The thrust bearing fit on this large industrial screw press had a history of damage and failure and was set for thermal spray repair. Our team inspected the screw press and determined additional bearing fits and seal fits were out of OEM specifications. Using a 420 stainless steel material with up to 10,000 PSI, 5 bearing and seal fits were repaired through our thermal spray process. The result was a cost-effective solution that restored all damaged bearing and seal fits and extended the life of the screw press to meet operating parameters.

Project:

• Component: Large industrial screw press
• Details: 457″ overall length
• Customer: Sustainable packaging manufacturer

Challenges:

• Large 43” diameter by 457” long screw required large lathe capacity and skilled machinists.
• Screw is critical to environmental process and timeline was critical, requiring weekend staffing.
• Work scope expanded after detailed inspection of bearing fits and flights.

Engineered Solutions:

• Dimensional inspection of all critical fits.
• Dimensional inspection of flight diameters.
• Non-destructive testing of shafts and flights for cracks and defects.
• Set up in lathe to check TIR across screw and shafts.
• Metallize and finish (5) bearing and seal fits to OEM specifications.
• Repair thrust bearing lock nut threads and fit test.
• Straighten and weld repair of deformed flights.
• Grind repaired flights until within min/max of flights as measured.
• Provide continuous engineering and shop supervision support throughout the repair cycle.
• Provide daily written and photograph updates to mill personnel due to critical timeline.
• Provide transportation to and from the mill.

Results:

• All components were machined to precise specifications.
• All machining and repairs were completed within the customer’s shutdown timeline.