There’s a certain implication to investing in any product or component that provides a service. It’s called Return on Investment, and it means that for the life of that component, you should expect to get a certain amount of functionality from it.
Motor maintenance can help you prolong the life of your DC armature for many years.
Join us today as we examine how a little planning and the right insights can help you to maintain the lifespan of your device.
Inspect Your DC Armature Regularly
A DC motor is, first and foremost, a piece of mechanical equipment.
It has moving parts, any combination of which could degrade and stop working for a variety of reasons. It’s also a device that requires more maintenance than an AC motor.
Inspections can take the form of visual assessments, or simply “looking it over.” Look for components that seem to have collected grime or have a sheen of something on them. Also check for chips, worn edges, cracks or deep scratches.
You can also check for new or unusual noises and vibrations. Connect the motor to its driven load and energize it, operating as you normally would. Mechanical noises can mean different problems, from mechanical imbalances to blocked air vents.
While these indications might not result in problems right away, unchecked, they could all result in problems, down the road.
Minimize Grounding And Arcing
Part of the reason why we perform checks for dirt and grime build-up is the question of grounding. Carbon dust build-up, the byproduct of brushes becoming worn out, can result in the gears becoming grounded at random intervals. This can result in damage to the machine.
Take special care while cleaning your DC armature that you don’t sweep particulates further into the motor unit. As you might guess, this will only worsen the problem.
Brush Grades: Why They Matter
Performing regular inspections of your brush condition can help to prolong your motor unit’s lifespan.
Carbon brushes have to be replaced relatively often. Luckily for us, they aren’t the most expensive component in a motor unit. That said, their condition helps to prevent commutator damage, sparking and arcing.
On average, carbon brushes last for between three months and three years. Servicing helps in this regard, provided you keep up to date with it.
Make sure to choose your grades according to your motor’s specific application, and the degree to which you’re using it. Remember: Every DC unit is different, and we all get unique uses from them.
Review Your Service History
Keeping a complete and accurate log of your motor’s service history is more than just the responsible way to handle your asset. It’s also smart.
Create new entries in your device’s maintenance log each time you service it. Then use the time between services, reasons for maintenance, and whichever notes you find to plan your next service.
This will help you predict future problems so that you can perform maintenance instead of repairs. Ask yourself these questions:
- What maintenance has to be done?
- Who needs to perform the operation, will they be available, and what equipment will they need?
- Will there be any associated downtime you’ll have to account for? Are there any potential safety hazards?
- Is there a chance some factor aside from the motor caused the malfunction?
DC Drive Maintenance: Get More Out
Nobody can see the future. So it’s hard to say when any machine will or won’t break down, given its specific usage.
Still, with regular servicing, you can rest assured you’ve done everything in your power to get a nice, long lifespan out of your DC armature.
For more on testing and maintaining your electrical devices, check out some of our other articles. Start getting better performances from your machines, today.
