How to Prevent Water Ingress in Your Gearbox
Do you know how to stop premature gearbox failure with one simple trick? In this part of STOBER’s power tips, we will share an easy way to prevent water or chemical ingress in your gearbox.
Do you know how to stop premature gearbox failure with one simple trick? In this part of STOBER’s power tips, we will share an easy way to prevent water or chemical ingress in your gearbox.
Ingress can cause your company to lose thousands of dollars in downtime and productivity loss. Water ingress can occur in several places on a gearbox. Water can enter through the output seals or the seal between the motor and the gearbox if they are not suited for the environment or sanitation regimen. Breathers or vents can also allow for ingress. Finally, motor weep holes are a common area of ingress we see.
How water ingress happens
Many NEMA wash-down motors have weep holes in the mounting face. This protects the motor against internal moisture buildup. However, when a motor is in a wash-down environment, the weep holes can become a liability.
Water and other cleaning chemicals can easily enter through the weep holes, causing the gearbox to retain these liquids. Over time, this will rust the internal components and affect the lubrication within the gearbox resulting in premature failure.
How to stop water ingress
Use a gearbox that is IP69K Certified, which proves it can handle harsh washdowns, to help prevent water ingress. Confirm output seals and the seal between the motor and the gearbox is designed to withstand water or chemical intrusion.
Assure the gearbox is completely sealed and does not have breathers or vents.
Lastly, use a motor without exposed weep holes or plug the weep holes with different materials recommended by your local distributor.
These simple steps can prevent water ingress, save your company money, and ensure the reliability of your gearbox protecting your warranty.
STOBER has experience and expertise with eliminating premature gearbox failure
STOBER gearboxes are IP69K certified, last an average of 9.1 years in a harsh 24/7 washdown environment and come with a three-year warranty. Our highly trained team can examine your environment and make sure your solution will last.
Want to learn more about how to prevent water ingress? Download our free guide below.