Monitoring the Health

of Gear Drives
Predictive Maintenance Being The Best
Insurance Against Equipment Failure
Summary
Threat of equipment failure and unplanned downtime haunts all
maintenance supervisors. The best way to avoid costly repair,
rebuild or replacement jobs for any piece of equipment is to
prevent trouble before it occurs. Predictive maintenance, the
methodical analysis of the most likely sources of trouble,
provides the best insurance against equipment failures. In the
case of gear drives, this article will focus on predictive
maintenance and measured changes in vibration, noise,
temperature and oil.

Falk_RB03012
The Falk Corporation
4 pages
November 2003

SKF Reliability Systems

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Introduction
Threat of equipment failure and unplanned
downtime haunts all maintenance supervisors.
The best way to avoid costly repair, rebuild or
replacement jobs for any piece of equipment is
to prevent trouble before it occurs. Predictive
maintenance, the methodical analysis of the
most likely sources of trouble, provides the
best insurance against equipment failures.
In the case of gear drives, predictive
maintenance primarily concerns itself with
measured changes in vibration, noise,
temperature and oil.
Vibration
Vibration levels of new gear drives vary due
to the statistical nature of the factors that
influence the vibrations. The initial vibration
level tends to remain unchanged for a long
period of time. As components start to wear or
fail, the vibration level rises.
Two methods used to determine vibration
performance of the equipment are trending
and diagnostics. Both methods are widely
used in grain processing mills, refineries,
power plants and other process industries
where continuous operation of gear drives is
critical.
Trending monitors vibration over time using
accelerometers or velocity pick-ups. Monitors
continuously measure vibration levels, while
hand-held instruments periodically analyze
vibration. As a safety precaution to avoid
catastrophic failure, continuous monitors
feature preset safety shutdown levels.
Diagnostic equipment measures the frequency
content of vibration. The overall vibration
level is broken down into individual frequency
components. These separate readings are then
linked to specific pieces of equipment, such as
bearings or a pump. When trend readings
indicate increasing vibration levels, diagnostic
© 2004 SKF Reliability Systems All Rights Reserved
Monitoring the Health of Gear Drives
equipment is used to better evaluate the need
for corrective action on specific components.
Guidance for defining typical vibration levels
for commercial gear drives is given in AGMA
standards.
Sound
Performing sound analysis is easier than
vibration analysis, but because it is one step
removed from the trouble source it should be
part of a more extensive predictive
maintenance routine.
An operator who is familiar with a piece of
equipment may be able to detect a subtle
change in the level or type of noise coming
from the gearbox. However, the use of
instruments helps quantify noise
characteristics and variance over time.
Sound is accurately diagnosed through the use
of frequency measurement devices. For
example, if a gear mesh is starting to wear the
amplitude of the sound at the mesh frequency
tends to increase. An increase in gear mesh
frequency may indicate a wear problem. On
the other hand, a bearing generates different
frequency and has its own signals to suggest
wear.
Sound by itself does not necessarily mean the
beginning of a failure pattern. The sound must
be traced to a particular component and then
compared to its normal sound level.
Temperature
Monitoring the operating temperature of gear
drives is common practice. Variations in
operating temperature may indicate trouble.
To prevent temperature variations, set a
maximum toleration temperature and have an
alarm sound when the temperature reaches the
threshold. It is not unusual for the alarm to
sound because a bearing or the lubricant is
failing.
2

Temperature fluctuations are diagnosed by
sensors that are placed inside the gear housing
and are connected to a gauge or other readout
apparatus on the outside of the gearbox. The
two types of sensors are Thermocouples and
Resistance Temperature Devices (RTD).
A Thermocouple contains two dissimilar wires
bonded together producing an electrical
current with temperature change. A RTD
relies on material that changes resistance with
temperature. As temperature changes, the
corresponding resistance change is sensed in
electrical readout circuits.
Both sensor systems measure the skin
temperature of the gear housing, the outer race
of bearing, bulk oil or other areas where
proper temperature is essential. Both systems
are reliable.
Figure 1 Thermocouples and resistance temperature
devices (RTD) can measure the skin temperature of the
gear housing, the outer race of bearing, bulk oil or
other areas where proper temperature is essential.
Oil Analysis
Oil samples are an excellent way of detecting
trouble before it affects the performance of the
equipment. Samples should be taken in
accordance with the equipment manufacturer's
recommendations and test results compared to
the lube manufacturer's specifications.
Collecting oil samples from the top central
area of the oil reservoir immediately after
© 2004 SKF Reliability Systems All Rights Reserved
Monitoring the Health of Gear Drives
shutting down the machine ensures freshly
circulate, evenly distributed oil. The plant or
an independent testing laboratory then
analyzes the sample.
Figure 2 Oil samples are an excellent way to detect the
source of trouble before it affects the performance of
the equipment. Collect a sample from the top central
area of the oil reservoir immediately after shutting
down the machine.
Oil analysis targets three principal factors:
changes in viscosity, the amount of water in
the oil, and the presence of foreign particles.
An oil sample showing viscosity levels rising
about the proper range indicated deterioration.
The presence of sludge denotes oil
breakdown. An excess amount of water
contributes to ruse, loss of lubrication, and
eventual component breakdown. The analysis
also takes a close look at contaminants in the
oil. The composition of these help identify
whether contaminants are entering the gearbox
from the outside, or if some part within the
gearbox is wearing out.
Conclusion
Machine wear is inevitable. But, by following
these predictive maintenance guidelines on a
regular basis, wear can be monitored and
costly, unplanned downtime avoided.
3
 Monitoring the Health of Gear Drives

About Falk
Falk is a world-leading manufacturer of
industrial mechanical power transmission
solutions. Falk leverages its legacy in power
transmission solutions - from standard and
custom gear drives, to couplings and
backstops, to unmatched service and support -
to provide the best customer experience and
the lowest total cost of ownership through its
reliability, leadership, and speed.

By Michael B. Antosiewicz, Manager-

Research & Technology, The Falk
Corporation

© 2004 SKF Reliability Systems All Rights Reserved 4