OT- diagnosing industrial machinery oil mystery

Bondo · Apr 12, 2020

We were working today on an industrial food processing machine to fix a hydraulic oil leak. After we got done, I seen some yellowish oil on the floor in the middle of the incline screw conveyor. It appeared to be coming off a piece of liquid tight wiring. We opened the control panel and found this. Picture 1

Then we found the oil coming out of another piece of liquid tight and followed it back to the motor and found this picture 2

Its spilling all the gear oil out of the pecker head. Good thing its food grade di-electric (apparently) oil.

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john.k · Apr 12, 2020

Its not uncommon to find oil forced along electrical conduits into enclosures ,just means there is a leak somewhere with unexpected consequences .......Ocassionally ,conduits etc are filled with silicone oil to seal out moisture where pressure cleaning is used daily......Get a sample of the oil ,send it to an oil test lab...answer back very quickly.

rklopp · Apr 12, 2020

At least it isn’t brine! Been there done that, not only was the electrical panel wrecked, it locked a fuel pump on and dumped a bunch of diesel fuel in a creek. $$$$$

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James H Clark · Apr 13, 2020

Years ago, when I working as an industrial maintenance mechanic, we had oil dripping out of a drive motor on an overhead crane. It turned out the motor had a oil filled torque converter in the motor housing that was leaking.

JH

rbent · Apr 13, 2020

At a prior place I worked, years ago they had an electrical cabinet that'd get oil in it, was wicking through the pump motor wiring into the cabinet. I believe the conduit got sealed up with silicone and hasn't had a problem since.

atomarc · Apr 13, 2020

Wow..I could be OTL but it appears pretty obvious the seal betwixt motor and gear reducer has sprung a leak and filled the motor. Not uncommon at all. I'm not sure the OP was asking where this oil was coming from or he already knew and was merely sharing this 'find' with us. Looks like a SEW parallel gear reducer to me.

Stuart

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OT- diagnosing industrial machinery oil mystery

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