Five Main Causes of Electric Motors Failure

Electri Motors: Failures

Electric motors are everywhere. They are used in various applications, such as cooling fans, machine tools, power tools, pumps, compressors, rolling mills, ships, movers, paper mills, etc. The average lifespan of an electric motor is approximately 40.000 hours. Whether it will hit that mark depends on several factors, which we will discuss in this post, including the level of maintenance. The other important thing is understanding the causes of the failures. Here are the most common ones:

 

Pollution 

Pollution by dirt, dust, and chemicals is considered one of the most critical factors that can damage an electric motor. Those find their way inside the motor and bent dent bearing and balls, which leads to a high vibration level and wears the motor off. The cooling fan blockage factor also leads to the motor overheating and cutting short its lifespan.

To prevent these from happening, make sure you keep the motors and grinding machines as far as possible and, generally, keep the work area as clean as possible. That includes cleaning fixtures, tools, and the work area in general.

 

Vibration

Vibration can lead to several issues with a motor, including complete failure. As mentioned above, pollution can cause vibration, but there's more to it than that. The main reason for beating is the motor being placed on an uneven surface. Other reasons include misalignment, corrosion, and loose bearings, resulting from an issue with the motor itself.

To prevent or reduce vibration, ensure that the motor is placed on a flat and stable surface. If there's still vibration, check for misalignment, corrosion, and loose bearing.

 

Over-Heating

Over 50% of insulating failures in motors are the result of overheating. Overheating can be caused by several factors, including low power quality or a high temperature in the work area. Every additional 10OC that the motor temperature gets, the insulation life is reduced by 50%. 

To prevent over-heating, keep the motor as cool as possible, ensuring that the work environment is also being kept cool within an acceptable range.

 

Low Resistance

We've talked about overheating (the result of high temperature), corrosion, and physical damage (both effects of pollution). These are the conditions that cause the degradation of the insulation of the windings, which in turn causes low resistance. Low resistance is the most common and complex cause of motor failure to overcome.

To prevent motor failure from low resistance, the insulation should be checked regularly for wear and, if found, replaced a.s.a.p.

 

Electrical Overload

This one is caused by an excessive current flow within the motor windings, exceeding the design current that the motor can carry efficiently and safely. Causes can be low voltage or short-circuited conductors, or an excessive voltage supply.

To prevent electrical overload, install over-current protection to detect overcurrent and interrupt supply.

 

Also, check our post The Most Common Types Of Electric Motor Enclosures.

Feel free to Contact Us if you have any questions or need more information regarding the avoidance of electric motor failure.

HVH Industrial Solutions is an authorized distributor of the following electric motor manufacturers: Elektrim Motors, WEGToshiba Motors & DrivesBrook CromptonLafert North AmericaMGM Electric MotorsNorth American ElectricTechtop Electric Motors,  Aurora Motors, and Worldwide Electric.  

 

We work closely with the above engineering teams to provide superior customer service and support.

 

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Vladimir Harutyunyan

Vladimir Harutyunyan is the founder of HVH Industrial. He has masters degree in mechanical engineering and over 10 years of experience in mechanical power transmission field. 

Feel free to connect with Vlad on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vladharut



image

Vladimir Harutyunyan

Vladimir Harutyunyan is the founder of HVH Industrial ...

Feel free to connect with Vlad on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vladharut


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