solutions PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID Little Rock, AR Permit No. 175 A Publication Featuring Baldor Electric Company Products magazine Number 8 Installing Bal dor's Dodge ULTR A KLEEN Ball Bearings ® Moves Machine from Leas t Reliable to Most Reliable at ConAgra Foods® the Lamb Weston Potato Product s Plant P.O. Box 2400, Fort Smith, AR 72902-2400, USA, Ph: (1) 479.646.4711, Fax: (1) 479.648.5792, International Fax: (1) 479.648.5895 baldor.com ©2012 Baldor Electric Company Solutions0112 All Rights Reserved. Printed in USA. 1/12-AG-13M Pl u s Choosing the Right Partner Baldor Products Featured Helps Paragon Products Create More Success on Flexco State-of-the-Art Test Rig Cover: PG 16 Contents Solutions Magazine For decades, ABB variable speed drives and Baldor motors have set the standard for quality, reliability and energy savings. Now, industrial customers in the U.S. can buy these products and receive expert support from a single source. Call 479-646-4711 to locate the district office nearest you. Two trusted names. One local source for sales and support. Only from ABB and Baldor. baldor.com • Local Sales & Support • Energy Efficiency • Industrial Motors & Drives Number 8 Featuring Baldor•Reliance® & Baldor•Dodge® Products baldor.com 2 Briefings 6 Choosing the Right Partner Helps Paragon Products Create More Success 12 Baldor Products Improve Reliability 16 Installing Baldor's Dodge® ULTRA KLEEN Ball Bearings 22 Basin Electric Power Plant Selects Baldor Equipment of Critical Fuel Enhancement System at Great River Energy's Coal Creek Station Moves Machine from Least Reliable to Most Reliable at the ConAgra Foods® Lamb Weston Potato Products Plant to Prevent Unplanned Downtime 28 Baldor Products Featured on Flexco State-of-the-Art Test Rig • Unmatched Customer Service Baldor’s mission is to be the best (as determined by our customers) marketers, designers and manufacturers of industrial electric motors, mechanical power transmission products, drives and generators. ©2011 Baldor Electric Company Solutions Magazine is published by the Marketing Communications Department of Baldor Electric Company. For more information, please email [email protected] baldor.com Cover: PG 16 Contents Solutions Magazine For decades, ABB variable speed drives and Baldor motors have set the standard for quality, reliability and energy savings. Now, industrial customers in the U.S. can buy these products and receive expert support from a single source. Call 479-646-4711 to locate the district office nearest you. Two trusted names. One local source for sales and support. Only from ABB and Baldor. baldor.com • Local Sales & Support • Energy Efficiency • Industrial Motors & Drives Number 8 Featuring Baldor•Reliance® & Baldor•Dodge® Products baldor.com 2 Briefings 6 Choosing the Right Partner Helps Paragon Products Create More Success 12 Baldor Products Improve Reliability 16 Installing Baldor's Dodge® ULTRA KLEEN Ball Bearings 22 Basin Electric Power Plant Selects Baldor Equipment of Critical Fuel Enhancement System at Great River Energy's Coal Creek Station Moves Machine from Least Reliable to Most Reliable at the ConAgra Foods® Lamb Weston Potato Products Plant to Prevent Unplanned Downtime 28 Baldor Products Featured on Flexco State-of-the-Art Test Rig • Unmatched Customer Service Baldor’s mission is to be the best (as determined by our customers) marketers, designers and manufacturers of industrial electric motors, mechanical power transmission products, drives and generators. ©2011 Baldor Electric Company Solutions Magazine is published by the Marketing Communications Department of Baldor Electric Company. For more information, please email [email protected] baldor.com B r ie f in g s B r ie f in g s tHe New balDor•DoDge® tyPe eXl offers eNHaNceD features for iNcreaseD reliability The new Type EXL tapered roller bearing incorporates a cartridge-style inner unit into a two-piece housing. This new design provides both misalignment and expansion capability, while maintaining industry standard Type E mounting dimensions. The split-housing design allows the inner unit to swivel freely in the housing, allowing up to +/- 4 degrees of static misalignment. Standard Type E products offer virtually no misalignment and are not available in an expansion design. Mounting dimensions are equivalent to any standard Dodge or competitor’s Type E dimensioned product. seal for increased protection in harsh environments. The housing is made from ductile iron for added strength versus cast iron products. Baldor is pleased to offer new genset models and a new towable generator that meet emission standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency. The Type EXL utilizes the new Dodge tapered roller bearings manufactured in Marion, North Carolina. The new bearing design offers a 13% to 14% increase in load ratings over the previous tapered bearing design. The new design is available in both two- and four-bolt pillow blocks and utilizes the same inner unit for both expansion and non-expansion housings. Bore sizes range from 1-3/16 to 5 inches. The EPA rules affect stationary and mobile diesel generator sets used for back-up emergency power, peaking power and other on-site power generation applications in the U.S. The rules, part of the mandated Clean Air rules, are designed to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions and fine particle pollution. The Type EXL will increase reliability and decrease downtime by offering better sealing, misalignment capability and load ratings versus the competition. The totally sealed inner unit incorporates the Dodge XTS triple-lip balDor large ac motors iN stocK This is a reminder that Baldor stocks a wide variety of medium-voltage 2-4-6 pole TEFC severe duty motors from 200 through 1000 HP and WPII designs through 1250 HP. Additionally, Baldor’s Quick-Ship program for Athens 440- and 5000frame TEFC motors allows the selection of custom 200- to 800-HP motors built for 460, 575 or 2300/4000 volt operation with a simple selection of options. These motors are engineered and built in the Athens plant with a three- to four-week lead time. Only anti-friction (ball and roller bearing) general purpose motors will be in the Athens Quick-Ship program. More complicated and sleeve bearing motors will continue to be built in the Kings Mountain motor plant. 2 | Solutions Magazine | Number 8 With the addition of our Quick-Ship program, customers will have a choice of immediate shipment of a fullfeatured medium-voltage motor from stock or a three- to four-week lead time on one made specifically to their needs. balDor offers New geNerators DesigNeD to meet u.s. eNviroNmeNtal ProtectioN ageNcy staNDarDs Program details are outlined on flier FL435 found on baldor.com. Baldor is now the North American sales channel for large ABB induction and synchronous motors through 100,000 HP. Contact your local district office for more details. Baldor’s new TS225 towable generator will add another model to the great TS product line. The TS225 will offer a rating of 225kVA/180kW while meeting an EPA Tier 3 Emission level. For EPA mobile applications, the TS225 will carry a Flex Emissions Label. Like all other TS models, the TS225 is available in towable or skidmounted designs. Two new Baldor industrial diesel liquid cooled (IDLC) generators meet current EPA emission standards. Utilizing Mitsubishi engines, the IDLC10 meets EPA Tier 4 standards, while the IDLC20 meets Interim Tier 4 Emission requirements. Each model is available with an open or basic sound-attenuated enclosure to meet individual customer needs. rPm ac PermaNeNt magNet ProDuct liNe eXPaNDs Baldor has expanded its RPM AC range of permanent magnet (PM) product offering up to 1200 HP. frame sizes 180, 210, 250, 280 and 440 with permanent magnet rotor construction. The Baldor•Reliance RPM AC PM motor product line performs like a high horsepower servo motor with low rotor inertia and high power density, and is now available in NEMA The addition of the finned laminated 440 frame (FL440) size extends the product line’s horsepower range to 800 HP enclosed blower cooled and 1200 HP using open force ventilated construction. ® PM rotor technology offers improved efficiency that can translate into increased power density and synchronous (non-slip) speed performance. This is achieved by virtue of its highly power-dense, low-loss rotor design where the permanent magnets are actually embedded within the rotor laminations. Typical applications for RPM AC PM motors include automotive testing stands, extruders, winder/unwinders, metal forming and bending machinery, machine tool/spindle applications and replacement of square frame DC motors. The RPM AC PM product line is currently available in both NEMA and IEC (112, 132, 160, 180 and 280) frame sizes. These motors are all designed to provide continuous constant torque performance from zero speed up to base speed for use with closed-loop PM AC drives. Number 8 | Solutions Magazine | 3 B r ie f in g s B r ie f in g s tHe New balDor•DoDge® tyPe eXl offers eNHaNceD features for iNcreaseD reliability The new Type EXL tapered roller bearing incorporates a cartridge-style inner unit into a two-piece housing. This new design provides both misalignment and expansion capability, while maintaining industry standard Type E mounting dimensions. The split-housing design allows the inner unit to swivel freely in the housing, allowing up to +/- 4 degrees of static misalignment. Standard Type E products offer virtually no misalignment and are not available in an expansion design. Mounting dimensions are equivalent to any standard Dodge or competitor’s Type E dimensioned product. seal for increased protection in harsh environments. The housing is made from ductile iron for added strength versus cast iron products. Baldor is pleased to offer new genset models and a new towable generator that meet emission standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency. The Type EXL utilizes the new Dodge tapered roller bearings manufactured in Marion, North Carolina. The new bearing design offers a 13% to 14% increase in load ratings over the previous tapered bearing design. The new design is available in both two- and four-bolt pillow blocks and utilizes the same inner unit for both expansion and non-expansion housings. Bore sizes range from 1-3/16 to 5 inches. The EPA rules affect stationary and mobile diesel generator sets used for back-up emergency power, peaking power and other on-site power generation applications in the U.S. The rules, part of the mandated Clean Air rules, are designed to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions and fine particle pollution. The Type EXL will increase reliability and decrease downtime by offering better sealing, misalignment capability and load ratings versus the competition. The totally sealed inner unit incorporates the Dodge XTS triple-lip balDor large ac motors iN stocK This is a reminder that Baldor stocks a wide variety of medium-voltage 2-4-6 pole TEFC severe duty motors from 200 through 1000 HP and WPII designs through 1250 HP. Additionally, Baldor’s Quick-Ship program for Athens 440- and 5000frame TEFC motors allows the selection of custom 200- to 800-HP motors built for 460, 575 or 2300/4000 volt operation with a simple selection of options. These motors are engineered and built in the Athens plant with a three- to four-week lead time. Only anti-friction (ball and roller bearing) general purpose motors will be in the Athens Quick-Ship program. More complicated and sleeve bearing motors will continue to be built in the Kings Mountain motor plant. 2 | Solutions Magazine | Number 8 With the addition of our Quick-Ship program, customers will have a choice of immediate shipment of a fullfeatured medium-voltage motor from stock or a three- to four-week lead time on one made specifically to their needs. balDor offers New geNerators DesigNeD to meet u.s. eNviroNmeNtal ProtectioN ageNcy staNDarDs Program details are outlined on flier FL435 found on baldor.com. Baldor is now the North American sales channel for large ABB induction and synchronous motors through 100,000 HP. Contact your local district office for more details. Baldor’s new TS225 towable generator will add another model to the great TS product line. The TS225 will offer a rating of 225kVA/180kW while meeting an EPA Tier 3 Emission level. For EPA mobile applications, the TS225 will carry a Flex Emissions Label. Like all other TS models, the TS225 is available in towable or skidmounted designs. Two new Baldor industrial diesel liquid cooled (IDLC) generators meet current EPA emission standards. Utilizing Mitsubishi engines, the IDLC10 meets EPA Tier 4 standards, while the IDLC20 meets Interim Tier 4 Emission requirements. Each model is available with an open or basic sound-attenuated enclosure to meet individual customer needs. rPm ac PermaNeNt magNet ProDuct liNe eXPaNDs Baldor has expanded its RPM AC range of permanent magnet (PM) product offering up to 1200 HP. frame sizes 180, 210, 250, 280 and 440 with permanent magnet rotor construction. The Baldor•Reliance RPM AC PM motor product line performs like a high horsepower servo motor with low rotor inertia and high power density, and is now available in NEMA The addition of the finned laminated 440 frame (FL440) size extends the product line’s horsepower range to 800 HP enclosed blower cooled and 1200 HP using open force ventilated construction. ® PM rotor technology offers improved efficiency that can translate into increased power density and synchronous (non-slip) speed performance. This is achieved by virtue of its highly power-dense, low-loss rotor design where the permanent magnets are actually embedded within the rotor laminations. Typical applications for RPM AC PM motors include automotive testing stands, extruders, winder/unwinders, metal forming and bending machinery, machine tool/spindle applications and replacement of square frame DC motors. The RPM AC PM product line is currently available in both NEMA and IEC (112, 132, 160, 180 and 280) frame sizes. These motors are all designed to provide continuous constant torque performance from zero speed up to base speed for use with closed-loop PM AC drives. Number 8 | Solutions Magazine | 3 B r ie f in g s B r ie f in g s abb aND balDor Now Have siNgle sales force for iNDustrial motors aND Drives New HarsH Duty accessories available for balDor's DoDge® torque-arm ii™ reDucers ABB and Baldor now have a single U.S. sales force to sell and support the complete line of ABB and Baldor lowand medium-voltage industrial drives and industrial electric motors. Dense Nickel Composite (TDNC) coating. The TDNC coating provides maximum corrosion resistance, making this an ideal choice for grain handling or water treatment plant applications. Bushings, backing plates and snap rings have the TDNC coating and come with corrosion-resistant bolts and lock washers. ABB and Baldor Electric Company, a member of the ABB group, believe industrial customers will see many benefits from this transition, including: • • • • A single point of contact for ABB and Baldor industrial motors, drives and generators 24-hour local sales and service Broadest range of industrial drives and motors in the marketplace from one source Full line of products for energy-efficient motor-driven systems Vice President and General Manager of Low Voltage Drives for ABB US Aaron Aleithe commented, “We are proud to provide our customers with the highest-quality drives in the industrial marketplace. By selling them through the same sales force as Baldor industrial electric motors, we also can provide them with the high level of customer service they expect. We believe this transition will make buying industrial motors and drives easier for our customers.” “Customers have long understood the value that comes from using a premium- efficient motor,” said Ron Tucker, CEO and President of Baldor. “By pairing a Baldor premium-efficient motor with an ABB industrial drive, customers have the opportunity to further decrease their energy consumption significantly. ABB and Baldor both have a long history of manufacturing industrial electric motors and drives. Together, we believe we can take better care of our industrial customers than anyone else.” Baldor's DoDge magNagear reDucers Now iN stocK for emergeNcy NeeDs ® day shipping. The in-stock program is designed to help customers quickly replace failed competitor units to get their operation back up and running. The MagnaGear reducer, engineered with Dodge proven planetary and helical gear technology, is a powerdense, economical, heavy-duty package that is well-suited for a variety of applications. The product has a proven track record of performance, reliability and ease of maintenance. When delivery is critical, Baldor now offers customers the most common sizes and ratios of Dodge MagnaGear reducers for next Baldor’s Dodge Torque-Arm II, the best selling belt driven shaft-mount gear reducer, is designed for application flexibility and built for harsh environments. Now, optional harsh duty accessories are available to further extend the service life of the reducer. The exclusive Dodge Twin Tapered bushing system that provides sturdy, concentric grip of the driven shaft on both sides of the reducer is now available with an optional Thin Dimensional drawings are readily available for customer evaluations. Standard accessories including twintapered bushings, shaft fans and end covers are also available as part of the in-stock program. Dodge TDNC Twin Tapered Bushing System for Harsh Duty Applications 4 | Solutions Magazine | Number 8 All shaft-mounted reducers rely on the tie rod system to prevent rotation of the gearbox under heavy load. Because of this, Baldor•Dodge tie rods are designed to handle heavy shock loads and maintain performance. Responding to customer requests for a corrosion- resistant tie rod for the Torque-Arm II line, we now offer a selection of zinc-electroplated tie rod kits for harsh duty applications. Utilizing an environmentally friendly chromating process, the product is highly corrosion resistant, even in the most demanding environments. The kit includes Standard Filter Breather a zinc-plated turnbuckle, two zinc-plated threaded rod extensions, a zinc-plated fulcrum and zinc-plated hardware kit. A harsh duty V-ring seal is another option available. The seal acts as a flinger, keeping contaminants from coming in contact with the excluder seal. The seal is easy to install and makes the sealing system more resistant to water spray, typically found in mild wash-down applications. Optional V-ring Finger Seal Kit When a standard filter breather is not enough, end-users can now choose the optional Hydra-Lock line of harsh duty desiccant breathers. Designed to deliver maximum protection from humidity and contaminants, these breathers not only filter moisture, but also filter particles down to 3 microns. HydraLock harsh duty breathers eliminate rust-forming condensation, prevent sludge deposits and water-contaminated oil, and provide longer oil and filter life. Hydra-Lock Breathers Tie Rod Kit Number 8 | Solutions Magazine | 5 B r ie f in g s B r ie f in g s abb aND balDor Now Have siNgle sales force for iNDustrial motors aND Drives New HarsH Duty accessories available for balDor's DoDge® torque-arm ii™ reDucers ABB and Baldor now have a single U.S. sales force to sell and support the complete line of ABB and Baldor lowand medium-voltage industrial drives and industrial electric motors. Dense Nickel Composite (TDNC) coating. The TDNC coating provides maximum corrosion resistance, making this an ideal choice for grain handling or water treatment plant applications. Bushings, backing plates and snap rings have the TDNC coating and come with corrosion-resistant bolts and lock washers. ABB and Baldor Electric Company, a member of the ABB group, believe industrial customers will see many benefits from this transition, including: • • • • A single point of contact for ABB and Baldor industrial motors, drives and generators 24-hour local sales and service Broadest range of industrial drives and motors in the marketplace from one source Full line of products for energy-efficient motor-driven systems Vice President and General Manager of Low Voltage Drives for ABB US Aaron Aleithe commented, “We are proud to provide our customers with the highest-quality drives in the industrial marketplace. By selling them through the same sales force as Baldor industrial electric motors, we also can provide them with the high level of customer service they expect. We believe this transition will make buying industrial motors and drives easier for our customers.” “Customers have long understood the value that comes from using a premium- efficient motor,” said Ron Tucker, CEO and President of Baldor. “By pairing a Baldor premium-efficient motor with an ABB industrial drive, customers have the opportunity to further decrease their energy consumption significantly. ABB and Baldor both have a long history of manufacturing industrial electric motors and drives. Together, we believe we can take better care of our industrial customers than anyone else.” Baldor's DoDge magNagear reDucers Now iN stocK for emergeNcy NeeDs ® day shipping. The in-stock program is designed to help customers quickly replace failed competitor units to get their operation back up and running. The MagnaGear reducer, engineered with Dodge proven planetary and helical gear technology, is a powerdense, economical, heavy-duty package that is well-suited for a variety of applications. The product has a proven track record of performance, reliability and ease of maintenance. When delivery is critical, Baldor now offers customers the most common sizes and ratios of Dodge MagnaGear reducers for next Baldor’s Dodge Torque-Arm II, the best selling belt driven shaft-mount gear reducer, is designed for application flexibility and built for harsh environments. Now, optional harsh duty accessories are available to further extend the service life of the reducer. The exclusive Dodge Twin Tapered bushing system that provides sturdy, concentric grip of the driven shaft on both sides of the reducer is now available with an optional Thin Dimensional drawings are readily available for customer evaluations. Standard accessories including twintapered bushings, shaft fans and end covers are also available as part of the in-stock program. Dodge TDNC Twin Tapered Bushing System for Harsh Duty Applications 4 | Solutions Magazine | Number 8 All shaft-mounted reducers rely on the tie rod system to prevent rotation of the gearbox under heavy load. Because of this, Baldor•Dodge tie rods are designed to handle heavy shock loads and maintain performance. Responding to customer requests for a corrosion- resistant tie rod for the Torque-Arm II line, we now offer a selection of zinc-electroplated tie rod kits for harsh duty applications. Utilizing an environmentally friendly chromating process, the product is highly corrosion resistant, even in the most demanding environments. The kit includes Standard Filter Breather a zinc-plated turnbuckle, two zinc-plated threaded rod extensions, a zinc-plated fulcrum and zinc-plated hardware kit. A harsh duty V-ring seal is another option available. The seal acts as a flinger, keeping contaminants from coming in contact with the excluder seal. The seal is easy to install and makes the sealing system more resistant to water spray, typically found in mild wash-down applications. Optional V-ring Finger Seal Kit When a standard filter breather is not enough, end-users can now choose the optional Hydra-Lock line of harsh duty desiccant breathers. Designed to deliver maximum protection from humidity and contaminants, these breathers not only filter moisture, but also filter particles down to 3 microns. HydraLock harsh duty breathers eliminate rust-forming condensation, prevent sludge deposits and water-contaminated oil, and provide longer oil and filter life. Hydra-Lock Breathers Tie Rod Kit Number 8 | Solutions Magazine | 5 f e at u r e s F e at u r e s Choosing the Right Partner Helps Paragon Products Create More Success 6 | Solutions Magazine | Number 8 Installed in more than 20,000 locomotives worldwide, Paragon’s products decrease costly downtime and keep things moving reliably on the rails. As the market leader in a sector that never stands still, Paragon Products continues to set new industry standards for truly innovative products. Number 8 | Solutions Magazine | 7 f e at u r e s F e at u r e s Choosing the Right Partner Helps Paragon Products Create More Success 6 | Solutions Magazine | Number 8 Installed in more than 20,000 locomotives worldwide, Paragon’s products decrease costly downtime and keep things moving reliably on the rails. As the market leader in a sector that never stands still, Paragon Products continues to set new industry standards for truly innovative products. Number 8 | Solutions Magazine | 7 F e at u r e s Sometimes as a small business it’s hard to get the attention of large suppliers, getting the engineering support and service that’s required for a small company to achieve exponential growth. That was the case with Paragon Products, a company based in El Dorado Hills, California, which designs and manufactures the most technologically advanced fuel pumps for large diesel engines used in the rail, mining, marine and power industries. About six years ago, an uneasy relationship with its key motor supplier became even more stressful when the manufacturer eliminated production of one critical Paragon product. But what could have been a major setback F e at u r e s to the business turned out to be the best thing that could have happened because Paragon Products found a new supplier that would become the true partner it had been looking for. Keith Wright, engineering manager for Paragon Products, says when Baldor’s Jim Cooke from the Hayward district office told him Baldor could handle its motor production, he was so relieved. The situation, he says, went from very bad to something very positive. “Not only did Baldor step in and take the order for the 12-gallon motor we needed, but we found that Baldor could offer us a much better solution,” says Wright. “Having a real motor expert call on us was a great way to start the relationship; plus, from the beginning we were so well treated by Baldor manufacturing.” But again and again, Baldor has met these challenges. I’m amazed that a manufacturer is so willing to work like this.” Understanding the Product Support from the Plant From that first project, the relationship between the two companies has only grown stronger. Cooke believes one of the reasons why is the way Baldor engineers studied the application. Because the pump motors are submerged in diesel, biodiesel or kerosene, Baldor engineers worked hard to ensure that the motors would perform in all of these fuels. That meant looking at everything from the varnish on the wires, to the insulation, to the way the motor is laced. He says these engineers understand that Paragon builds complex and highly engineered pumps that are critical components in a large engine. Beyond the engineering support, Wright says he is also impressed with the employees at Baldor’s Westville motor plant who take such great care while building motors for Paragon. It’s more than just building a motor to Paragon specifications; he says the employees have also done a great job in the special handling that is required to keep all surfaces smooth. In a normal application, a small scratch may not make a difference in performance, but for a motor in a fuel pump, Wright says a minor imperfection can have serious consequences. “That’s why Baldor has done a great deal of testing and collecting data to ensure that every component of the electrical system is compatible,” explains Cooke. “We build samples to send to Paragon for testing in their lab. Because each fuel behaves differently, we have to make sure that the materials going into the motor will stand up to each of these fluids for 10 years, which is Paragon’s guarantee to their customers.” The engineering partnership has been so successful that Paragon’s Senior Electrical Engineer, Zack Marin, says he no longer has to detail basic specifications; instead, he can focus on performance issues that involve voltage, frequency, torque and speed requirements. Marin says what he appreciates most is how Baldor engineers listen and then deliver. “We build small, very specialized products, and we usually ask for voltages that are very uncommon,” explains Marin. “Sometimes we ask for almost the impossible – so much power coming out of a small package. After rotors have been attached to pump brackets, they are ready for final assembly. 8 | Solutions Magazine | Number 8 “This is critical because at the end of the motor shell, there is an O-ring that seals the pump, and if it’s scratched, it can leak,” explains Wright. “If fuel leaks on a big diesel engine, you can end up with a fire. In the past, it’s been tough for us to get motor manufacturers to understand this critical issue. But not the Westville plant, because these employees pay attention to all of the details.” “Sometimes we ask for almost the impossible – so much power coming out of a small package. But again and again, Baldor has met these challenges.” Zack Marin, senior electrical engineer, Paragon Products According to Paragon officials, one of the reasons why the two companies have a great relationship is the way Baldor engineers took time to study the application to fully understand the complexity of a motor that is fully submerged in fuel. They appreciate the way Baldor engineers tested the varnish on the wires and insulation and the way the motor is laced to ensure that every component of the motor will perform and last for 10 years. Number 8 | Solutions Magazine | 9 F e at u r e s Sometimes as a small business it’s hard to get the attention of large suppliers, getting the engineering support and service that’s required for a small company to achieve exponential growth. That was the case with Paragon Products, a company based in El Dorado Hills, California, which designs and manufactures the most technologically advanced fuel pumps for large diesel engines used in the rail, mining, marine and power industries. About six years ago, an uneasy relationship with its key motor supplier became even more stressful when the manufacturer eliminated production of one critical Paragon product. But what could have been a major setback F e at u r e s to the business turned out to be the best thing that could have happened because Paragon Products found a new supplier that would become the true partner it had been looking for. Keith Wright, engineering manager for Paragon Products, says when Baldor’s Jim Cooke from the Hayward district office told him Baldor could handle its motor production, he was so relieved. The situation, he says, went from very bad to something very positive. “Not only did Baldor step in and take the order for the 12-gallon motor we needed, but we found that Baldor could offer us a much better solution,” says Wright. “Having a real motor expert call on us was a great way to start the relationship; plus, from the beginning we were so well treated by Baldor manufacturing.” But again and again, Baldor has met these challenges. I’m amazed that a manufacturer is so willing to work like this.” Understanding the Product Support from the Plant From that first project, the relationship between the two companies has only grown stronger. Cooke believes one of the reasons why is the way Baldor engineers studied the application. Because the pump motors are submerged in diesel, biodiesel or kerosene, Baldor engineers worked hard to ensure that the motors would perform in all of these fuels. That meant looking at everything from the varnish on the wires, to the insulation, to the way the motor is laced. He says these engineers understand that Paragon builds complex and highly engineered pumps that are critical components in a large engine. Beyond the engineering support, Wright says he is also impressed with the employees at Baldor’s Westville motor plant who take such great care while building motors for Paragon. It’s more than just building a motor to Paragon specifications; he says the employees have also done a great job in the special handling that is required to keep all surfaces smooth. In a normal application, a small scratch may not make a difference in performance, but for a motor in a fuel pump, Wright says a minor imperfection can have serious consequences. “That’s why Baldor has done a great deal of testing and collecting data to ensure that every component of the electrical system is compatible,” explains Cooke. “We build samples to send to Paragon for testing in their lab. Because each fuel behaves differently, we have to make sure that the materials going into the motor will stand up to each of these fluids for 10 years, which is Paragon’s guarantee to their customers.” The engineering partnership has been so successful that Paragon’s Senior Electrical Engineer, Zack Marin, says he no longer has to detail basic specifications; instead, he can focus on performance issues that involve voltage, frequency, torque and speed requirements. Marin says what he appreciates most is how Baldor engineers listen and then deliver. “We build small, very specialized products, and we usually ask for voltages that are very uncommon,” explains Marin. “Sometimes we ask for almost the impossible – so much power coming out of a small package. After rotors have been attached to pump brackets, they are ready for final assembly. 8 | Solutions Magazine | Number 8 “This is critical because at the end of the motor shell, there is an O-ring that seals the pump, and if it’s scratched, it can leak,” explains Wright. “If fuel leaks on a big diesel engine, you can end up with a fire. In the past, it’s been tough for us to get motor manufacturers to understand this critical issue. But not the Westville plant, because these employees pay attention to all of the details.” “Sometimes we ask for almost the impossible – so much power coming out of a small package. But again and again, Baldor has met these challenges.” Zack Marin, senior electrical engineer, Paragon Products According to Paragon officials, one of the reasons why the two companies have a great relationship is the way Baldor engineers took time to study the application to fully understand the complexity of a motor that is fully submerged in fuel. They appreciate the way Baldor engineers tested the varnish on the wires and insulation and the way the motor is laced to ensure that every component of the motor will perform and last for 10 years. Number 8 | Solutions Magazine | 9 F e at u r e s F e at u r e s when Cesena says she needs something from Baldor, she gets it. “You guys are very easy and pleasant to do business with, and it’s such a nice change from other motor vendors,” says Cesena. “In the past it was often frustrating getting what we needed, when we needed it. But Baldor is so responsive, and it’s such a nice change.” Calling Baldor flexible and reliable, Cesena says when Paragon really needs help on a project, the Baldor team will pull together to get it done. She says it’s that kind of support that has led to a very trusting relationship. Each Paragon product is thoroughly tested in-house prior to being shipped to the customer. This test, the first of many, is designed to check all seams and welds to make sure there are no leaks. “We get the feeling that we are important to Baldor – that’s how they treat us,” says Cesena. “We trust Baldor because time and time again they have come through for us, proving that they care about our success.” “We trust Baldor because time and time again they have come through for us, proving that they care about our success.” Sharon Cesena, materials manager, Paragon Products Wright was equally impressed with the Westville plant when Paragon needed help packaging a stator into an aluminum housing for the first time. Paragon’s customer needed the product quickly, which meant Paragon would only have one chance to get it right and meet the deadline. Wright says his engineering team believed all its calculations were correct but was relieved when Baldor invited one of its technicians to travel to the plant, so they could work on it together. Paragon officials say Baldor employees have done a great job in the special handling that is required to keep all the surfaces smooth for the Paragon product. A minor imperfection can have serious consequences for a motor in a fuel pump, and officials say they are impressed with the way Baldor employees pay attention to all the right details. 10 | Solutions Magazine | Number 8 “This is something Baldor knows how to do, and they wanted to help us get it right,” explains Wright. “We might have been able to figure it out on our own, but there was no room for error. The folks at the plant helped us get it done, and without this kind of support, this project could have gone very wrong. The bottom line is that with Baldor’s help we got it right, and we got it to the customer on time – making it a huge success.” A Good Partner Makes Your Life Easier Paragon’s Materials Manager, Sharon Cesena, deals with Baldor as much, or perhaps more, than anyone else in the company because she’s the one who sets the master production schedule, secures inventory and expedites orders. From the beginning to the end of each project, Cesena is the conduit between Paragon and Baldor, making sure everything runs smoothly. And Paragon fuel transfer pumps with Baldor brushless AC motors are maintenance-free and provide installation versatility and reliable performance. Number 8 | Solutions Magazine | 11 F e at u r e s F e at u r e s when Cesena says she needs something from Baldor, she gets it. “You guys are very easy and pleasant to do business with, and it’s such a nice change from other motor vendors,” says Cesena. “In the past it was often frustrating getting what we needed, when we needed it. But Baldor is so responsive, and it’s such a nice change.” Calling Baldor flexible and reliable, Cesena says when Paragon really needs help on a project, the Baldor team will pull together to get it done. She says it’s that kind of support that has led to a very trusting relationship. Each Paragon product is thoroughly tested in-house prior to being shipped to the customer. This test, the first of many, is designed to check all seams and welds to make sure there are no leaks. “We get the feeling that we are important to Baldor – that’s how they treat us,” says Cesena. “We trust Baldor because time and time again they have come through for us, proving that they care about our success.” “We trust Baldor because time and time again they have come through for us, proving that they care about our success.” Sharon Cesena, materials manager, Paragon Products Wright was equally impressed with the Westville plant when Paragon needed help packaging a stator into an aluminum housing for the first time. Paragon’s customer needed the product quickly, which meant Paragon would only have one chance to get it right and meet the deadline. Wright says his engineering team believed all its calculations were correct but was relieved when Baldor invited one of its technicians to travel to the plant, so they could work on it together. Paragon officials say Baldor employees have done a great job in the special handling that is required to keep all the surfaces smooth for the Paragon product. A minor imperfection can have serious consequences for a motor in a fuel pump, and officials say they are impressed with the way Baldor employees pay attention to all the right details. 10 | Solutions Magazine | Number 8 “This is something Baldor knows how to do, and they wanted to help us get it right,” explains Wright. “We might have been able to figure it out on our own, but there was no room for error. The folks at the plant helped us get it done, and without this kind of support, this project could have gone very wrong. The bottom line is that with Baldor’s help we got it right, and we got it to the customer on time – making it a huge success.” A Good Partner Makes Your Life Easier Paragon’s Materials Manager, Sharon Cesena, deals with Baldor as much, or perhaps more, than anyone else in the company because she’s the one who sets the master production schedule, secures inventory and expedites orders. From the beginning to the end of each project, Cesena is the conduit between Paragon and Baldor, making sure everything runs smoothly. And Paragon fuel transfer pumps with Baldor brushless AC motors are maintenance-free and provide installation versatility and reliable performance. Number 8 | Solutions Magazine | 11 F e at u r e s F e at u r e s Baldor Products Improve Reliability Critical Fuel Enhancement System at Great River Energy’s Coal Creek Station of Failing gearboxes on conveyors feeding dried coal into the furnace threatened the reliability of the system. In 2009, the plant’s maintenance team installed size 168 Baldor•Dodge Quantis right-angle helical bevel gear drives. The team reports these units have performed without fail and only require regularly scheduled maintenance. ® Great River Energy is owned by 28 electric distribution cooperatives throughout Minnesota, making it the second largest power producer in the state. ® Coal burns; water doesn’t. That is the founding principle behind DryFining™, an innovative technology developed by Great River Energy and partners to reduce the moisture and refine lignite coal. Lignite, a softer coal that naturally contains more water, is transformed through this unique process into a product with increased energy density that burns cleaner and improves overall power plant efficiency. In 2009, after years of research and development, Great River Energy installed the DryFining system at 12 | Solutions Magazine | Number 8 its Coal Creek Station power plant, located in Underwood, North Dakota. Today, 7.5 million tons of lignite per year is DryFined at Coal Creek Station, yielding more energy with less emissions. But from the beginning, issues with failing gearboxes on coal conveyors in the new facility threatened the reliability of the system, a situation that needed to be remedied to ensure maximum uptime. Damian Meier, maintenance mechanic and coal drying specialist at Coal Creek Station, says there were two different problems he and the rest of the team had to deal with. “Initially we were having temperature problems with the gearboxes,” explains Meier. “The duty cycle on this box was rated for the load they were carrying, but they were overheating. Another problem we had to deal with was twisting and breaking shafts.” First, the maintenance team tried installing a larger size of the same gearbox, in essence over-sizing the Number 8 | Solutions Magazine | 13 F e at u r e s F e at u r e s Baldor Products Improve Reliability Critical Fuel Enhancement System at Great River Energy’s Coal Creek Station of Failing gearboxes on conveyors feeding dried coal into the furnace threatened the reliability of the system. In 2009, the plant’s maintenance team installed size 168 Baldor•Dodge Quantis right-angle helical bevel gear drives. The team reports these units have performed without fail and only require regularly scheduled maintenance. ® Great River Energy is owned by 28 electric distribution cooperatives throughout Minnesota, making it the second largest power producer in the state. ® Coal burns; water doesn’t. That is the founding principle behind DryFining™, an innovative technology developed by Great River Energy and partners to reduce the moisture and refine lignite coal. Lignite, a softer coal that naturally contains more water, is transformed through this unique process into a product with increased energy density that burns cleaner and improves overall power plant efficiency. In 2009, after years of research and development, Great River Energy installed the DryFining system at 12 | Solutions Magazine | Number 8 its Coal Creek Station power plant, located in Underwood, North Dakota. Today, 7.5 million tons of lignite per year is DryFined at Coal Creek Station, yielding more energy with less emissions. But from the beginning, issues with failing gearboxes on coal conveyors in the new facility threatened the reliability of the system, a situation that needed to be remedied to ensure maximum uptime. Damian Meier, maintenance mechanic and coal drying specialist at Coal Creek Station, says there were two different problems he and the rest of the team had to deal with. “Initially we were having temperature problems with the gearboxes,” explains Meier. “The duty cycle on this box was rated for the load they were carrying, but they were overheating. Another problem we had to deal with was twisting and breaking shafts.” First, the maintenance team tried installing a larger size of the same gearbox, in essence over-sizing the Number 8 | Solutions Magazine | 13 F e at u r e s F e at u r e s gearbox to ensure it could more than handle the load. But that didn’t solve all of the problems. And while failing gearboxes never prevented the plant from drying coal, Meier says they could have, and he and the rest of the maintenance team worried about it all of the time. Dockter calls the gear reducer exceptional and bases his opinion on the way the reducer performs in one of the hottest locations in the plant, close to where coal is delivered to the dryers. He says this area can be as hot as 100 degrees in the winter and can reach 120 degrees in the summer. “This was a constant concern because it’s our responsibility to keep the coal flowing,” says Meier. “We understand that we need to always be up and running – that we can’t afford to be shut down. We were under pressure to solve the problem and get this right.” “In the past, the competitor’s gearbox ran so hot that it was just not pulling the belt the way it should,” explains Dockter. “We just knew that we would really burn through reducers in this “Since we installed these Quantis units, we have not had one problem – not one issue.” location. However, despite the heat, the Quantis unit maintains a constant operating temperature – it just runs great with no issues.” Based on the success with Quantis reducers, when the plant ordered a new transfer hopper, Dockter and Meier specified Baldor products on the equipment. The transfer hopper drops wet coal on the feed belts leading to the dryers. Meier says they changed systems so they could better control the flow of coal. Damian Meier, maintenance mechanic and coal drying specialist, Coal Creek Station Local Motion Industries Branch Manager Craig Taylor and Baldor’s Dodge Mechanical Sales Engineer, Jeff Schall, both frequent visitors to the plant, were asked to come up with a solution. Les Dockter, the plant’s welder mechanic and coal drying specialist, says these two went through everything on the conveyors to figure out what was needed. “Installing the Dodge gearboxes has taken the pressure off of us,” says Dockter. “These products are giving us the reliability that we need; plus, they don’t require a lot of attention. We really appreciate the great service we get from Craig and Jeff in helping us be successful.” “We get exceptional service from Craig and Jeff, and they have always been very helpful,” says Dockter. “We’re also familiar with Baldor’s Dodge® brand of gearing, so when they proposed installing Dodge Quantis® gear reducers, we were open to the suggestion. They were both convinced that this was the solution, so we decided to install them.” Initially, four Quantis reducers were installed on coal conveyors feeding dried coal into the furnace, with each unit pulling 250 feet of conveyor. The next unit was installed on a 325-foot conveyor that feeds wet coal into two dryers. Since their installation in 2009, Meier says, they have not had one moment of concern. “Since we installed these Quantis units, we have not had one problem – not one issue,” says Meier. “They are easy to take care of, and really all we do is our regular preventive maintenance, like sampling oil and taking vibrations tests. We just don’t have to do much with them.” 14 | Solutions Magazine | Number 8 Based on the success with Quantis reducers, plant officials specified Baldor equipment on a new coal transfer hopper. The OEM chose Baldor’s Dodge MagnaGear reducer, a power-dense, heavy duty reducer well suited for a variety of high torque applications. Designed for greater torque density in a compact housing, the Quantis RHB product features a helicalbevel-helical gear train that offers cost-effective, high- and low-speed solutions. Replacing failing gearboxes with the size 168 Quantis units has meant no unplanned downtime at the plant. The maintenance team responsible for keeping coal running reports that since installing the units, it has not had one moment of concern because the units run great with no issues. “We ordered this piece about a year after we installed the Quantis units,” explains Meier. “We told the OEM that since the Dodge reducers were working so well for us, we would like a similar Dodge gearbox on these feeders. The equipment was delivered with four 100K MagnaGear™ reducers coupled with 20 HP Baldor•Reliance® motors.” Both Meier and Dockter report that since replacing problem reducers with Dodge gearing, they no longer worry about conveyors. Neither of them miss the stress involved in scrambling to repair gearboxes to keep coal flowing. Dockter says maximizing uptime is even more critical now, as additional plants will soon be relying on Coal Creek Station to supply them dry coal. A total of four MagnaGear reducers coupled with Baldor•Reliance motors power the transfer hopper that drops wet coal on the feed belts leading to the dryers. Maintenance team members say the new system allows them to better control the flow of the coal. Number 8 | Solutions Magazine | 15 F e at u r e s F e at u r e s gearbox to ensure it could more than handle the load. But that didn’t solve all of the problems. And while failing gearboxes never prevented the plant from drying coal, Meier says they could have, and he and the rest of the maintenance team worried about it all of the time. Dockter calls the gear reducer exceptional and bases his opinion on the way the reducer performs in one of the hottest locations in the plant, close to where coal is delivered to the dryers. He says this area can be as hot as 100 degrees in the winter and can reach 120 degrees in the summer. “This was a constant concern because it’s our responsibility to keep the coal flowing,” says Meier. “We understand that we need to always be up and running – that we can’t afford to be shut down. We were under pressure to solve the problem and get this right.” “In the past, the competitor’s gearbox ran so hot that it was just not pulling the belt the way it should,” explains Dockter. “We just knew that we would really burn through reducers in this “Since we installed these Quantis units, we have not had one problem – not one issue.” location. However, despite the heat, the Quantis unit maintains a constant operating temperature – it just runs great with no issues.” Based on the success with Quantis reducers, when the plant ordered a new transfer hopper, Dockter and Meier specified Baldor products on the equipment. The transfer hopper drops wet coal on the feed belts leading to the dryers. Meier says they changed systems so they could better control the flow of coal. Damian Meier, maintenance mechanic and coal drying specialist, Coal Creek Station Local Motion Industries Branch Manager Craig Taylor and Baldor’s Dodge Mechanical Sales Engineer, Jeff Schall, both frequent visitors to the plant, were asked to come up with a solution. Les Dockter, the plant’s welder mechanic and coal drying specialist, says these two went through everything on the conveyors to figure out what was needed. “Installing the Dodge gearboxes has taken the pressure off of us,” says Dockter. “These products are giving us the reliability that we need; plus, they don’t require a lot of attention. We really appreciate the great service we get from Craig and Jeff in helping us be successful.” “We get exceptional service from Craig and Jeff, and they have always been very helpful,” says Dockter. “We’re also familiar with Baldor’s Dodge® brand of gearing, so when they proposed installing Dodge Quantis® gear reducers, we were open to the suggestion. They were both convinced that this was the solution, so we decided to install them.” Initially, four Quantis reducers were installed on coal conveyors feeding dried coal into the furnace, with each unit pulling 250 feet of conveyor. The next unit was installed on a 325-foot conveyor that feeds wet coal into two dryers. Since their installation in 2009, Meier says, they have not had one moment of concern. “Since we installed these Quantis units, we have not had one problem – not one issue,” says Meier. “They are easy to take care of, and really all we do is our regular preventive maintenance, like sampling oil and taking vibrations tests. We just don’t have to do much with them.” 14 | Solutions Magazine | Number 8 Based on the success with Quantis reducers, plant officials specified Baldor equipment on a new coal transfer hopper. The OEM chose Baldor’s Dodge MagnaGear reducer, a power-dense, heavy duty reducer well suited for a variety of high torque applications. Designed for greater torque density in a compact housing, the Quantis RHB product features a helicalbevel-helical gear train that offers cost-effective, high- and low-speed solutions. Replacing failing gearboxes with the size 168 Quantis units has meant no unplanned downtime at the plant. The maintenance team responsible for keeping coal running reports that since installing the units, it has not had one moment of concern because the units run great with no issues. “We ordered this piece about a year after we installed the Quantis units,” explains Meier. “We told the OEM that since the Dodge reducers were working so well for us, we would like a similar Dodge gearbox on these feeders. The equipment was delivered with four 100K MagnaGear™ reducers coupled with 20 HP Baldor•Reliance® motors.” Both Meier and Dockter report that since replacing problem reducers with Dodge gearing, they no longer worry about conveyors. Neither of them miss the stress involved in scrambling to repair gearboxes to keep coal flowing. Dockter says maximizing uptime is even more critical now, as additional plants will soon be relying on Coal Creek Station to supply them dry coal. A total of four MagnaGear reducers coupled with Baldor•Reliance motors power the transfer hopper that drops wet coal on the feed belts leading to the dryers. Maintenance team members say the new system allows them to better control the flow of the coal. Number 8 | Solutions Magazine | 15 F e at u r e s F e at u r e s Installing Baldor's ® Dodge ULTRA KLEEN Ball Bearings Moves Machine from Least Reliable to Most Reliable at the ConAgra Foods ® Lamb Weston Potato Products Plant 16 | Solutions Magazine | Number 8 Number 8 | Solutions Magazine | 17 F e at u r e s F e at u r e s Installing Baldor's ® Dodge ULTRA KLEEN Ball Bearings Moves Machine from Least Reliable to Most Reliable at the ConAgra Foods ® Lamb Weston Potato Products Plant 16 | Solutions Magazine | Number 8 Number 8 | Solutions Magazine | 17 F e at u r e s ConAgra Foods is dedicated to making the food people love and doing so in an environmentally responsible way. F e at u r e s As part of its sustainability strategy, the company has set aggressive goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, water usage, waste and packaging. In an effort to help achieve those goals, the company is working with its supply chain to encourage continuous plant improvements, partnering with suppliers that deliver innovative products that increase plant efficiency. Jake Washburn, procurement manager for ConAgra Foods’ Lamb Weston, a leading producer of quality frozen potato, sweet potato and other vegetable products, says it’s not about finding the cheapest products, but rather the products that will reduce total cost of ownership. He says the company is looking for partners that will help it with its goal to increase continuous improvement savings. “It’s amazing how this machine has moved from least reliable to most reliable just by changing bearings.” Colin Walters, plant maintenance manager, Lamb Weston potato products plant “The best suppliers offer solutions versus sales, and we want a partner who will share their industry and product knowledge and bring us up-time opportunities,” says Washburn. “We want reliable products that will prevent unplanned downtime and increase our operational equipment effectiveness. At the end of the day, if we keep our plant up and running, it helps drive our efficiencies and helps reduce waste.” Bearing failures on this roll sizer machine were causing significant downtime at the Lamb Weston potato products plant. After installing Baldor’s Dodge ULTRA KLEEN stainless steel ball bearings, this machine went from being the least reliable to the most reliable. 18 | Solutions Magazine | Number 8 In early 2010, increasing plant uptime became a major project at the Lamb Weston potato products plant in Connell, Washington. This plant makes french fries and other potato products primarily for the commercial Baldor•Dodge ULTRA KLEEN stainless ball bearings feature stainless steel inserts and are 100% filled with H1 food-grade grease. The patented QuadGuard™ sealing system and the exclusive Maxlife™ cage help retain lubrication and prevent washout in wet environments. ® marketplace. Plant Maintenance Manager Colin Walters worked with a corporate team to identify the top downtime-producing pieces of equipment in the plant. They pored over data that had been collected over a two-year period, identifying equipment failures and whether the downtime was associated with operational issues or if it was a mechanical or electrical failure. Walters says the numbers pointed to a piece of equipment called a roll sizer as one of the least reliable pieces of equipment in the plant. failures led to bearing failures, which sometimes damaged other drive components. “Because the bearings were always at different states of wear on this machine, they caused uneven wear on sprockets, and failures with drives and chains,” says Walters. “We believed that if we installed a better bearing, we could significantly reduce downtime on this machine.” “In fiscal year 2010, the plant ran 48 weeks of production,” explains Walters. “During 29 of those 48 weeks, we experienced at least one downtime event on this roll sizer, which added up to 2,700 minutes of capacity loss. We took a closer look and found that the majority of the failures were related to the bearings on the machine.” To help find that better bearing, Walters called Jeff Stroben at Applied Industrial Technology’s Pasco Service Center. Stroben, who has called on the Connell plant for the past 21 years, visited, discussed the issues and took a closer look. He says poor sealing was the primary factor in bearing failure. Once he understood the problem, he says, he had a good idea of what would work. There are 22 bearings on the roll sizer, one on each end of the 11 tapered rollers that drop cleaned and peeled potatoes by size into the appropriate flume, carrying them to the knives to be cut into fries. Walters says sealing “I recommended the new Baldor•Dodge ULTRA KLEEN stainless steel ball bearing,” says Stroben. “This bearing offered a patented triple-lip sealing system plus a new cage design that holds in the grease and prevents it from Number 8 | Solutions Magazine | 19 F e at u r e s ConAgra Foods is dedicated to making the food people love and doing so in an environmentally responsible way. F e at u r e s As part of its sustainability strategy, the company has set aggressive goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, water usage, waste and packaging. In an effort to help achieve those goals, the company is working with its supply chain to encourage continuous plant improvements, partnering with suppliers that deliver innovative products that increase plant efficiency. Jake Washburn, procurement manager for ConAgra Foods’ Lamb Weston, a leading producer of quality frozen potato, sweet potato and other vegetable products, says it’s not about finding the cheapest products, but rather the products that will reduce total cost of ownership. He says the company is looking for partners that will help it with its goal to increase continuous improvement savings. “It’s amazing how this machine has moved from least reliable to most reliable just by changing bearings.” Colin Walters, plant maintenance manager, Lamb Weston potato products plant “The best suppliers offer solutions versus sales, and we want a partner who will share their industry and product knowledge and bring us up-time opportunities,” says Washburn. “We want reliable products that will prevent unplanned downtime and increase our operational equipment effectiveness. At the end of the day, if we keep our plant up and running, it helps drive our efficiencies and helps reduce waste.” Bearing failures on this roll sizer machine were causing significant downtime at the Lamb Weston potato products plant. After installing Baldor’s Dodge ULTRA KLEEN stainless steel ball bearings, this machine went from being the least reliable to the most reliable. 18 | Solutions Magazine | Number 8 In early 2010, increasing plant uptime became a major project at the Lamb Weston potato products plant in Connell, Washington. This plant makes french fries and other potato products primarily for the commercial Baldor•Dodge ULTRA KLEEN stainless ball bearings feature stainless steel inserts and are 100% filled with H1 food-grade grease. The patented QuadGuard™ sealing system and the exclusive Maxlife™ cage help retain lubrication and prevent washout in wet environments. ® marketplace. Plant Maintenance Manager Colin Walters worked with a corporate team to identify the top downtime-producing pieces of equipment in the plant. They pored over data that had been collected over a two-year period, identifying equipment failures and whether the downtime was associated with operational issues or if it was a mechanical or electrical failure. Walters says the numbers pointed to a piece of equipment called a roll sizer as one of the least reliable pieces of equipment in the plant. failures led to bearing failures, which sometimes damaged other drive components. “Because the bearings were always at different states of wear on this machine, they caused uneven wear on sprockets, and failures with drives and chains,” says Walters. “We believed that if we installed a better bearing, we could significantly reduce downtime on this machine.” “In fiscal year 2010, the plant ran 48 weeks of production,” explains Walters. “During 29 of those 48 weeks, we experienced at least one downtime event on this roll sizer, which added up to 2,700 minutes of capacity loss. We took a closer look and found that the majority of the failures were related to the bearings on the machine.” To help find that better bearing, Walters called Jeff Stroben at Applied Industrial Technologies' Pasco Service Center. Stroben, who has called on the Connell plant for the past 21 years, visited, discussed the issues and took a closer look. He says poor sealing was the primary factor in bearing failure. Once he understood the problem, he says, he had a good idea of what would work. There are 22 bearings on the roll sizer, one on each end of the 11 tapered rollers that drop cleaned and peeled potatoes by size into the appropriate flume, carrying them to the knives to be cut into fries. Walters says sealing “I recommended the new Baldor•Dodge ULTRA KLEEN stainless steel ball bearing,” says Stroben. “This bearing offered a patented triple-lip sealing system plus a new cage design that holds in the grease and prevents it from Number 8 | Solutions Magazine | 19 F e at u r e s F e at u r e s environment, but these bearings hold up to all of it.” Walters is proud that the solution found for this machine is helping the plant move closer to achieving the company’s sustainability goals, a success that has been shared with continuous improvement teams throughout the company. He is also happy to report that the roll sizer has been removed from the tracking list, allowing the maintenance team to focus on other projects. “In the past, keeping this roll sizer up and running was a real challenge,” says Walters. “Unplanned downtime is costly in so many ways, and it's also very disruptive to the planned preventive maintenance work that we do in the plant. With this problem solved, we can move to other improvement projects. Solving the problem has been a big win for us.” Eleven tapered rollers on this roll sizer machine drop clean potatoes by size into the appropriate flume, carrying them to the next step in the process. Before making the conversion to the Baldor•Dodge ULTRA KLEEN product, bearings on both ends of the rollers were failing due to sealing issues. ® ConAgra Foods® Standardizes on Baldor’s Dodge Mounted Bearings The success achieved at a ConAgra Foods Lamb Weston potato products plant is a success that ConAgra Foods wants repeated in all of its facilities throughout North America. That’s why ConAgra Foods, with help from its distributor partner Applied Industrial Technologies, has standardized on Baldor’s Dodge mounted ball bearings as part of its newly launched MRO strategy. Lamb Weston Plant Maintenance Engineer Colin Walters says he is impressed with the quality of the engineering work done on the ULTRA KLEEN bearing, from the way the bearing is sealed to the Maxlife cage design. He calls it a superior bearing that offers superior performance. being washed out. I believed this bearing had a good chance of succeeding in this application.” At first, Walters considered only changing out half the bearings, but then quickly decided that in order to get an accurate comparison, all of them needed to be changed. It didn’t take long for him to realize that he had made the right decision. 20 | Solutions Magazine | Number 8 “Since installing these Dodge bearings in the first week of August 2010, we have had no downtime event caused by bearings on this machine,” says Walters. “Again, the numbers tell the story about this success, because we have run the plant 56 consecutive weeks without experiencing any bearing or drive type failures. It’s amazing how this machine has moved from least reliable to most reliable just by changing bearings.” As a mechanical engineer, Walters is impressed with the quality of the engineering work done on the ULTRA KLEEN bearing, from the way the bearing is sealed to the Maxlife™ cage design. He calls it a superior bearing that offers superior performance. “This is a very tough application due to the natural vibration of the machine," explains Walters.” It’s also a very wet Mathew Boots, ConAgra Foods’ procurement manager, says the initiative is focused on total cost of ownership, choosing products that offer solutions instead of just focusing on price. During the selection process, Boots says, other bearing manufacturers participated and were considered, but Baldor’s Dodge bearings were chosen because they offered what he describes as the best quality-to-cost ratio. “While this is not a formal equation, it does help us determine what something will cost us in the long run,” explains Boots. “We believe Dodge bearings offer quality and reliability and will ultimately deliver cost savings by increasing operational equipment effectiveness (OEE), which to us means we’ll have less downtime.” Another reason for selecting this product line, according to Boots, is the added value that Baldor and AIT will offer ConAgra Foods plants all over North America. He says part of the value will come from Baldor’s continued research and development of new and innovative products, and the other part will come from field support. “Our plants will have full access to Baldor and AIT experts who will help identify ways to improve our processes and applications,” says Boots. “By offering solutions, this partnership will be able to deliver the continuous improvement cost savings back to us, helping us achieve our goals.” Today, ConAgra Foods plants are using a wide variety of bearings from assorted manufacturers. But Boots believes that standardizing on what he describes as the best bearing is the right strategy. He’s confident it will work because of the positive numbers from a couple of plants that have already started to use the bearings, like the Connell, Washington, plant. “Here is a plant that has less downtime and really high numbers on the OEE scale,” says Boots. “That’s great news, but what about all the other plants? If we can help all our facilities be this successful, then the win is so much bigger – that’s the goal of standardizing on Dodge bearings.” ConAgra Foods, headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is one of North America’s leading food companies, with brands in 97% of American households. Number 8 | Solutions Magazine | 21 F e at u r e s F e at u r e s environment, but these bearings hold up to all of it.” Walters is proud that the solution found for this machine is helping the plant move closer to achieving the company’s sustainability goals, a success that has been shared with continuous improvement teams throughout the company. He is also happy to report that the roll sizer has been removed from the tracking list, allowing the maintenance team to focus on other projects. “In the past, keeping this roll sizer up and running was a real challenge,” says Walters. “Unplanned downtime is costly in so many ways, and it's also very disruptive to the planned preventive maintenance work that we do in the plant. With this problem solved, we can move to other improvement projects. Solving the problem has been a big win for us.” Eleven tapered rollers on this roll sizer machine drop clean potatoes by size into the appropriate flume, carrying them to the next step in the process. Before making the conversion to the Baldor•Dodge ULTRA KLEEN product, bearings on both ends of the rollers were failing due to sealing issues. ® ConAgra Foods® Standardizes on Baldor’s Dodge Mounted Bearings The success achieved at a ConAgra Foods Lamb Weston potato products plant is a success that ConAgra Foods wants repeated in all of its facilities throughout North America. That’s why ConAgra Foods, with help from its distributor partner Applied Industrial Technologies, has standardized on Baldor’s Dodge mounted ball bearings as part of its newly launched MRO strategy. Lamb Weston Plant Maintenance Engineer Colin Walters says he is impressed with the quality of the engineering work done on the ULTRA KLEEN bearing, from the way the bearing is sealed to the Maxlife cage design. He calls it a superior bearing that offers superior performance. being washed out. I believed this bearing had a good chance of succeeding in this application.” At first, Walters considered only changing out half the bearings, but then quickly decided that in order to get an accurate comparison, all of them needed to be changed. It didn’t take long for him to realize that he had made the right decision. 20 | Solutions Magazine | Number 8 “Since installing these Dodge bearings in the first week of August 2010, we have had no downtime event caused by bearings on this machine,” says Walters. “Again, the numbers tell the story about this success, because we have run the plant 56 consecutive weeks without experiencing any bearing or drive type failures. It’s amazing how this machine has moved from least reliable to most reliable just by changing bearings.” As a mechanical engineer, Walters is impressed with the quality of the engineering work done on the ULTRA KLEEN bearing, from the way the bearing is sealed to the Maxlife™ cage design. He calls it a superior bearing that offers superior performance. “This is a very tough application due to the natural vibration of the machine," explains Walters.” It’s also a very wet Mathew Boots, ConAgra Foods’ procurement manager, says the initiative is focused on total cost of ownership, choosing products that offer solutions instead of just focusing on price. During the selection process, Boots says, other bearing manufacturers participated and were considered, but Baldor’s Dodge bearings were chosen because they offered what he describes as the best quality-to-cost ratio. “While this is not a formal equation, it does help us determine what something will cost us in the long run,” explains Boots. “We believe Dodge bearings offer quality and reliability and will ultimately deliver cost savings by increasing operational equipment effectiveness (OEE), which to us means we’ll have less downtime.” Another reason for selecting this product line, according to Boots, is the added value that Baldor and AIT will offer ConAgra Foods plants all over North America. He says part of the value will come from Baldor’s continued research and development of new and innovative products, and the other part will come from field support. “Our plants will have full access to Baldor and AIT experts who will help identify ways to improve our processes and applications,” says Boots. “By offering solutions, this partnership will be able to deliver the continuous improvement cost savings back to us, helping us achieve our goals.” Today, ConAgra Foods plants are using a wide variety of bearings from assorted manufacturers. But Boots believes that standardizing on what he describes as the best bearing is the right strategy. He’s confident it will work because of the positive numbers from a couple of plants that have already started to use the bearings, like the Connell, Washington, plant. “Here is a plant that has less downtime and really high numbers on the OEE scale,” says Boots. “That’s great news, but what about all the other plants? If we can help all our facilities be this successful, then the win is so much bigger – that’s the goal of standardizing on Dodge bearings.” ConAgra Foods, headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is one of North America’s leading food companies, with brands in 97% of American households. Number 8 | Solutions Magazine | 21 Basin Electric Power Plant Selects Baldor Equipment to Prevent Unplanned Downtime 24 | Solutions Magazine | Number 8 Number 8 | Solutions Magazine | 25 Basin Electric Power Plant Selects Baldor Equipment to Prevent Unplanned Downtime 24 | Solutions Magazine | Number 8 Number 8 | Solutions Magazine | 25 F e at u r e s F e at u r e s “Since being installed in the fall of 2009, the Quantis reducers have performed flawlessly.” Dave Soma, mechanical supervisor, Leland Olds Station job done. We knew this was not a good situation, and we decided that we needed to do something about it.” What they did was call on a trusted distributor to find them a reliable solution. Craig Taylor, the manager of the Motion Industries branch in Bismarck, North Dakota, was a frequent visitor at the plant and had helped Soma and his team with several other projects. Taylor, familiar with the issue of the failing units, didn’t hesitate to recommend Baldor’s Dodge® Quantis® right-angle helical bevel gear reducer. “I have had really good success using Dodge Quantis gearboxes in many other customer locations over the past six years,” explains Taylor. “They have such a good service record that there was no question about what the plant needed. I was so confident that the Dodge reducer was the right solution – I didn’t look at any other gearbox for the LOS project.” But Taylor recommended more than just the gearbox. For maximum reliability, he suggested a complete Baldor package that, in addition to the Quantis reducer, also included a Baldor•Reliance Super-E premium efficient explosion-proof motor, a Dodge pulley and shafting, and Dodge ISAF bearings. Taylor chose to work with Baldor’s System-1 group, a team that facilitates the design, quotation and order processing of multiple power transmission and electrical products into a completely packaged solution. Taylor says it’s a real benefit to deal with one company and get one quote; plus, he believes the customer gets a much better package and a better price. Soma and other plant officials agreed, and they ordered six of them. ™ Since being installed in the fall of 2009, Quantis right-angle helical bevel (RHB) reducers, coupled with Baldor•Reliance Super-E premium efficient explosionproof motors, have performed flawlessly. Maintenance team members say these units run great and only require regularly scheduled maintenance. ® Dave Soma, the mechanical supervisor at Leland Olds Station, a coal-fired power plant near Stanton, North Dakota, says he and his maintenance team care deeply about keeping the plant running and providing people electricity, especially in the dead of winter. That’s why in 2009 he and his team began looking for a better gearbox to use on the plant’s coal conveyors. The plant is owned by Basin Electric Power Cooperative, one of the largest electric generation and transmission cooperatives in the United States, generating and transmitting wholesale bulk electric power to 2.8 million customers in nine states. 24 | Solutions Magazine | Number 8 Leland Olds Station went on-line in 1966; unit two began commercial operation in 1975. Originally, chain cases were used on gearboxes, but due to issues with grease and improving plant cleanliness, it switched to belt drives. According to Soma, the change from chains to belts added too much tension and overloaded the bearings in the gearboxes, and that’s when the maintenance headaches began. “For years, we have been playing musical gearboxes on these conveyors,” says Soma. “We would take a failing gearbox off and replace it with our spare, and hope that we could fix the gearbox before we needed the spare somewhere ® else on the line. Most of the time, we were scrambling to make these things work and keep the conveyors running.” Extra time was also needed to realign belts after a gearbox was installed, a job Soma describes as critical, requiring skill, time and effort. The change-outs were also complicated because of where the gearboxes are located: confined, hardto-reach spaces, with not much room to work. “This was a big deal because failing gearboxes threatened our ability to generate power,” explains Soma. “While we never did lose generation, we had to sweat it out a few times to get the In the past, keeping coal conveyors running was a constant concern for the plant’s maintenance team because of consistently failing gearboxes. That’s why in 2009 plant officials installed a more reliable product, Baldor’s Dodge Quantis reducers. Number 8 | Solutions Magazine | 25 F e at u r e s F e at u r e s “Since being installed in the fall of 2009, the Quantis reducers have performed flawlessly.” Dave Soma, mechanical supervisor, Leland Olds Station job done. We knew this was not a good situation, and we decided that we needed to do something about it.” What they did was call on a trusted distributor to find them a reliable solution. Craig Taylor, the manager of the Motion Industries branch in Bismarck, North Dakota, was a frequent visitor at the plant and had helped Soma and his team with several other projects. Taylor, familiar with the issue of the failing units, didn’t hesitate to recommend Baldor’s Dodge® Quantis® right-angle helical bevel gear reducer. “I have had really good success using Dodge Quantis gearboxes in many other customer locations over the past six years,” explains Taylor. “They have such a good service record that there was no question about what the plant needed. I was so confident that the Dodge reducer was the right solution – I didn’t look at any other gearbox for the LOS project.” But Taylor recommended more than just the gearbox. For maximum reliability, he suggested a complete Baldor package that, in addition to the Quantis reducer, also included a Baldor•Reliance Super-E premium efficient explosion-proof motor, a Dodge pulley and shafting, and Dodge ISAF bearings. Taylor chose to work with Baldor’s System-1 group, a team that facilitates the design, quotation and order processing of multiple power transmission and electrical products into a completely packaged solution. Taylor says it’s a real benefit to deal with one company and get one quote; plus, he believes the customer gets a much better package and a better price. Soma and other plant officials agreed, and they ordered six of them. ™ Since being installed in the fall of 2009, Quantis right-angle helical bevel (RHB) reducers, coupled with Baldor•Reliance Super-E premium efficient explosionproof motors, have performed flawlessly. Maintenance team members say these units run great and only require regularly scheduled maintenance. ® Dave Soma, the mechanical supervisor at Leland Olds Station, a coal-fired power plant near Stanton, North Dakota, says he and his maintenance team care deeply about keeping the plant running and providing people electricity, especially in the dead of winter. That’s why in 2009 he and his team began looking for a better gearbox to use on the plant’s coal conveyors. The plant is owned by Basin Electric Power Cooperative, one of the largest electric generation and transmission cooperatives in the United States, generating and transmitting wholesale bulk electric power to 2.8 million customers in nine states. 24 | Solutions Magazine | Number 8 Leland Olds Station went on-line in 1966; unit two began commercial operation in 1975. Originally, chain cases were used on gearboxes, but due to issues with grease and improving plant cleanliness, it switched to belt drives. According to Soma, the change from chains to belts added too much tension and overloaded the bearings in the gearboxes, and that’s when the maintenance headaches began. “For years, we have been playing musical gearboxes on these conveyors,” says Soma. “We would take a failing gearbox off and replace it with our spare, and hope that we could fix the gearbox before we needed the spare somewhere ® else on the line. Most of the time, we were scrambling to make these things work and keep the conveyors running.” Extra time was also needed to realign belts after a gearbox was installed, a job Soma describes as critical, requiring skill, time and effort. The change-outs were also complicated because of where the gearboxes are located: confined, hardto-reach spaces, with not much room to work. “This was a big deal because failing gearboxes threatened our ability to generate power,” explains Soma. “While we never did lose generation, we had to sweat it out a few times to get the In the past, keeping coal conveyors running was a constant concern for the plant’s maintenance team because of consistently failing gearboxes. That’s why in 2009 plant officials installed a more reliable product, Baldor’s Dodge Quantis reducers. Number 8 | Solutions Magazine | 25 F e at u r e s F e at u r e s have a built-in-roll-back clutch, instead of a separate piece of equipment that took up space and required additional maintenance. Fewer moving parts means there is a lot less for us to deal with.” Soma is equally pleased to have a Baldor•Reliance motor as part of the package, especially the premium efficient design for energy savings. “We have a lot of Baldor•Reliance motors in the plant and we’ve had good luck with them,” says Soma. “We have used other brands that haven’t performed as well. So it was really positive when we could get the brand of motor we prefer on the gearbox we needed from the same company.” Baldor’s Dodge ISAF bearings have also been well received by the maintenance team. In the past, set screw bearings were used but caused severe damage to the shaft over time, which meant machining a new shaft as well as replacing the bearings. According to Soma, because of the way the adapter mount style of the Dodge bearing attaches to the shaft, it offers a concentric grip that reduces shaft damage. Plant officials were pleased to get Baldor•Reliance Super-E premium efficient explosion-proof motors as part of Baldor’s System-1 package. They appreciated being able to get the brand of motor they prefer on the gearbox they needed, from the same company. The package also included Baldor’s Dodge pulleys and shafting, and Dodge Imperial bearings. “It was so nice when the packages arrived,” says Soma. “We didn’t have to do a bunch of assembly here at the plant because the drum was mounted on the shaft, and the bearings were mounted. When we got this assembly into position, all we had to do was mount the gearbox and motor package – then our electricians hooked it up and away we went.” 26 | Solutions Magazine | Number 8 An End to Musical Gearboxes Since being installed in the fall of 2009, Soma reports that the Quantis reducers have performed flawlessly. They run great and his team only looks at them while performing their regularly scheduled preventive maintenance program. He says it’s a nice change not to be worried about failing gearboxes, but he and his team also appreciate the benefits of getting the power they need from a compact unit. “Because space is a premium in the locations where gearboxes are used, having a smaller unit makes it so much easier for us to get to all of the other equipment,” explains Soma. “Another nice feature is that these gearboxes Baldor’s Dodge Imperial bearings have been well received by the plant’s maintenance team. The team likes the adapter mount style because of the way it attaches to the shaft with 360 degrees of support. The team reports that these bearings don’t cause any shaft damage and are easy to maintain. “This is the thing that we really like about these bearings, the way they offer 360 degrees of support,” explains Soma. “They support the shaft so much better, won’t cause any damage and are easy to maintain. These bearings have been the answer to a lot of problems.” Soma reports that he and his team are enjoying maintaining the plant without the panic they experienced in the past from constantly failing gearboxes. Now when peak demand hits, he doesn’t worry about meeting critical demand, because the Quantis reducers, and other Baldor products, have proven to be so reliable. He believes the plant’s strategy of choosing a package based on total cost of ownership was the right decision and he couldn’t be happier about the outcome. “The headaches have gone away,” says Soma. “It would be nice if everything worked this way.” Left: The Leland Olds Station coal-fired power plant is owned by Basin Electric Power Cooperative, one of the largest electric generation and transmission cooperatives in the United States. The Cooperative transmits wholesale bulk electric power to 2.8 million customers in nine states. Number 8 | Solutions Magazine | 27 F e at u r e s F e at u r e s have a built-in-roll-back clutch, instead of a separate piece of equipment that took up space and required additional maintenance. Fewer moving parts means there is a lot less for us to deal with.” Soma is equally pleased to have a Baldor•Reliance motor as part of the package, especially the premium efficient design for energy savings. “We have a lot of Baldor•Reliance motors in the plant and we’ve had good luck with them,” says Soma. “We have used other brands that haven’t performed as well. So it was really positive when we could get the brand of motor we prefer on the gearbox we needed from the same company.” Baldor’s Dodge ISAF bearings have also been well received by the maintenance team. In the past, set screw bearings were used but caused severe damage to the shaft over time, which meant machining a new shaft as well as replacing the bearings. According to Soma, because of the way the adapter mount style of the Dodge bearing attaches to the shaft, it offers a concentric grip that reduces shaft damage. Plant officials were pleased to get Baldor•Reliance Super-E premium efficient explosion-proof motors as part of Baldor’s System-1 package. They appreciated being able to get the brand of motor they prefer on the gearbox they needed, from the same company. The package also included Baldor’s Dodge pulleys and shafting, and Dodge Imperial bearings. “It was so nice when the packages arrived,” says Soma. “We didn’t have to do a bunch of assembly here at the plant because the drum was mounted on the shaft, and the bearings were mounted. When we got this assembly into position, all we had to do was mount the gearbox and motor package – then our electricians hooked it up and away we went.” 26 | Solutions Magazine | Number 8 An End to Musical Gearboxes Since being installed in the fall of 2009, Soma reports that the Quantis reducers have performed flawlessly. They run great and his team only looks at them while performing their regularly scheduled preventive maintenance program. He says it’s a nice change not to be worried about failing gearboxes, but he and his team also appreciate the benefits of getting the power they need from a compact unit. “Because space is a premium in the locations where gearboxes are used, having a smaller unit makes it so much easier for us to get to all of the other equipment,” explains Soma. “Another nice feature is that these gearboxes Baldor’s Dodge Imperial bearings have been well received by the plant’s maintenance team. The team likes the adapter mount style because of the way it attaches to the shaft with 360 degrees of support. The team reports that these bearings don’t cause any shaft damage and are easy to maintain. “This is the thing that we really like about these bearings, the way they offer 360 degrees of support,” explains Soma. “They support the shaft so much better, won’t cause any damage and are easy to maintain. These bearings have been the answer to a lot of problems.” Soma reports that he and his team are enjoying maintaining the plant without the panic they experienced in the past from constantly failing gearboxes. Now when peak demand hits, he doesn’t worry about meeting critical demand, because the Quantis reducers, and other Baldor products, have proven to be so reliable. He believes the plant’s strategy of choosing a package based on total cost of ownership was the right decision and he couldn’t be happier about the outcome. “The headaches have gone away,” says Soma. “It would be nice if everything worked this way.” Left: The Leland Olds Station coal-fired power plant is owned by Basin Electric Power Cooperative, one of the largest electric generation and transmission cooperatives in the United States. The Cooperative transmits wholesale bulk electric power to 2.8 million customers in nine states. Number 8 | Solutions Magazine | 27 Number 8 | Solutions Magazine | 31 Number 8 | Solutions Magazine | 31 F e at u r e s In late summer of 2011, Flexco, a Downers Grove, Illinois-based manufacturer of products that enhance belt conveyor productivity, began running a new custom-made test rig built to accelerate the design and testing of new products. Founded in 1907, Flexco manufactures a wide array of products, including mechanical belt fastening systems, trackers, cleaners, plows, rollers and lagging. Flexco’s diversified offering, combined with increased belt tensions and the continuing evolution of belt construction, prompted the company to invest in the new test rig. Greg Westphall, the director of engineering at Flexco, calls it a one-of-a-kind machine F e at u r e s designed to ensure that Flexco products continue to undergo rigorous in-house testing before being placed in the field. Westphall says the 120,000-lb. capacity test rig is running successfully, thanks in part to the quality of Baldor products and the expertise of Baldor engineers who offered a complete solution with specific products. “We make conveyor belt fasteners, so we don’t have experience specifying motors, drives, gearboxes, bearings and pulleys,” says Westphall. “Selecting these components is somewhat foreign to our engineers. So, our decision to choose Baldor as our partner was based not only on the strong Baldor brand name, but also the added technical value that Baldor is able to provide.” Flexco Mechanical Engineer Dan Dailey says the first line of project support came from Baldor’s Dodge® Field Sales Engineer Nick Roseto, who not only helped with installation and mounting questions, but was also the link to all of the other Baldor engineers who worked on the design and product selection. “Nick was more than just a sales guy; he had technical knowledge and stayed with us through the entire project,” says Dailey. “When I had a question or needed something, he is who I turned to for help. Nick was a valuable asset, because he consistently answered my “Our decision to choose Baldor as our partner was based not only on the strong Baldor brand name, but also the added technical value that Baldor is able to provide.” Greg Westphall, director of engineering, Flexco Because Flexco engineers want the flexibility to make pulley changes, they asked for a bearing they could get on and off the shaft easily, with no damage. Baldor recommended the Dodge Hydraulic ISAF pillow block bearing, with built-in hydraulic pistons that tighten and loosen the bearing for easy installation and removal. The patented adapter mounting system provides full shaft contact that reduces or eliminates fretting corrosion. questions, plus coordinated the efforts from others on the Baldor team.” Flexco’s new 120,000-lb.-capacity test rig measures 24 feet high and 12 feet wide and weighs approximately 60,000 lbs. Baldor engineers worked with the Flexco engineering team to ensure the optimal horsepower of the Baldor•Reliance® Super-E® motor and the Baldor•Dodge® MagnaGear™ reducer. Baldor engineers also specified the Baldor•Dodge Hydraulic ISAF bearing and the design and specification of the six engineered pulleys used on the test rig. 30 | Solutions Magazine | Number 8 Some of the Baldor engineering effort was focused on developing the correct pulley specifications for such a unique application. Westphall explained that unlike a conventional bulk material conveyor in which only the drive or head pulley sees maximum tension and the belt width is fixed, all six pulleys see maximum tension on the Flexco Flexco will use belts from 10 to 36 inches wide on the new test rig, which concentrates the load in the center of the pulley, causing a great deal of stress. Flexco relied on Baldor engineers to design all six pulleys to handle maximum tension and the extreme loads. Number 8 | Solutions Magazine | 31 F e at u r e s In late summer of 2011, Flexco, a Downers Grove, Illinois-based manufacturer of products that enhance belt conveyor productivity, began running a new custom-made test rig built to accelerate the design and testing of new products. Founded in 1907, Flexco manufactures a wide array of products, including mechanical belt fastening systems, trackers, cleaners, plows, rollers and lagging. Flexco’s diversified offering, combined with increased belt tensions and the continuing evolution of belt construction, prompted the company to invest in the new test rig. Greg Westphall, the director of engineering at Flexco, calls it a one-of-a-kind machine F e at u r e s designed to ensure that Flexco products continue to undergo rigorous in-house testing before being placed in the field. Westphall says the 120,000-lb. capacity test rig is running successfully, thanks in part to the quality of Baldor products and the expertise of Baldor engineers who offered a complete solution with specific products. “We make conveyor belt fasteners, so we don’t have experience specifying motors, drives, gearboxes, bearings and pulleys,” says Westphall. “Selecting these components is somewhat foreign to our engineers. So, our decision to choose Baldor as our partner was based not only on the strong Baldor brand name, but also the added technical value that Baldor is able to provide.” Flexco Mechanical Engineer Dan Dailey says the first line of project support came from Baldor’s Dodge® Field Sales Engineer Nick Roseto, who not only helped with installation and mounting questions, but was also the link to all of the other Baldor engineers who worked on the design and product selection. “Nick was more than just a sales guy; he had technical knowledge and stayed with us through the entire project,” says Dailey. “When I had a question or needed something, he is who I turned to for help. Nick was a valuable asset, because he consistently answered my “Our decision to choose Baldor as our partner was based not only on the strong Baldor brand name, but also the added technical value that Baldor is able to provide.” Greg Westphall, director of engineering, Flexco Because Flexco engineers want the flexibility to make pulley changes, they asked for a bearing they could get on and off the shaft easily, with no damage. Baldor recommended the Dodge Hydraulic ISAF pillow block bearing, with built-in hydraulic pistons that tighten and loosen the bearing for easy installation and removal. The patented adapter mounting system provides full shaft contact that reduces or eliminates fretting corrosion. questions, plus coordinated the efforts from others on the Baldor team.” Flexco’s new 120,000-lb.-capacity test rig measures 24 feet high and 12 feet wide and weighs approximately 60,000 lbs. Baldor engineers worked with the Flexco engineering team to ensure the optimal horsepower of the Baldor•Reliance® Super-E® motor and the Baldor•Dodge® MagnaGear™ reducer. Baldor engineers also specified the Baldor•Dodge Hydraulic ISAF bearing and the design and specification of the six engineered pulleys used on the test rig. 30 | Solutions Magazine | Number 8 Some of the Baldor engineering effort was focused on developing the correct pulley specifications for such a unique application. Westphall explained that unlike a conventional bulk material conveyor in which only the drive or head pulley sees maximum tension and the belt width is fixed, all six pulleys see maximum tension on the Flexco Flexco will use belts from 10 to 36 inches wide on the new test rig, which concentrates the load in the center of the pulley, causing a great deal of stress. Flexco relied on Baldor engineers to design all six pulleys to handle maximum tension and the extreme loads. Number 8 | Solutions Magazine | 31 F e at u r e s Baldor UL 2200 Gensets UL Verified Components Tested as a Complete System Not every UL 2200 genset on the market is fully tested as a complete system. Many are open units that are upgraded with third party components and shipped to customers without a complete system test to verify performance and reliability. Every Baldor UL 2200 genset is a complete system designed, manufactured AND tested at our plant. We use only UL verified Data acquisition, including tracking motor speed, is critical to Flexco engineers, who specified an encoder be added to the Baldor•Reliance Super-E motor. components and every genset is tested as a complete system before it leaves our rig, and belt width will vary from 10 to 36 inches, making it a very demanding application. “The Baldor conveyor expert working on this project understood the challenge of running different belt widths on this test rig,” says Westphall. “Concentrating the load in the center of the pulley adds a great deal of stress, so we needed a pulley engineered to withstand extreme loads. We relied on Baldor to design and manufacture the pulleys we needed based on our specifications.” Baldor engineers also worked with the Flexco engineering team to ensure the optimal horsepower of the Baldor•Reliance Super-E motor and the Baldor•Dodge MagnaGear reducer for the test rig. But Westphall says he and his team are perhaps most grateful for the help selecting the right bearing. In 32 | Solutions Magazine | Number 8 the past, bearing removal was not only difficult but often caused damage. “Again, unlike a typical conveyor application, we want the flexibility to make pulley changes, which means we want a bearing that comes off the shaft without damaging anything,” explains Westphall. “We want to re-use the bearing time and time again, and when Baldor recommended the Hydraulic ISAF bearing, we were very interested. We believe this product meets our needs and are confident we have found the solution.” When Flexco engineers began this project, they, with the full support of the company’s board of directors, were determined not to sacrifice quality or settle for second best. Today, they say they are proud to have Baldor equipment on their rig, and Flexco factory. Once each genset passes rainwater Flexco engineers say that using a variable frequency drive is critical to not only jog the conveyor forward and backward, as well as control the speed very precisely. Product Development Engineer Joe Immordino credits Baldor engineers for helping make sure they got the right equipment for this unique application. “Because it’s the only rig of its kind, we needed a company that had the experience to help us achieve a very high level of performance,” says Immordino. “Because it’s a test unit, it has to have much tighter tolerance than a typical conveying system – we need a high level of precision and reliability, and it has to last 30-plus years. We got the technical expertise from Baldor engineers to help us accomplish all these goals.” ingress tests, hipot alternator tests, air blockage and flammability tests, proper safety shutdown checks and verification that component temperatures are below combustion levels, then and only then will we apply the UL label and the Baldor name. baldor.com 479-646-4711 ©2011 Baldor Electric Company F e at u r e s Baldor UL 2200 Gensets UL Verified Components Tested as a Complete System Not every UL 2200 genset on the market is fully tested as a complete system. Many are open units that are upgraded with third party components and shipped to customers without a complete system test to verify performance and reliability. Every Baldor UL 2200 genset is a complete system designed, manufactured AND tested at our plant. We use only UL verified Data acquisition, including tracking motor speed, is critical to Flexco engineers, who specified an encoder be added to the Baldor•Reliance Super-E motor. components and every genset is tested as a complete system before it leaves our rig, and belt width will vary from 10 to 36 inches, making it a very demanding application. “The Baldor conveyor expert working on this project understood the challenge of running different belt widths on this test rig,” says Westphall. “Concentrating the load in the center of the pulley adds a great deal of stress, so we needed a pulley engineered to withstand extreme loads. We relied on Baldor to design and manufacture the pulleys we needed based on our specifications.” Baldor engineers also worked with the Flexco engineering team to ensure the optimal horsepower of the Baldor•Reliance Super-E motor and the Baldor•Dodge MagnaGear reducer for the test rig. But Westphall says he and his team are perhaps most grateful for the help selecting the right bearing. In 32 | Solutions Magazine | Number 8 the past, bearing removal was not only difficult but often caused damage. “Again, unlike a typical conveyor application, we want the flexibility to make pulley changes, which means we want a bearing that comes off the shaft without damaging anything,” explains Westphall. “We want to re-use the bearing time and time again, and when Baldor recommended the Hydraulic ISAF bearing, we were very interested. We believe this product meets our needs and are confident we have found the solution.” When Flexco engineers began this project, they, with the full support of the company’s board of directors, were determined not to sacrifice quality or settle for second best. Today, they say they are proud to have Baldor equipment on their rig, and Flexco factory. Once each genset passes rainwater Flexco engineers say that using a variable frequency drive is critical to not only jog the conveyor forward and backward, as well as control the speed very precisely. Product Development Engineer Joe Immordino credits Baldor engineers for helping make sure they got the right equipment for this unique application. “Because it’s the only rig of its kind, we needed a company that had the experience to help us achieve a very high level of performance,” says Immordino. “Because it’s a test unit, it has to have much tighter tolerance than a typical conveying system – we need a high level of precision and reliability, and it has to last 30-plus years. We got the technical expertise from Baldor engineers to help us accomplish all these goals.” ingress tests, hipot alternator tests, air blockage and flammability tests, proper safety shutdown checks and verification that component temperatures are below combustion levels, then and only then will we apply the UL label and the Baldor name. baldor.com 479-646-4711 ©2011 Baldor Electric Company solutions PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID Little Rock, AR Permit No. 175 A Publication Featuring Baldor Electric Company Products magazine Number 8 Installing Bal dor's Dodge ULTR A KLEEN Ball Bearings ® Moves Machine from Leas t Reliable to Most Reliable at ConAgra Foods® the Lamb Weston Potato Product s Plant P.O. Box 2400, Fort Smith, AR 72902-2400, USA, Ph: (1) 479.646.4711, Fax: (1) 479.648.5792, International Fax: (1) 479.648.5895 baldor.com ©2012 Baldor Electric Company Solutions0112 All Rights Reserved. Printed in USA. 1/12-AG-13M Pl u s Choosing the Right Partner Baldor Products Featured Helps Paragon Products Create More Success on Flexco State-of-the-Art Test Rig
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