Causes of Motor Failure

Causes of Motor Failure

Once correctly selected and properly maintained, an AC motor can last a long time. Selection and maintenance of this device is a science and you have to be careful with which unit you choose for your specific applications.

Using the wrong AC motor can result in premature motor failure and cost you extra in repairs.

It is essential to undertake a comprehensive maintenance program and educate yourself in the workings of an AC motor. It helps to know the potential causes of AC motor failure so that you can try and avoid them.

1. Keeping the AC motor in environments they are not suited for.

Storing your AC motor in an environment that is overly hot will subject it to unnecessary stresses, particularly the gearbox sealing package, and result in poor heat dissipation or lubricant problems. Make sure your AC motor is kept in a protected environment.

2. Subjecting the AC motor to excessive overhung loadings.

This can damage the motor’s bearing support system. An overloaded shaft will result in fatigue-related failure. The same can happen if the shafts are under high thrust forces, exceeding bearing capacities and structural housing strengths.

3. Excessive acceleration and deceleration.  

This will force the AC motor to endure shock loads and large inertia loads which can result in fractures on the gear tooth. On top of that, too much torsional loadings and diameter changes can also cause gear motor failure.

4. Misalignment of motor mounting.

This issue will quickly lead to motor degradation. Misalignment causes instability and can result in surfaces that flex and eventually crack.

5. Thermal cycling.

Thermal cycling can lead to the excessive buildup of condensation, which can lead to corrosion and damage. Make sure your motor has proper ventilation so that its environment can stabilize, rather than keeping it sealed up all the time.

6. Improper use of lubricants.

Only lubricants that have been specially designed for the operations of your specific AC motor should be used. Oftentimes, people mistakenly believe that any kind of oil can get the job done.

If you have any questions about AC motors, make sure you contact Bauer GMC for expert advice!