It is not uncommon for a gearbox to become inadequate for a particular application, even if it was perfectly capable when it was installed. Such units exhibit increasing unreliability, and with breakdowns disrupting production schedules, a manufacturer is often faced with the cost and disruption of installing a new higher specification unit.
A typical example would be where enhanced production equipment has been introduced which places higher loads on the drive train, resulting in increased wear and ultimately failure of key components.
Gearbox Upgrade Specialists
In a lot of these cases replacement of the gearbox may be unnecessary. Howley Engineering specialises in upgrading industrial gearboxes.
Probably the most common requirement is to upgrade them to enable them to cope with the increased demands, avoiding complete replacement with new. This solution is considerably more cost-effective and can also be less disruptive to production.
Another situation that can be overcome with an upgrade solution is where, for example, the initial design of a drive system has introduced stresses which reduce the reliability if a system. Changes to the geometry of the drive train can be introduced to eliminate the areas of stress with consequent improvements to production throughput..
A more radical upgrade would be where the operating conditions have proved too extreme for an original design. An good example is where hydraulic drives suffer extreme wear due to abrasive particles produced during production, resulting in frequent breakdown and maintenance. Replacements can be designed which substitute electrical power delivered through a purpose designed gearbox to achieve the same mechanical function.