Cooling Towers are a mainstay in American industry because of their ability to ensure cost-effective and energy-efficient operation of systems that require cooling. Just as not all cooling towers are built the same, the gearboxes within and the maintenance and repairs they require can vary. With this in mind, it’s important to ensure a proper understanding of best practices for cooling tower repairs, how gearboxes operate, and the differences among the types of gearboxes used in cooling towers.
What Are Cooling Towers Used For?
Industrial cooling towers are an effective way to move unwanted heat from one place to another. They are commonly used to cool products and machines in various industries, including the pharmaceutical, metal, paper, steel, power generation, and petrochemical industries. Although there are many different manufacturers using different designs, all cooling towers operate on the same evaporative cooling principle.
Why Is Cooling Tower Maintenance Essential?
The reliability and lifetime of a cooling tower depends on the quality, maintenance, and replacement of its components. Cooling towers mainly rely on water to transfer process waste heat into the atmosphere. However, there are a mixture of mechanical components that drive the recirculation process. The core of the mechanical process is the motor which provides power for the axial flow fan. With that being said, the gearbox connected to the motor is an equally important component of the system. Routine cooling tower maintenance, repair, and replacement of the gearbox cooling system are essential to avoid the high cost of total system failure, which would result if the gearbox were to stop functioning. This total system failure would result in lost productivity and higher expenditure for emergency service and expedited part orders.
Choosing a Reliable Gearbox for Your Cooling Tower
If you determine during your cooling tower maintenance that it is time to replace the gearboxes within, then one of the most trusted brands supplying cooling tower gearboxes is Marley Gearboxes. With over 100,000 units in production, Marley Gearboxes have the experience behind them to ensure the reliability of their gearboxes. Each Marley Gearbox implements the highest quality design and manufacturing standards and is tested under extreme loads at their factory. After testing, they are inspected by a Marley cooling tower rep to make any final adjustments before being shipped to customers.
Another well-known brand of gearboxes found in cooling towers is Amarillo Gearboxes. In business for over 50 years, Amarillo offers superior cooling tower gearboxes for a wide array of applications, including running large diameter axial fans, reverse operation for de-icing, and multiple on-offs per day. With the gearboxes designed to operate in extreme temperatures and environments with 100% humidity, Amarillo Gearboxes are some of the most versatile in the market.
Last on our list is Lufkin Gearboxes, another brand widely used in cooling towers and known worldwide for their dependability and performance. These gearboxes are renowned for their ability to boost uptime and improve reliability while driving down maintenance costs. Lufkin Gearboxes are unique because they use a modular design approach to create solutions for demanding power transmission applications that draw on advanced materials, technologies, and manufacturing processes, along with deep engineering expertise to meet most any challenge.
Refurbishing Your Cooling Tower Gearboxes
At Houston Pump and Gear, we have a variety of gearbox brands available for different applications. If your exact brand, model and ratio are in our inventory, our Gearbox Exchange Program program will provide you with refurbished devices at a discounted price in exchange for your used or inoperable gearbox. All rebuilt or replaced units are warranted for 24 months from the date of installation.
Furthermore, apart from the gearbox brands already mentioned, we also provide Industrial Gearbox Repair and Maintenance Services for the following brands: Flender Gearbox, Western Gear, Philadelphia Gearbox, Falk Gearbox, and many more.
Give us a call to further discuss your cooling tower repair needs and our refurbishment service. Our certified technicians will advise on the best repair and overhaul methods, calculate estimated completion times, and provide customized estimates.
