Industrial Gearbox Repair

What’s a Gearbox, and What Does It Do?

If you’ve ever driven a car, then you probably have some idea of what a gearbox does, even if you don’t understand all the inner workings. You know that you put your car into either a forward or reverse gear to make it move, and you know that once the engine reaches a certain RPM level, it’s time to shift gears. Most motor vehicles shift gears automatically these days, but it’s still possible to find one with a manual transmission or stick shift.

Gearboxes for industrial machine applications function in much the same way as a gearbox for your vehicle. But what is a gearbox, exactly? It’s essentially a compound machine that’s designed to take power from an engine or motor, and then translate that energy into torque that completes work through specialized machines and applications. In the case of a car, the gearbox transfers power generated by the engine to the wheel axles themselves. In the case of industrial equipment, the gearbox is used to activate the output shaft, which actually drives the machinery in question.

What Can Lead to Gearbox Failure?

Whenever a gearbox is functioning smoothly, the moving system it drives can be a beautiful thing to behold. But of course, sometimes gearboxes fail too. What are some leading causes of gearbox failure?

Inadequate lubrication

Proper lubrication is essential for both gear life and bearing life. Choosing the right type of lubricating oil for your gearbox application is incredibly important, as well. The most frequent cause of gearbox failure is inadequate lubrication, as a result of things like underfilling, overfilling, incorrect lubricant specs, or infrequent lubricant maintenance.

Intrusion of contaminants

Contaminant intrusion is another common threat for gearboxes too, especially whenever the gearbox is located in an extreme environment. Water contamination can disable oil’s lubricating properties, and particulate contamination leads to faster gear wear and premature component breakdown.

Gear overloads

Overloading of gears and gearboxes can shorten component life, and even lead to outright gear breakage. Exceeding any of your equipment’s guidelines for loads, speeds, or temperature maximums can all lead to overload symptoms, including noise, vibration, metallic debris, and reduced performance capabilities.

Improper gear arrangement

Another major cause of gearbox failure is improper gear installation and arrangement. The arrangement of the right gears in the right positioning and sequence is critical to the operation of your gearbox. Even a small arrangement problem can result in premature gear wear and ultimate gearbox failure.

Abrasion

Even if your gears are properly arranged and lubricated, a gearbox is still a system which involves a lot of constant contact, motion, and friction. Preventative maintenance is important, but gears still rub together and will eventually wear down. And if any abrasions or scratches form, the natural action of the gears inevitably tends to accelerate wear in those areas.

Proven Gearbox Service Process with AES

Got some repairs that need to be made to your gearbox? You’re really in good hands with AES; our machine and motor repair team is top-notch! Through years of experience, we’ve developed a proven process for accurately diagnosing, repairing, and restoring any industrial gearbox you decide to send our way:

Just Send It

Pack your gearbox or other related equipment with foam, bubble wrap, or some other appropriate protective material, and send it on to us! Also, the more you’re able to describe the symptoms you’ve been experiencing with your gearbox, the better prepared our repair technicians will be when diagnosing your equipment. But if you’re really not sure what the problem is, that’s OK – our team can figure it out for you!

Shipping Instructions

Ship your equipment to AES at 101 Technology Lane, Mount Airy, NC 27030, with your name, your company name, phone number, email, and any other relevant contact information. We’ll get the ball rolling with our initial analysis, and we’ll let you know what we’re able to uncover!

Equipment Check-in, Evaluation, & Repair Quote

Once your equipment arrives, we’ll check it all in and assign a unique tracking ID for each item. We’ll follow a process of troubleshooting and evaluation, and perform a thorough analysis of your gearbox. Once that’s done, we’ll generate a complete repair quote detailing exactly what needs to happen in order to make your gearbox work as good as new.

Personalized Follow-Up

Your individually-assigned Customer Service Representative will connect with you personally; at AES, we just believe that the personal, individual touch is best. We’ll let you know that we’ve received your equipment, and we’ll also give you all the details about the results of our evaluation, including repair recommendations and cost quotes.

Time to Make It Happen!

After you approve the “official” service quote, we’ll put your gearbox on our technicians’ repair schedule! We follow a very thorough process for gearbox repairs, including breaking everything down and inspecting each individual element. We’ll repair, replace, or rebuild any items that need attention, and we can reverse engineer any needed parts, too. Once everything is reassembled, we’ll conduct full-load testing and balance testing, as well. Once the repairs and service are complete, we’ll carefully package your gearbox items for a safe return, and then we’ll promptly ship everything back to you.

Why You Should Entrust AES with Your Gearbox Repair Services

Replacing an entire unit or system can be pretty expensive, but thankfully AES offers you another effective solution which can also save you some money. In fact, that’s why we’re here! We can offer you a better, more ideal, more affordable repair solution to get you up and running again!

Quality Repair Work

At AES, quality is one of our foundational values as a company. Our commitment is to provide you with the best possible quality of repair services for each and every item you entrust into our care. We’ve successfully repaired countless numbers of gearboxes and motors for electric, hydraulic, and pneumatic applications, and our many satisfied clients will testify that AES can take care of your equipment repair needs, too.

Fast Turnaround

Obviously, you’d like to have all of your repairs done NOW; honestly, who wouldn’t? But breaking down a gearbox and providing it with the service and attention it needs does necessarily require a certain amount of time and effort. Even so, our trained & skilled team has all the knowledge, tools, and experience to be able to get it done for you both correctly AND quickly. Our standard turnaround time is 8-10 business days for most projects, but you can also opt to place a RUSH on your order if your timetable is particularly tight. We’ll work hard to meet your needs!

Experienced Repair Technicians

Gearbox repair isn’t just something we do on the side; at AES, we have specially-trained technicians who focus exclusively on all sorts of motors, drives, and gearboxes. Plus, our team collectively possesses decades of combined experience, so you can trust that we know what we’re doing! We also provide ongoing training opportunities for our team members, to make sure we’ll always be in a great position to continue serving your needs.

A Truly Cost-Effective Solution

Repair and service solutions done right almost always trump replacement solutions when it comes to industrial equipment! We can service and restore your gearboxes for LESS, and we’ll return them to you in like-new (or better) condition! Our clients really appreciate how AES comes alongside to meet all their equipment service needs, while also saving them lots of time, money, and needless frustrations at the same time!

Industry’s Best Warranty!

And don’t miss this little game-changer about doing business with AES. Every repair provider will probably assure you that they do good work, but many providers won’t take the step to really put their money where their mouth is. At AES, we’re proud to stand behind everything we do, which is why we offer a 24-Month Limited Warranty for ALL REPAIRS! If a problem should arise within that time frame that’s deemed to be a repair workmanship issue, we’ll provide a follow-up repair service for you at NO cost! Now that’s a service you can really trust!

Connect with AES for Your Gearbox Repair Service Needs

Ready to get your gearbox working again, so your equipment can continue moving things in the right direction for you and your business? We can take care of that, and more; AES has you covered! Reach out today at (866) 386-1001, and let us provide you with your perfect repair solution! We’re standing by to help!