Is your rotating machinery ready for action?

As the harvest season fast approaches, ensuring the hard work and investment put into growing your crops is not jeopardised by unreliable rotating equipment is imperative.

Rotating machinery is subjected to extreme operating conditions which can damage components. This can cause excessive vibration, premature wear, failure of bearings and seals, and unsafe operation.

To avoid this, it would be prudent to carry our pre-harvest inspections of your rotating equipment, including checking bearings, drive belts, pulleys and seals for any unusual noise, vibration or oil leaks, as well as signs of excessive wear. Be sure to rotate freestanding idle machinery at least once a week to avoid brinelling (flat spot or indentation on bearings).

Ventilation and drying fan units are often left dormant during the out of harvest season. This can cause bearings to develop flat spots, causing vibration and bearing failure. Inspect the impellers, making sure there is no damage to the blades, and operate the fan unit to test for signs of vibration and noise. This will highlight any existing problems before the harvest, allowing time for necessary repairs and to balance fan units – most of these can be done in-situ at your facility without incurring any high costs of removal or dismantling.

A damaged rotor does not mean it’s ready for retirement – a detailed inspection will determine the type of repair required to bring your equipment back to its optimum condition prior to harvest.

How can we help you make sure your agricultural machinery is ready for action?

At WDB Ltd, we carry out work to flail rotors to advise on the repairs and balancing services required to ensure your rotor is operating to its full potential, including:

Get in touch to find out how we can achieve your balancing needs.

Find out more about the benefits of flail mower rotor repair and balancing in our previous blog.

Originally published in Farmer’s Guide