5 Common Causes of Overheating
How to Spot and Prevent Overheating
The UK is in the middle of another heatwave Forecasters are predicting temperatures up to 38 C°, during the string of very hot days.
In the manufacturing world, we know too well that it isn’t just humans who can suffer from overheating (stay safe and hydrated, please). But machines and their electronic components can overheat too.
Below, we have listed the 8 causes of overheating and how to prevent them.
Has your machine overheated? Contact us ASAP to get a free collection and quote for repair or an engineer on-site.
1. Poor Ventilation
Whether it’s your servo motor or a PLC in your cabinet, poor ventilation reduces the airflow and allows the equipment to overheat. If your machines are running for long hours, the temperature may rise until it reaches a breaking point.
How to prevent: make sure equipment is installed properly and vents are properly cleaned.
2. Dirt
Even though most industrial equipment is rugged by design, years of negligence can cause significant issues. If dirt builds up, it can cause the equipment to work harder and overheat.
How to prevent: schedule periodic cleaning of equipment. When Kontroltek engineers repair parts, they do a full clean and complete overhaul.
3. Broken Cabinet or Fan
Cabinets are usually temperature controlled, so the equipment inside is kept cool, protected from pollution and can’t be exposed to humidity or moisture.
If you have a broken fan, whether external or internal, it prevents the cooling system from getting rid of excess heat.
How to prevent: be careful when working with and around cabinets. If damaged, check and repair. The same applies to fans.
4. Incorrect Parameters
Your motor, servo or not, will have parameters set by the OEM. If incorrect, it could cause issues with the motor’s speed control loop. This may cause the whole motor to work too hard or to work out of sync, which can cause friction and overheating.
How to prevent: keep equipment manuals to check if parameters are correct. Schedule this into maintenance. If you are going to adjust and modify machines, have an expert like a Kontroltek on-site engineer do it.
5. Overloading
You may be demanding too much from your motor too often. Overloading occurs when a motor is working under too high of a load — either an excessive current draw and/or insufficient torque.
Motor components like the bearings and windings may continue working fine, but the motor itself is overheating. You can expect premature wear and eventually total failure.
How to prevent: don’t overload your motor. Know its limits. Get it modified, replaced or serviced by a Kontroltek engineer if needed.
Need Help?
Kontroltek is a leading industrial automation and electronics repair service. We repair motors, drives, robots, CNCs, PLCs, PCBs, HMIs and more every day.
Book a free collection of your part for repair by phone, email or on webchat. You can also report an issue using our app. We’re available 24/7, 365.
Need us on-site? No problem. We cover the whole of the UK.
Lewys Gammond Phillips
Marketing Officer, Kontroltek Ltd
English