth - particularly in rotor

(hammer them in position, if necessary and retain with the help of
caulking rotor bars.

- If cores are segmented - clean them.

- Clean all cooling air paths and perforated screen.

- Check tightness of mounting feet fixing bolts.

- Clean cooling fans (particularly blades).

- Check condition of gaskets (cracks, hardness etc.) - replace if necessary.

Feb‘01 M13
 Preventive Maintenance

GENERAL PRECAUTIONS

- Clean all mating surfaces with thinner - apply thin coat of black graphite grease
for sealing.
- Always mark the various components of the motor to avoid mix-up of parts of
other motors.
- Apply a fresh coat of paint particularly for motors in corrosive atmosphere.

WINDINGS

- Check condition of connecting cables and braxed joints.

- Look out for dis-colouring of overhangs : (black spots indicate overheating).

- Clean windings with dry compressed air.

Feb‘01 M14
 Preventive Maintenance

GENERAL PRECAUTIONS

FOR SLIPRING MOTORS

- Check rotor windings similarly.

- Clean sliprings (check surface finish).

- Replace carbon brushes if worn-out.

- Check spring pressure.

Feb‘01 M15