Equipment rotating on an inclined support develops a downhill axial thrust from the weight of the unit and product. Most rotating equipment is designed so that this axial thrust needs to be offset by force developed from skewing the trunnion rollers in a precise manner. The T-Trac® Alignment System establishes a properly skewed trunnion roller setting to thrust the equipment in the uphill direction.
A customer in the upper Midwest recently requested that Stansteel inspect the dryer/drum operation for their plant. Upon arrival our technicians, were amazed to find the drum almost beyond repair.
The discharge ring was worn completely off of the unit. The discharge paddles were severely bent because the drum had been running downhill and had created grooves into the entire discharge housing around the burner area. Past operators tried so hard to keep the drum from running downhill, that they took some unusual steps to make this happen. They actually cut the trunnion bases loose from the drum frame and put a wedge halfway under the trunnions to skew them in a more uphill pattern. Instead of using the adjustable base and the all thread to put a slight skew on the trunnions, they raised them up to try to keep the drum running uphill. The expected result was not achieved, instead this action broke the downhill thrust idler away, the trunnions were very badly cut and the tires were severely damaged.
There are recommended procedures from manufacturers of dryers and drum mixers that should be followed to keep your operation running correctly. We recommend the T-Trac® Alignment System. This valuable tool can save your business tens of thousands of dollars in premature trunnion and tire wear and helps avoid emergency shutdowns.
What ever you need for your asphalt plant we are here to help. That’s why the only call you need to make is to Stansteel. We make your plant run better!
