Ball Mill Trunion Grinding
A. Break down observed:
- Trunion journal got worn-out due to damage of seal and ingress of raw material in the trunnion bearing, leads to damage of the trunnion journal surface.
- Thickness of trunnion reduced considerably beyond repairs at four positions along the circumference.
B. M/s ALLAN SMITH has studied the root cause and repaired as:
- Removal of worn-out surface, circumferentially at the damaged area using minimum heat input.
- Care taken to ensure minimum distortion of the journal during the repairs (cutting and welding).
- Preparation of “V” groove at the 4 positions.
- Fabrication of 60 mm thick ring of 500 mm width and diameter 1628 mm.
- Machining of ring on the outside to ensure the circularity and required surface finish.
- Window cut damaged portion of the ring and refurbish on the trunnion.
- During the patch, it is ensured to maintain the straightness throughout the length.
- Upon conforming straightness, suitably weld to avoid “out of roundness”.
- After completion of the weld, following parameter were checked:
- a) Total Indicated run-out at three positions found 2.5 mm radially.
- b) Surface straight ness 1.3 mm low at end portion and 1.2 mm high at the center.
- Above deviations occurs due to welding distortion.
C. Trunion Grinding:
- ASEPL had especially developed precision grinding machine for similar grinding assignments
- Grinding machine installed at appropriate positions, parallel to the rotating axes at an angle @ 40 ⁰.
- Mill rpm in inching drive is 0.3, increases to 1 and maintain @1 rpm for the grinding.
- Suitably select grinding stone specification and depth of the grinding executed at every phase.
- Material removal on the trunnion is 3.5 mm radially.
- Final reading as out of roundness +/-0.35
- a) Straightness throughout length +/-0.7 TO +/- 1.0
- b) Surface finish up to 25 micron I.e. 30 to 35 rms value.
D. Blue matching of bearing liner:
- After completion of the grinding:
- a) bearing liner scrapping carried out to blue match the trunnion surface.
- The blue match contact pattern taken as:
- a) 100% at center along the length and width 300mm Rest of the portion is non-contact.
- b) Bearing clearance, radial of 0.35 to 1.7mm, gradually increase as per the standard.
E. Result (During trial run, after the correction):
- Mill lift observed 0.3mm whereas earlier recorded was 0.1mm, under the similar conditions.
- Mill operates on auxiliary 0.3 rpm for 10 hrs, no temperature rise observed in journal bearings.
- Mill taken on full rpm for 4 hours, observed operates in normal (no abnormalities observed).
- Finally mill charged with 70% grinding media and started, runs smoothly with normal feed.
- Further grinding media charged gradually up to 100% and observed mill operates normal.
F. Conclusion
- a) Time required for the above assignment is 30 days and the time break up is as:
- 1. Forming, weld repairing: 15 days
- 2. Grinding and blue matching: 11 days
- 3. Mill alignment measurement and corrections: 02 days
- 4. Box up: 02 days
- b) Delivery period of new trunion assembly is approx. 6 month, and above activities result in saving of 5 months production loss of client
G. Machine and tools deployed:
- Specially designed grinding machine for the trunnion grinding.
- Bearing scrappers.
- Laser Alignment measurement instruments.
- shims for alignment of various thickness.
- Prussian blue.
- Hydra, sling, D-shackles, etc.