With the advantages of high transmission efficiency, large load torque, and compact structure, planetary reducers are widely used in automation equipment, servo machinery, machine tool transmission, and other scenarios. Under long-term high-speed load operation, it is easy to appear such faults as abnormal noise, oil leakage, stalling, and accuracy decline, which directly affects the production efficiency of the equipment. Today, Diyue Precision Technology will help you sort out common faults, causes, and practical daily maintenance techniques to extend the service life of the reducer.
1. Common fault causes and solutions of planetary reducer
1. Running with abnormal noise
Gear tooth surface wear, tooth breakage, imbalance of meshing clearance
1. Stop the machine, dismantle it, inspect the tooth surface pitting, wear, and broken teeth, and replace the damaged gear set (sun gear / planet gear / inner ring);
2. Adjust the gear meshing side clearance according to the original factory technical requirements to ensure that the contact spot distribution is uniform, and verify it if necessary.
Bearing aging and damage, ball wear and loosening
1. Disassemble and inspect the bearing clearance, raceway, and ball condition, and replace the bearing with the same model and precision grade;
2. According to the requirements of the process, control the pre-tightening force of the bearing, carry out the running-in test after installation, and eliminate the problem of improper bearing assembly.
The installation is not concentric, and the deviation of coaxiality is too large.
1. Re-calibrate the motor - gearbox - load end coaxiality, use a dial indicator / laser alignment device for precise alignment, radial runout and end face runout are controlled within the equipment's allowable tolerance range;
2. Check whether the coupling is offset or worn, and replace the elastic element or rigid coupling if necessary.
Lubricating oil is insufficient, oil quality is degraded, and lubrication is not in place.
1. Check the oil level and the condition of the oil, add or replace the lubricating oil/grease in accordance with the specifications of the original factory, and ensure that the oil level is within the specified range of the sight glass.
2. Check the lubrication pipeline blockage problem, clean the lubrication system if necessary, add new oil and replace it according to the specified cycle.
2. Oil leakage fault
Oil seal aging and deformation, sealing failure
1. Disassemble and replace worn-out / damaged oil seals, O-rings, and gaskets, and use fluororubber or butyl rubber seals that are oil-resistant, heat-resistant, and suitable for the operating conditions;
2. Check if there is wear or scratches on the shaft neck surface, and repair the shaft neck or use a shaft sleeve if necessary to ensure that the lip of the oil seal is in close contact.
The amount of fuel is too much, and the internal pressure during operation is too high.
1. Release excess lubricant, adjust the oil level to the original factory-specified oil level / oil level line position;
2. Check and clear the ventilation hole / respirator of the reducer, balance the pressure inside and outside the box, and avoid the internal pressure from bursting the seal.   
The end cover bolt is loose, and the sealing gasket on the joint surface is aging.
1. Step by step tighten the end cover bolts in diagonal order, and control the tightening torque within the technical requirements;
2. Clean the oil stains and impurities on the joint surface, replace the aging sealing gasket, and assemble it after reapplying the oil-resistant sealing glue if necessary.
High-speed and high-temperature conditions aggravate seal wear.
1. Evaluate the operating temperature and speed, and select a special oil seal suitable for high-temperature and high-speed operating conditions (such as fluorine rubber skeleton oil seal);
2. Optimize the heat dissipation conditions of the reducer, add cooling devices or reduce the ambient temperature to reduce the rate of thermal aging of the sealing components.
3. Output stuttering, rotation blockage
Internal debris and iron shavings stuck in the gear meshing area
1. Completely disassemble the gear reducer, clean the iron shavings and impurities in the housing, gears, and bearings;
2. Replace the lubricating oil and add a magnetic oil plug / filter to prevent metal debris from entering the mating area, and perform a load test after reassembly.
The bearing is locked, and the gear is stuck.
1. Emergency shutdown and disassembly, replacement of seized bearings and severely glued / seized gear sets;
2. Identify the causes of lubrication failure, overload, and overheating, repair the lubrication system, and re-select or adjust the load conditions.
Long-term overload operation causes slight deformation of components
1. Disassemble and inspect the gear, shaft, planet carrier, etc., to check if there is plastic deformation, and correct or replace the deformed parts;
2. Calculate the actual load and the rated torque of the gearbox, adjust the operating conditions or replace a gearbox with a higher load rating to avoid long-term overload.
4. Transmission accuracy decreases, positioning is not accurate
The long-term wear of the gear causes the clearance backlash to increase.
1. Disassemble and inspect the gear wear, if the backlash exceeds the allowable range, replace the gear pair and adjust the meshing clearance according to the process requirements;
2. High precision application scenarios, can be returned to the factory for backlash calibration, or replace the low backlash / zero backlash planetary gear reducer.
The fastening screw is loose, and the driving structure is offset.
1. According to the specified torque, tighten all bolts step by step (end cover, planetary frame, shaft end locking nut, etc.), check and replace the damaged anti-loosening washer;
2. Re-calibrate the coaxiality and parallelism of the transmission structure to eliminate the transmission error caused by structural deviation.
The impact load is frequent, causing the internal parts to loosen.
1. Disassemble and inspect the installation status of the planet carrier, gear, bearing and other parts, re-tighten the loose parts and add anti-loosening devices;
2. Optimize the equipment control program to reduce emergency stop and forward and reverse impact, and install a buffer device if necessary to reduce the impact of impact load.
5. The body temperature is unusually high.
Long-term overload and overspeed operation
1. Calculate the load torque and speed to ensure that the working condition is within the rated parameters of the reducer;
2. Adjust the operating parameters or replace the gearbox with a higher torque/speed adaptability to avoid long-term overload and overspeed operation.
Lubricating grease is deteriorated, and the heat dissipation condition is poor.
1. Replace the deteriorated lubricating oil / grease, select the appropriate viscosity grade of the oil, and add it to the specified oil level;
2. Clean the oil and dust on the surface of the gearbox, improve the ventilation environment of the equipment, and add fans or water-cooled cooling devices if necessary.
The resistance of gear meshing is too large, and the friction is aggravated.
1. Disassemble and inspect the gear meshing state, adjust the meshing clearance and contact spots, repair or replace the worn-out gears;
2. Check if the pre-tightening force of the bearing assembly is too large, adjust the bearing clearance again, and reduce the running friction resistance.
II. Daily standard maintenance and maintenance points
1. Lubrication and maintenance are the most important things.
Regularly check the oil level and oil quality, add special lubricating oil strictly in accordance with the specifications of the model, and avoid mixing with low-quality oil. The new machine completes the first oil change after 300 hours of operation, and then the oil is changed every 1000 to 2000 hours according to the working conditions. The oil level is kept at the standard mark, neither too much nor too little.
2. Standard installation and control of coaxial precision
When installing the equipment, ensure that the motor and gear reducer have the same axis degree, and avoid eccentric force. Tighten all connection bolts and flange accessories to prevent loosening and offset, and reduce noise and wear problems from the source.
3. Rational load, avoid overloading
Operate strictly according to the rated torque and speed parameters, avoid frequent start-stop, sudden acceleration and deceleration, impact load, do not carry over specifications for a long time, and reduce irreversible loss of parts.
4. Regular inspection and timely detection of hidden dangers
Check the body temperature, operation sound, and whether there is any oil leakage in the sealing area on a daily basis; Clean the surface of the equipment to remove dust and iron shavings, and prevent impurities from entering and wearing out the gears and bearings. If a minor anomaly is found, stop the machine immediately for inspection and do not continue to operate with a fault.
5. Stopping and storage protection
When the machine is idle for a long time, it should be protected from dust and moisture to avoid rust and corrosion of internal gears and bearings due to moisture and water vapor. Before restarting, check the lubrication and operation status, and carry out an empty-load trial run to ensure there are no errors before putting it into production.
3. Summary of maintenance
The stable operation of planetary reducer depends on 70% on quality and 30% on maintenance. Daily fine-grained maintenance can not only quickly avoid most common faults and reduce the cost of downtime maintenance, but also effectively improve the stability of the transmission and adapt to the efficient operation of various automated production lines.
Duyue Precision Technology (Suzhou) Co., Ltd. focuses on the R&D and manufacturing of planetary gear reducers, servo electric actuators, and other transmission components. It has been deeply engaged in the field of precision transmission, and its products are suitable for the needs of automation equipment in various industries. Reliable quality ensures the stable operation of equipment. Equipment failure consultation, selection customization can be communicated at any time!
Note: If you need to know the technical parameters, matching scheme, etc. of the specific model, you can contact Diyue Precision Technology (Suzhou) Co., Ltd. for detailed information.
Telephone number: 0512- 53658 666
Address: No. 111, Beihai Road, Liuhe Town, Taicang City, Jiangsu Province