Even when you purchase high-quality rotary joints from leading manufacturers, proper maintenance is essential to ensure optimal performance and extended service life.
While rotary joints are engineered to handle slight misalignment, taking the right steps to ensure proper alignment is crucial for maximizing durability and efficiency.
So, how can you maintain rotary joints effectively? Let’s dive deeper and explore the key practices to enhance their performance and longevity
Maintenance of the Journal Face
The journal face should be kept clean and square. Is there any damage from previous repairs or steam cutting? If yes, then you need to take care of it more.
Always ensure its cleanliness and squareness. They will greatly contribute to better alignment.
Tightening of bolts
You should always tighten the bolts to the specified torque properly. And don’t forget the recommended sequence. Tightening ensures that the rotary joint remains well-fastened and aligned during operation.
Threading of bolt holes
When you verify that the bolt holes are threaded to the correct depth, it brings stability to the connection between the rotary joint and the equipment. Not only that, but it also minimizes the risks of misalignment.
Keeping the mounting surface of the bearing clean
While maintaining rotary unions, you should keep the mounting surface of the bearing clean and perpendicular to the axis of rotation.
If there are any irregularities or misalignments on the mounting surface, then they may impact the overall alignment and performance of the rotary joint.
Radial alignment of the wear plate
You need to check the radial alignment of the wear plate with respect to the rotational axis. This keeps the wear plate properly engaged and aligned. You will thus avoid premature wear, and the service life of the rotary joint will be extended.
If there is an excessive runout, then it may cause uneven wear. It will also affect the performance of the rotary joint. Proper maintenance of the wear plate will keep the runout minimal, and it will maximize the drying efficiency.
Verify the redial alignment of the ring bracket
When you verify the radial alignment of the ring bracket pilot bore with the rotational axis, you achieve reliable and smooth operation.
Perpendicularity of the ring bracket
You should maintain the perpendicularity of the ring bracket joint mounting face with the rotational axis. When you do that, you get good performance and longevity of rotary joints. Continuous casting machine rotary joints manufacturers make good quality rotary unions to give optimal performance.
Conclusion
Just like in your car which doesn’t give you optimum performance when the tires are not aligned properly, rotary unions also do not give optimum performance when they are not aligned well.
By prioritizing proper alignment and maintaining the unions well, it is possible to keep the unplanned downtime minimum. Reliability will increase, and the performance will be maximized. You should invest time and effort in aligning the rotary joints and get durable and long-lasting performance.
Also read: Hot Oil Rotary Union Maintenance Is Essential for Longevity