Motor failures cause problems. Those issues may affect your business either financially or with unexpected downtime.

Although equipment is going to fail from time to time, taking the proper steps reduces the likelihood of a motor failure problem. Consider the following ten factors commonly leading to motor failure as a part of your routine maintenance program.

Bearing Wear

When the bearing fails, it results in excessive heat, drag, and a decrease in efficiency. Bearing failure is one of the most common reasons why motor failure occurs. Over 50% of all motor failure are directly attributable to bearing issues. Bearings fail for many reasons, including:

• Incorrect bearing fit
• Shaft Misalignment
• Excessive load
• Incorrect or inadequate lubrication
• Shaft voltages.

Transient Voltage

Some internal and external sources lead to transient voltage. Those sources include weather, turning nearby loads on and off, and many other factors. Transient voltage leads to a breakdown of the insulation and early motor failure.

Some internal and external sources lead to transient voltage. Those sources include weather, turning nearby loads on and off, and many other factors. Transient voltage leads to a breakdown of the insulation and early motor failure.

Harmonic Distortion

Harmonic distortion is also a problem that often rooted out with the proper testing. The distortion decreases the efficiency of the motor and increases operating temperatures.

Overload

Matching the motor to the load of the job is important. Overloading the motor leads to overheating, insufficient torque, and premature wear and failure.

Shaft Imbalance

If the Shaft is not balanced, it puts unusual stress on the internal components of the motor. Shaft imbalance is impossible to eliminate. If it is outside of what is considered the normal operation, it leads to wear on the drive components and premature failure.

Some of the common issues that lead to motor imbalance include accumulation of dirt, manufacturing problems, and many wear related factors.

Misalignment

If the shaft is not aligned properly, it leads to forces within the motor that damage the shaft and results in excessive wear to the motor.

Misalignment also results in vibration to the motor drive shaft and the load. Misalignment comes in different forms, including parallel, angular, and compound misalignment.

Loose Shaft

A loose shaft occurs when there is too much clearance between different parts. It happens when there is too much clearance in the rotating machine elements. Another cause is when there is looseness in stationary parts. Loose shafts lead to excessive vibration, excessive wear on rotating parts, and mechanical failure.

Shaft Voltage

A problem with shaft voltage occurs when voltages travel along the motor shaft and flash over to the outer bearings. When arcing occurs across the surfaces of bearings, it results in fluting, pitting, and bearing failure.

Soft Foot

When the mounting surface or mounting feet are not even, it results in misalignment of the drive components and excessive wear and tear.

Angular soft foot occurs when the mounting feet are not parallel to the mounting surface. Parallel soft foot occurs when one of the mounting feet is higher than the others.

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