Force Plus Force: Common Faults and Cause Analysis of Worm Gear Reducers
Release time:
2021-06-01
Worm gear reducer Common Faults and Cause Analysis:
I. Common Faults
(1) Wear on the worm gear (2) Wear on the small helical gear in the transmission (3) Damage to the bearing (at the worm shaft location) (4) Heating and oil leakage from the gearbox.
II. Analysis of the Cause of the Failure
1. Worm gear wear.
Worm gears typically use tin bronze, while the mating worm shaft is usually made of 45 steel, hardened to an HRC of 45–55. Another commonly used material is 40C steel, which is also hardened to an HRC of 50–55 and then ground on a worm gear grinding machine to achieve a surface roughness of Ra 0.8 μm. During normal operation of the gearbox, the worm shaft acts like a hardened “file,” continuously abrading the worm gear and causing wear on it. Generally, this type of wear is quite slow—some gearboxes from certain manufacturers can even last over 10 years. However, if the wear rate is relatively fast, you’ll need to consider... Gear reducer Is the selection correct, and is there any overload operation? Worm gear and worm due to factors such as material, assembly quality, or operating environment.
2. Wear on the small helical gear in the transmission.
This typically occurs in vertically mounted gearboxes and is primarily related to the amount of lubricant added and the type of lubricant selected. When a gearbox is installed vertically, it’s easy for the lubricant level to become insufficient. When the gearbox stops running, the transmission gears between the motor and the gearbox lose lubricant, leaving the gears without adequate lubrication and protection. As a result, during startup or operation, these gears fail to receive effective lubrication, leading to mechanical wear and even damage.
3. The worm gear bearing is damaged.
Gear reducer Even when the gearbox is well-sealed, the plant frequently finds that the gear oil inside the gearbox has become emulsified and the bearings have rusted, corroded, and sustained damage whenever a failure occurs. This is caused by moisture condensation resulting from the temperature changes in the gear oil as it cools down after being heated during operation and stopping. Of course, the condition is also closely related to the quality of the bearings and the assembly techniques used.
4. Gearbox overheating and oil leakage.
Worm gear reducer To enhance efficiency, non-ferrous metals are typically used for the worm wheel, while the worm itself is made of harder steel. Since this is a sliding friction transmission, significant heat is generated during operation, causing thermal expansion differences between the reducer’s various components and seals. This leads to gaps forming at the mating surfaces. Meanwhile, as the oil temperature rises, its viscosity decreases, making it more prone to leakage. There are four main reasons for this: first, whether the material combination is appropriate; second, the surface quality of the meshing friction surfaces; third, whether the lubricant selected and its quantity added are correct; and fourth, the quality of assembly and the operating environment.
That’s all above. Worm gear reducer Introduction to common faults and their root cause analyses. If you’d like to learn more about gear reducers, stay tuned for updates from Zhejiang Lijiali Machinery Co., Ltd.!
