Rotary drums are a big investment, and an integral part of many industrial processes. While much attention is given to the engineering and manufacturing of the rotary drum, equal attention should be paid to regularly maintenancing the drum, as well as properly training the drum operator.
Regular Maintenance
Regular maintenance may be easy to forget, but is critical to the life of a drum, whether it be a dryer, cooler, kiln, or granulator. Regular maintenance helps keep parts at their best, and can help in detecting potential issues before they pose a serious threat. FEECO highly recommends annual inspections to assess drum condition, and to help diagnose and/or fix any problems the drum may have.
Operator Training
A properly trained operator is also key to a healthy rotary drum. Training operators on how to correctly inspect and maintain drum components will help prevent and catch potential issues. Operators that do not know what to look for could interpret situations as normal wear and tear, when in fact they are early signs of serious problems.
Operators also need to be skilled in making adjustments to a rotary drum, as improper adjustments to a drum in operation can cause serious wear or damage, as is the case with the drum bearings. As a drum experiences normal wear, bearings may require adjustment to maintain the proper “float” between thrust rollers. Adjusting the bearings too much, too little, or unevenly can lead to serious damage. Training drum operators on things such as preventative maintenance, maintenance record keeping, and bearing skewing is a necessity in protecting the investment of a rotary drum, and potentially reducing future maintenance costs and downtime.
Operators should also know to look for when a drum is in need of realignment. As a drum experiences normal wear and tear, it will gradually fall out of perfect alignment, and need to be realigned. When a drum is running properly, and aligned correctly, it should run smoothly, with little to no contact with the thrust rollers. Drive components should turn smoothly with no excessive chatter or vibrations. These signs can be mistaken for normal wear and tear, but are actually signs that the drum is in need of some maintenance and/or repair.
Regularly maintenancing and inspecting your rotary drums is one of the best things you can do to prolong the life of your rotary drums, as well as to minimize maintenance costs and downtime.
FEECO’s blue ribbon service team relies on our decades of experience to help you with your service needs, whether it is rotary drum installations, inspections, routine maintenance, or repairs. Contact us today for your service needs!
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is the author of this post. She has been part of the FEECO Marketing Team for 2 years, and has gained her knowledge from interviewing FEECO engineers, as well as spending time in the FEECO testing & tolling facility. At FEECO -- We Build BIG Stuff! Check out our website and social networks below to see some of the equipment we manufacture...
