Sometimes, when parts are not stamped properly, it’s not the die that’s at fault; it’s that the press has become out of square or alignment. Machining the bolster, bed plates, uprights, crowns, and gearboxes can get a worn press back to square. Although the bolster, bed plates, and uprights often can be machined on-site, the gearbox usually has to be disassembled and moved to another location to be machined and completely cleaned and repaired.
The gearbox is an integral part of a mechanical press, providing power and propulsion. When the gearbox fails, parts are not being made. Following are the steps a repair shop takes to rebuilds a stamping press gearbox or other types. (This specific gearbox was in a rubber plant.)
Inspection/Removal of Gearbox
- At a pre-project meeting, the crew goes over safety and fills out a job safety analysis.
- Any guards and obstructions are removed to enable access to couplings.
- Alignment checks on motors to the gearbox, and gearbox to the mixer are conducted and findings recorded. Based on the findings, a report is generated at the end of the removal phase of the project.
- A soft foot check is done while the gearbox is still attached to motors and mixer.
- Alignment is checked again when the couplings are apart. This will show any stress that might have happened during the gearbox installation.
- Another soft foot check is performed after the alignment process has been completed.
- The removal process begins. Any obstructions in the way of gearbox path out of plant are removed.
- To keep costs down, the customer uses its preferred rigging vendor with a gantry crane and fork trucks to remove any special rigging for the removal of the gearbox.
- The gearbox is removed using the customer’s preferred equipment and relocated to the building deck.
- The crane vendor rigs and loads the gearbox onto the truck for shipping.
- The gearbox is shipped to repair shop for repair/replacement.
Read more: Step-by-step process for rebuilding a mechanical stamping press gearbox
