Proactive service improves performance and reliability

On-site plant operators are often under pressure to keep production running at the expense of routine and necessary maintenance, leading to unscheduled breakdowns and reduced equipment performance and reliability.

With its ‘prevention is better than cure’ philosophy, SEW-EURODRIVE’s Service division focusses on proactive maintenance, providing on-site support 24/7, 365 days a year. The company offers a range of cost-effective services to help users care for industrial gearboxes, gear motors and SEW-EURODRIVE’s electronic and automation range of controllers and variable speed drives, and its field services and site assistance teams provide break-down and problem-solving support for clients.

“For mechanical drive trains, this service includes oil sampling and analysis, vibration and thermal inspections, laser alignment, as well as internal and external inspections along with on-site strip and repair work,” says SEW-EURODRIVE head of department: service division Eben Pretorius.

Pretorius notes that customers may experience minor equipment problems such as oil leaks, a few years after installation due to lack of maintenance and says this is an ideal time to do a site survey of the drive equipment in use. During an on-site walk-through of operating equipment, the company’s service specialists will take oil samples from gearboxes, conduct vibration analysis to determine the condition of the bearings and whether the gears are meshing properly, amongst other assessments. “We may open some of the inspection covers and inspect the gears for wear, and if there are alignment issues, we can re-align the drive train, which is necessary to ensure that bearings and seals do not fail prematurely,” he explains.

After assessing the equipment on-site, a report is produced summarising the condition of the equipment and the remedial action necessary to improve reliability. The problems identified are clearly explained and maintenance procedures suggested. “We highlight where urgent action is required and also point out less critical issues that can be dealt with during the next scheduled shutdown,” Pretorius continues.

The company emphasises that by adopting its recommendations, the performance and reliability of equipment will improve, unscheduled breakdowns can be avoided and the lifespan of installed equipment can be extended.

For ongoing support, SEW-EURODRIVE offers service level agreements (SLAs) and recommends a visual inspection every three months, with a more comprehensive equipment survey every six months.

The use of SLAs and SEW-EURODRIVE’s DriveRadar condition monitoring helps to predict when a failure is likely to happen on a unit, and which units are in good condition and unlikely to fail. “From vibration analysis, we can pick up if a bearing is worn and about to fail, and from oil analysis, we can see if the lubricant is contaminated. By responding quicky to such issues, unexpected and more serious failures can almost always be avoided,” adds Pretorius. 

SEW-EURODRIVE DriveRadar is a connected solution for data-based predictive maintenance that automatically collects data from field equipment and uses it to track tends, monitor equipment condition and predict potential failures. The condition-based maintenance platform is used to prevent unforeseen failures in operations, detects and tracks wear rates and minimises downtime.

The DriveRadar monitoring system is an independent system with all operating data sent to the SEW-EURODRIVE Cloud using a LTE/3G sim card or an ethernet connection. All the information can be viewed on a secure portal and all operating history and operating events are readily available. “While there are costs associated with our proactive maintenance-based services, these are far less expensive than breakdown repair costs and, by intervening before breakdowns occurs, unscheduled downtime and massive production-loss costs can be avoided,” says Pretorius.

In addition, the company offers clients service-related training through its Drive Academy, with specific training courses aimed at helping users maintain industrial and gear motor units and SEW-EURODRIVE’s range of electronic products.