Not all parts of a mixer wear out at the same time.  If your shaft and impeller have plenty of life left, but your mixer drive is worn out, retrofitting could be a money-saving option.  Although it’s not quite “plug and play” if you know what to expect it can be a painless experience.

Factors you need to consider include:

How much existing equipment should or has to be replaced; who is responsible for the accommodations to ensure the new equipment can be bolted to the existing shaft and mounting structure; and what is involved – cost- and design-wise – to modify the support structure.

Also look at what size, dimension and shape of equipment will fit into the space without interference with existing items.  Compare the footprint of the existing and replacement drive to determine if an adaptor is necessary.

Motors are another factor to consider.  If possible, reuse your existing motor; if you have a non-standard motor, though, an adapter may be necessary.  Weigh the costs of the adapter to the cost of a new, standard motor that will be easier to retrofit in the future.

About the author: Mr. Gamber has been engineering for Philadelphia Mixing Solutions for 25 years and heads the Design Engineering group. Ed holds a Bachelors degree in Mechanical Engineering.

Tags: retrofit

This entry was posted on Tuesday, January 5th, 2010 at 7:00 am and is filed under Chemical Processing, Clean Air Processing, Maintenance and Repair, Mineral Processing, Nuclear Waste, Paper and Pulp, Petroleum refining, Research & Development, Uncategorized, Wastewater treatment, Water treatment. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.