Fan solution for cement plant

Adesign fault on the bearing assembly of a large centrifugal fan that could have potentially caused a cement plant to reduce, or even stop production due to a failure to comply with dangerous emission regulations, has been resolved with the help of Brammer who provided engineering input, advice and a solution.

An unreliable fan on a wet gas scrubber was preventing Hanson Cement's plant in Clitheroe burning alternative fuels due to downtime on the gas cleaning system, forcing the plant to resort to more expensive fossil fuels. It was found that material buildup on the impeller caused increased vibration, which was damaging the non-drive end bearing and its housing, potentially resulting in its failure.

Brammer visited the site with representatives from SKF, to diagnose the problem. A solution was to replace the non-drive end bearing with an SKF CARB toroidal roller bearing, and introduce a regular cleaning routine. No bearings or housings have needed to be replaced since the change, with an estimated cost saving of £15,000.