P ). PHILLIPS KILN SERVICES LTD. \ TROUBLESHOOTING / \ | BASES ; THRUST ROLLERS & rer CARRYING ROLLERS — \ Identification of — ee ‘oblems & Symptoms The support rollers, thrust rollers and their bases also need to be carefully inspected. Any problems with the supporting structure will accelerate wear. Scheduled inspections of the these components are the best way to catch problems before they get serious, A comprehensive maintenance checklist should be used for daily, weekly, monthly and yearly inspections.PIERS with problems Base cracking Oil contamination breaks down concrete SUPPORT PIERS. If the energy of the rotating kiln is not efficiently transferred into the foundation then vibrations set up, which is the symptom of the kiln going into a mode of self destruction Support piers for kilns are normally constructed of concrete using rebar reinforcement and embedded J-bolts, or anchors to attach the carrying roller support base. These piers can deteriorate due to product contamination (poor housekeeping), climatic variations (freezing and thawing), mechanical damage (collision with vehicles), excess lubricant saturation, or just plain old age. Support pier damage of this sort translates into aggressive wear of all rotating components and the unit itself. When troubleshooting, look for cracks, fractures, surface erosion, exposed rebar and broken anchor bolts. Any breakdown in the concrete allows water and corrosive substances to further weaken the structure. Look for unstable soil conditions that might cause movement of the pier. This can be detected by feeling for vibration, looking for pier movement or observing a separation running through spent product or lubrication lying adjacent to the pier or on the floor. Casual water around the pier can also lead to soil instabilityDISTORTED BASE FRAME DEBRIS AND PRODUCT ACCUMULATION Inspect piers and support bases WEEKLY. Make sure they are clean and free of debris (housekeeping). Examine for cracked and broken welds or cracked grout. Look for product accumulation, which may indicate a leak from a shell crack. Look for foreign objects on the pier top - sheared bolts, metal shavings, crumbled concrete, anything that shouldn't normally be lying there - that could be indicators of a pier that is losing its integrity When troubleshooting the piers look for grout cap failure. Signs are crumbling, cracks, lubrication seepage or loose chunks. Severely vibrating units can cause rapid deterioration in the grout cap as can caustic product spills, frost damage or spilled petroleum lubrication product. A damaged carrying roller base shortens carrying roller and bearing life and can lead to accelerated wear of other components. During inspections look for rusted, frozen in place, stripped or missing adjustment screws. They should be repaired, lubricated and wrapped for protection at all times. Look for corrosion damage, loose anchor bolts (tap them with a hammer), cracks, distortion and deteriorated grout or concrete. Look for (and clean up) accumulations of spent lubricant, caked-up feed or product. These can cause changes in thrust conditions and can attract foreign objects to the rolling surfaces.Good housekeeping is essential for good maintenance. Housekeeping is a reflection of management's attitude towards the general respect with which the plant is operated. Lack of good housekeeping sends out the negative impression that nobody cares, Under such circumstances its hard for anyone to be vigilant and proactive about preventive maintenance so only break-down maintenance Is done. Good housekeeping on the other hand instills pride and promotes a positive work attitude. Preventive maintenance programs have a greater likelinood of success when the expectation to keep the equipment in good shape is displayed by its good appearance.ly Tapered Thrust Rollers Thrust Tire Play 3/8”to 5/8” 9-15mm The two shapes used most often on thrust rollers are bevel-faced and square-faced. The beveled angle design allows maximum surface contact between the face and the tire. The angle is machined to match the corresponding angle of the riding ring and matches the radial surface speeds of the thrust roller and the contacting side face of the riding ring The rotational speeds are matched to prevent scuffing and accelerated wear. When inspecting thrust rollers look DAILY for changes in the general condition and location of the assembly. Look for adequate clearance between the top of the roller and the shell. Make sure stop blocks and filer bars are not in contact with the thrust roller. There are many varieties of thrust roller bearings and these should be examined as well. Look for wear, lack of lubricant, and failure of seals and retainers. Severely undercut riding rings are also a sign of trouble.aaa @ OF UNIT ———>» |< Thrust Rollers POSITIONING The thrust assembly should be mounted 1/16" - 1/4” max. (5mm) offset from the kiln's centerline towards the shell's down turning side. This prevents the thrust roller from being pulled out of its mounting and colliding with the shell This offset does create some scuffing so it should be kept to a minimum and the thrust roller should be fitted with a graphite block. Units cannot stay on piers or maintain drive alignment without thrust rollers. Check them carefully. Section 3 p6 Troubleshooting Rollers and BasesThe bottom of the thrust roller should be even with the the bottom dead center position of the tire. If it is too low then a ridge will develop on the thrust roller. If it is too high then a ridge will eventually wear into the thrust face of the tire. Either situation can lead to crack development or other serious damage to the edges of the running faces, which will shorten the service life of these components.The running faces of all tires and rollers must be kept flat and cylindrical to accommodate AXIAL & RADIAL EXPANSION without creating undue mechanical stress on the components. All trunnion- or roller-supported rotary equipment has axial movement of the shell. There are two causes for this movement. It may be thermal in origin, where an expanding shell continually repositions its tires on the rollers, or the movement may be caused by the normal “play” in every unit, refractory-lined or not. Atypical kiln can grow 100 to 200 mm in length (axial expansion) from a shut down, cold, condition to its normal operating condition.. Each unit will expand differently since expansion depends on both size and temperature difference, cold to hot. A dryer or calciner which is not subjected to high temperatures may not have as large a variance, The diameter also grows (radial expansion). Expansion, axially and radially, gives designers of rotary equipment some special challenges. Of particular concern in this discussion is axial expansion. Section 3 p8 Troubleshooting Rollers and Bases12mm Movement “Normal” Oper: Roller Position ixed LATERAL (AXIAL) MOVEMENT From either or both thermal expansion and the normal axial float built into both the tire mounting on the shell and the ¥% inch (12mm) axial float of the roller in its bearings, the tire must move freely across the face of the roller. The axial clearance between the thrust rollers and the thrust tire also adds to the amount of axial freedom needed by the tire. If the rolling surfaces are not flat and cylindrical, any axial movement causes additional loads to be transmitted throughout the mechanism. The magnitude of these additional loads can be substantial and severe. These loads are transferred from the shell, which is the prime mover, through the tire retaining blocks to the tire, to the roller, to the bearings, to the structural base and finally into the foundation. All the parts in this mechanical chain act to absorb the additional load.TIRE WOBBLE Kilns contain a thermal process that causes the shell to become hot. Unfortunately the heat transferred to the shell is not uniform. This variation in shell temperature varies greatly with different processes but can cause the kiln shell to bend. The bent shell in turn can cause the tire to wobble. Only the most sophisticated support roller designs can accommodate the wobbling tire. For the vast majority of equipment the rollers are fixed and the wobbling tire cycles its load across the face of the roller with each turn of the kiln. This side to side load transfer is only visible when it becomes great enough to separate the surfaces but it is always there. This is one cause for the tire face to become convex and the roller to become concave. in the extreme mushroomed edges develop. When the tire is prevented from moving freely across the face of the roller, even a few thousandths of an inch of unevenness can create enormous additional pressure on the support. The added friction requires the drive to exert additional effort. The shell is much harder to turn. The additional energy required by the drive translates to additional cost of electrical consumption. Unfortunately, the result does nothing but grind up metal.Skewing Causes Concave Roller Wear And Convex Tire Wear Normal operation causes uneven wear. The rollers are wider than the tire to accommodate the axial movement of the tires. The tire has plenty of room to move across the face of the roller without losing contact. This also prevents excessive hertz pressure. Therefore even though the tire face is in full contact across its face, the roller is not. The net result is that the edges of the rollers do not wear as fast as does the central area. A convex face profile develops over time. Since the rollers remain parallel to one another, yet are skewed in relation to the riding ring, this places more pressure on the edges of the riding ring causing the edges to wear faster. Even with properly adjusted rollers, over a period of time this condition causes the convex shape on the riding ring and the resultant concave surface on the support roller. Roller skewing, a requirement with many designs, exacerbates this condition. Support rollers are generally adjusted with a slight skew with respect to the kilh’s axis to help control the thrust of the kiln. While this is a normal procedure it will cause concave and convex wear on contact surfaces over time.Often a slope error exists in the roller support base. This means that the rollers, assuming they and the tire have cylindrical surfaces, must be toed in (A # B) to achieve full face contact. This situation will create substantial thrust loads, each roller opposing the other so the net effect on the shell is neutral, but in the extreme will lead to bearing failure. Under normal circumstances when the support base is set on proper slope there is no legitimate reason to ever toe in the rollers. Toed-in rollers can cause the components to wear to a tapered shape. If a base, or even one of the two rollers, is out of slope it will also contribute to conical/tapered wear. With base slope problems proper alignment is impossible. ts best to run with limited face contact rather than skew for contact and risk getting a hot bearing. The base slope must be corrected. No roller adjustment can compensate for a bad slope. Unfortunately a roller will never have just a taper, but will be worn irregularly where a pronounced taper may dominate the profile.CAST SPOKED ROLLER TROUBLESHOOTING CARRYING ROLLERS The roller surface that is dry, free from oil and dust, and has a shiny, mirror-like appearance is a well-maintained, properly aligned, properly skewed roller. Anything less and improvements with alignment or housekeeping can be made. New rollers are usually machined from forgings. These are substantially more serviceable than the older cast type rollers which have a habit of cracking once fatigue takes its toll after many years of service. For cast, spoked rollers like the one in the upper left, before any cracks develop, a loss of about 30% of the rim thickness should trigger the decision to replace the rim. The used roller would have the old rim machined off completely, right down to the top of the spokes and a new forged rim shrunk fit on. It would then be finish machined back to its original diameter. For rollers 36” @ and up this could provide a near new serviceable roller for about ¥ the cost of a new roller. This saving could be diminished if shaft repairs are also required.WOBBLE r z= ! peleel vin Cracking Weld/Shell | INDUCED Stop Block Wear PROBLEMS Mushroomed Edges Causes Cracking [gs] Refractory Problems Point Loading Causes Shaft Failures Poor Contact To Roller Higher & Faster Surface Wear PROFILE INDUCED PROBLEMS Once an irregular profile is established many problems can occur: eLoads against the stop blocks creates stop block wear and leads to shell cracking. Refractory problems can result. ‘Mushroomed edges lead to roller and tire cracking The tire walking across the face of the roller leads to shaft breakage. eLack of freedom to move axially leads to high thrust loads and hot thrust bearings. Cracked or distorted base frames. Cracked grout, and even wobbling piers. elncreased power to tum the kiln — higher wear on the gear and pinion. In worst case scenarios all of these conditions may be present. Regular inspections of the Unit will spot trouble before component failure occurs. There are other factors that will contribute to such conditions, but poor rolling surfaces are usually significant.+ Hydraulic Spalling = - VISUAL ALARMS - Hydraulic Spalling When a roller’s contact surface is contaminated by oil, thrust normally generated by skewing is negated. Oil on the surface masks the effects of skew, while grit and dust amplify the effects. Roller surfaces should be dry and clean and preferably lubricated only with graphite blocks. The enormous pressure on the oil at the pinch point forces it into the surfaces creating microscopic cracks which will eventually enlarge, grow deeper, and join up with one another. This condition is called hydraulic spalling. These microscopic cracks ultimately network and chunks of metal eventually pop out. Unfortunately, as illustrated here, it was a practice at one time to intentionally oil the surfaces. This substantially reduced thrust due to skewing. Kilns like this had substantial thrust rollers and so controlling thrust with the carrying rollers was not practiced. Lessons were quickly learned however. Not only were significant housekeeping issues created but in time the rollers surfaces and to some degree even the tire surfaces became heavily pitted. This situation can also be created when the rollers run in water. Every liquid is incompressible. When forced through the pinch point liquid, being much stronger than steel in compression, fractures the steel on a microscopic level with every turn, Troubleshooting Rollers and Bases Section 3 p15VISUAL ALARMS. The carrying rollers and tires are designed with specific widths largely to keep Hertz (rolling contact) pressure within allowable limits. These limits 58,000 > 62,000 psi or 400 > 428 MPa) assigned by the manufacturer, require that at least 90% of the mating ‘surfaces are in good contact at all times. When contact is reduced the pressures increase and the service life decreases proportionately.SPALLING CRACKS VISUAL ALARMS Under normal operating conditions the metal deformation through the pinch point remains within the elastic limits of the meta. But if the tire and roller have limited contact the pressure through the pinch point deforms the metal past its yield point. When this repeats with each rotation small surface cracks develop, which after a period of time grow together. Eventually pieces of metal start to fall off the surface, a phenomenon we call mechanical spalling. Non-homogeneous metal of the roller, resulting from the roller being made of defective material, or from weld repair to the face of the roller, can also cause mechanical spalling For this reason forged rollers are superior to cast rollers. Surface pitting as opposed to spalling is caused by foreign objects being run through the pinch point, These blemishes are normally not a problem unless they are deep. Deep pits are highly stressed areas that are prone to crack initiation. Mushroomed edges are also a source for cracks to originate. Once a crack is found, clean the roller and thoroughly inspect it using magnetic particle, dye penetrant or some other NDT inspection method. Repairs may be possible Troubleshooting Rollers and Bases Section 3 p17UNS ATERIAL HARDNE A FACTOR? (typically AISI 4140, 280-32 are usually harder than tires, (typically AISI 1045 forged o! ASTM A148 castings rdness of 180 BHN to 220 Material hardness can also effect wear rates. Rollers, (typically AIS! 4140, 280-320 BHN) are usually harder than tires, (typically AISI 1045 forged or ASTM A148 castings with a hardness of 180 BHN to 220 BHN). As the frequency of roller contact is higher than tire surface contact by the ratio of their diameters, the effort is made to make the radial wear rate equal. Neither should wear at the expense of the other. It sometimes happens that an unusually hard tire or conversely an unusually soft roller can rapidly channel the roller surface as seen here. If such a situation develops it is relatively easy to do hardness testing to confirm suspicions.TIMING MARKS OR WASHBOARD PATTERNS. WASHBOARD PATTERN Horizontal or diagonal ‘washboard” patterns become imprinted over time and are normally the result of a poorly aligned or worn gear and pinion. Also called “timing marks", this pattern occurs on carrying rollers when there is too much root clearance on the gear, or in most cases, too little root clearance, allowing the teeth to bottom out, causing a thumping type of drive action that reverberates throughout. This hammering then imprints the rollers. It will also be seen on the tire ifit is rigidly mounted. Migrating tires, because they continually rotate on the shell, are less likely to pick it up. Once established, these patterns cause more vibrations and accelerate the cycle. The subsequent pounding that occurs, can quickly lead to mechanical failures. The spacing of the marks will usually match the tooth spacing of the gear and pinion. If the spacing does not match the tooth spacing of the gear and pinion this type of wear pattern can be caused by improper thrust adjustment. High thrust loads will grip and push the tire axially. Then it jumps back to release the pressure. When this happens at a constant frequency it will cause marks similar to those shown but with a wider spacing.VISUAL ALARMS TIMING MARKS OR = WASHBOARD PATTERN _ ON THE THRUST FACES In the case of a washboard pattern on a thrust roller, the drive is the usual source of the problem. Uneven transfer of power from badly aligned or worn gear teeth or chain and sprocket can set up vibrations, which can start to “hammer” the thrust roller. Aseized bearing will wear larger facets or flat spots on the thrust roller. Badly skewed carrying rollers can also load the thrust roller like a spring, which can jump the whole drum back with a big bang once enough energy is stored. This can happen at frequencies of once every two to five drum rotations putting random fiat spots on the thrust roller. This kind of severe problem is easily identified and so is usually dealt with quickly. However when the washboard pattern has a spacing that matches either gear tooth spacing or chain link length the cause should be obvious enough.Ce Tea] EU nay | PRCA CEE Cay Awell adjusted roller is one that is as parallel as possible with minimal skew to the rotating axis of the shell. When running in this position given that housekeeping and airborne dust is not present the rolling surfaces will polish up evenly across the face. They can become mirror like, almost chrome plated in appearance. Well adjusted rollers are easily identified simply by their appearance!The clearance and centerline displacement are exaggerated for clarity. The actual difference between shaft and bushing diameter is 0.0015 to 0.002 x shaft diameter in inches. Too small a clearance is far more a problem than too large a clearance. Oil in the bearings must be clean of grit and sludge. Bearing cavities need to be flushed and cleaned annually. The size and length of the bearings are designed to carry a load of 500 to 650 psi (3.5 to 4.5 Mpa). For example a bearing 15 inches in diameter and 20 inches long could carry 15 x 20 x 500 = 150,000 Ibs. Two bearings per roller would suggest the roller can carry 150 tons.Roller Adjustment with a Worn Bearing: HOT BEARING RISK after Numerous Dry-Starts When a kiln is shut down it doesn't take long for the oil to be squeezed out from between journal and brass liner. A good start up should always be preceded by pouring a liter of oil on each shaft minutes before rotation. At least that way the oil wedge will be full and oil will be immediately drawn between the surfaces on rotation. Otherwise oil will not reach the top until the next oiling bucket containing some oil rotates up and dumps it. That could take almost % a roller rotation! Even with manually dumped oil there will still be a moment of dry rotation until the wedge is formed. Starting a kiln always takes some toll in wiping brass. For that reason the sump needs to be flushed and clean annually. It is also a good idea to routinely, say once a year, exercise the roller by skewing Un-skew until the roller moves uphill then reset the proper skew to seat the roller downhill. Or leave it neutral if that's called for. Such an annual exercise keeps the maintenance staff familiar with the procedure and ensures that no adverse wear manifests itself without being noticed Shifting a roller position with a worn liner can create a hot bearing, a situation that requires an immediate change of sleeves and roller. Do you have spares?Inspection Annual bearing inspections should also include measuring for wear. This is done by taking long feeler gauges and inserting them between the shaft and the liner in the four comers X1, X2, X3 and X4.as shown. Take the insertion depth of X1 and add to X2. Then take X3 and add to X4. As the bearing wears clearance will be lost and the insertion depth shortens Asleeve that has extra clearance will be serviceable whereas a tight sleeve will lead to a hot condition quickly. Bearing styles differ as does the access to these points of measurement. Here we are only presenting the concept. How to attain these measurements would then be bearing housing design specific.Minimum Clearances Bearing Inspection: Feeler Guage Insertion Depths sof) eer came i * — tanta ann a Insertion Dept 29 1 1 2 19M 5 18 7 18 1 20 2 mm 2 28 2 28 2 30 Take a feeler gauge and insert at positions X1, X2, X3, X4 the insertion length should fall into the values per the table above. For example using 2 0.010" gauge on a 20” diameter shaft the insertion depth should be at least 6.4 inches. If the bearing is tight it needs to be scraped until proper clearances are achieved. Itis far more dangerous to run with too little clearance than to operate with a little excess clearance. ‘As a bearing sleeve wears the clearances reduce. The only way to restore them is by scraping or replacing the liner. Note: the clearances are based on an initial fit of 0.0025unit/ unit shaft diameter.Minimum Clearances Bearing Inspection: Feeler Guage Insertion Depths i 200 220 240 260 260 300 320 340 360 380 400 420 440 460 480 600 520 540 $60 $80 600 620 640 Shaft Diametas This is the metric version of the previous chart: Take a feeler gauge and insert at positions X1, X2, X3, X4 the insertion length should fall into the values per the table above. For example using a 0.010" gauge on a 20" diameter shaft the insertion depth should be at least 6.4 inches. If the bearing is tight it needs to be scraped until proper clearances are achieved. Its far more dangerous to run with too little clearance than to operate with a little excess clearance. As a bearing sleeve wears the clearances reduce. The only way to restore them is by scraping or replacing the liner. Note: the clearances are based on an initial fit of 0.0025unit/ unit shaft diameter.g to get the Clearances The Correct Geometry: scraping method Only the bottom of the bearing should be in contact with the shaft and should avoid a concentric fit between the shaft and the bearing, To find the area to scrape, blue the bearing and place it on the shaft as shown. By sliding it axially back and forth on the shaft and not rotated only the middle 1/7th of half circle ~ about 25 degrees should contact the shaft. Any areas other than that contacting the shaft indicates areas to be scrapedScraping for Clearance If needed scrape each side of the bearing three times, once from near bottom all the way to the top, secondly from mid way to the top and finally the last third to the top. At the bottom the shaft should have contact with the sleeve for no more than 1/7th of half circle ~ about 25 degrees. Contrary to the illustration no steps should form. These are for illustration purposes only to show the scraping sequence. The finished sleeve should have a smooth gradually thinning contour up each side.Roller Shaft Deflection Variation Pler #2 Right Roller Downhill Edge Roller shafts do deflect. If there is a noticeable shell crank or dog leg near a tire this will induce a cyclical bending of the roller shaft. Bends or cranks in the shell are not unusual In addition to potential refractory problems if such a bend is close to or worse still located directly over the tire, excessive shaft bending may result in shatt failure. Variation of shaft bending can easily be measured as pictured above. Non-contact measurements are made with eddy current gap guages. The signal is usually very noisy due to the roller’s surface conditions and the presence of vibrations. Simple trending or curve fitting to look for the best fit sine wave that has a period matching one shell rotation easily identifies the variation of shaft bending The normally acceptable maximum on variation of shaft bending is 0.3mm. The example above is well within that maximum allowed. Excessive shaft bending can only be corrected by cutting and straightening the shell out. Some shell replacement is usually also indicated.Water Jackets Scaled Up? How do you clean them? The usual high ambient operating temperatures makes effective water cooling critical for these bearings. We recommend purging the water lines periodically by burping them with compressed air while the water is running. This can be done through a valved tee at the bearing water supply point while the kiln is running and serves to dislodge the silt. Annually (the time may be extended if the lines do not scale rapidly) the bearing jackets should be cleaned with sulphamic acid. Use a 55 gallon drum with strap-on electric heaters to hold 140°F, Use a small gear pump to circulate the acid mix through the bearing shell back to the drum. The purple solution will change to yellow when itis spent. Add more acid and when it no longer changes color the lines are clean. Due to the risk of overheating the bearings this should be done while the kiln is on a planned outage. The supplier is Chemical Oakite, 50 Valley Road, Berkeley Heights, New Jersey 07922. Ph. 908 464 6900 Fax 908 464 6031. The product is Oakite Solvent 2409. The supplier provides product application directions. This in-place cleaning is suitable for many other plant applications. Section 3 p30 Troubleshooting Rollers and BasesCONCLUSION... the eiaphas!s s should be on good we i) IN CONCLUSION It cannot be overemphasized that roller skewing on a regular (once annually) basis is the surest way of preventing problems. This ensures that personnel are familiar with the procedures, and that equipment is in good order. Any hesitation to adopt such a program is an indication that problems exist. These problems do not go away by ignoring them They can only get worse. They wait for the least convenient and most expensive moment to strike. Correct any deficiencies that do not allow safe and smooth adjustments through the neutral point even if it means changing rollers and bearings. Only then does “Preventative Maintenance" have meaning, Good housekeeping is critical in a good preventive maintenance program. Miscellaneous scraps of pipe, angle iron, refractory, scaffolding and other materials lying around have no purpose except to create a hazardous, uninviting workplace. Troubleshooting Rollers and Bases Section 3 p34