CASE STUDY Cooling Intervention Prevents Gearbox Overheating in Dryer Section
A leading sustainable fiber-based packaging manufacturer detected a rapid temperature increase on a gearbox in the dryer section of a paper machine. Left unaddressed, the excessive heat risked damaging internal components, leading to unplanned downtime and costly production delays.
Waites’ monitoring showed the gearbox’s non-drive-end input temperature rising steadily, reaching a peak of 182°F. Vibration parameters remained within acceptable ranges, indicating the issue was thermal rather than mechanical. The investigation revealed that a broken dryer door was allowing heat from the dryer to affect the gearbox, while the exhaust fans in the area were not functioning.
Gearbox NDE input temperature climbed steadily, peaking at 182°F due to heat exposure from a nearby dryer.
The temperature dropped to 114°F and stabilized after a fan was placed on the gearbox as a temporary cooling measure.
To prevent overheating damage, the team propped up the broken dryer door and placed a fan to cool the gearbox until the dryer exhaust fans could be repaired. This intervention quickly reduced temperatures to safe operating levels, preventing thermal stress on the gearbox.