Gear damage in a multistage cement mill gearbox

This case study involves gearbox damage caused by contaminated oil in a cement mill at the Natal Portland Cement plant in South Africa.

The contaminated lubricant caused cement particles to enter the gearbox, thus damaging the bearings and leading to backlash in the gears and further damage. The case study concludes that HD Technologies, when combined with traditional vibration measurement, are effective for early detection of gearbox issues like gear mesh problems and bearing wear.