Tips for Getting the Most Out of Your DC Motors Through Ongoing Maintenance

As you may be aware, DC electric motors in Lubbock, TX require a bit more attention and ongoing care than AC motors and machines. For this reason, it’s important to understand the kind of maintenance tasks you must keep up with to ensure the machinery stays in good condition over the long term.

Through strong preventative maintenance practices, you can minimize downtime and keep your costs of operation under control. Some of the best steps you can take to accomplish this include changing brushes, checking the winding insulation and machining commutators in place.

Sometimes, though, what’s just as important as the type of maintenance you perform is when you perform it. Part of this means being able to analyze the wear and tear your commutators are experiencing, and whether or not it aligns with some of the most common wear patterns that indicate you need to perform some maintenance.

Here are a few examples of some conditions that can indicate you’ve neglected your commutator and should take some immediate action:

• Slot bar marking and burning: If you start to notice alternating light and dark bars showing up on the commutator, there’s a chance that this was caused by either the first or last conductor in the slot going under the brush before or after entering the field of commutation. Some of the factors that can cause this issue include an incorrect neutral setting, electrical overloads, contamination in the system or improper interpole strength. It may result in your needing to resurface the commutator to eradicate the problem.
• Streaking: If you notice dark streaks forming along the brush path, this could be a sign that metal is moving from the commutator to the brushes. An improper brush spring tension, a load that is too light or too porous of a grade of brush could be the problem causing this issue. If you do not address this issue properly and in a timely manner, you’ll experience some significant and rapid brush wear over the course of time. Fortunately, if you come across this problem soon enough and take immediate steps to correct it, you’ll be able to machine the commutator in place to restore its finish.
• Grooving: Grooving is another common problem in DC electric motors in Lubbock, TX. The grooves smoothly wear to the width of the brushes in the system, and the commutator material gets worn away, rather than transferred to brushes, as happens in threading. The problem generally happens as a result of exposure to abrasive dust in the environment, or a brush grade itself that is too abrasive. The more the grooving goes on, the more the sloped walls pinch up against the brushes, diverting the tension in the springs from the brush face and increasing electrical resistance in the process. The greater heat generated at the brushes and commutator could cause some serious damage to brush holders or the commutator. Therefore, be sure to check for abrasive dust if you see signs of grooving and take whatever steps needed to clear the environment.

For more information about how you can get the most out of your DC electric motors in Lubbock, TX, contact M.B. McKee Company, Inc. today and we’ll be happy to answer any questions.

Categorised in: DC Electric Motors

This post was written by Writer