What’s the first step when performing maintenance on a rotary valve?
Right! We started you off easy: lockout/tagout should always be your first step.
Sorry, but there are a few things you need to do first — namely your lockout/tagout procedures.
Locking out and tagging means preventing your equipment from starting up in the middle of your maintenance work, keeping your workers safe from things like electric shock and dangerous moving parts. Always disconnect power first — and save the beers for after work, please and thank you.
Why is it important to perform regular inspections and maintenance on your rotor and rotor clearances?
You got it: Regular maintenance is helpful for all these reasons.
Technically, yes, but the complete answer is that regular maintenance helps in all the ways we mentioned.
When the rotor clearance is too high, you tend to get more air leakage and a decrease in performance. This can also result in damaged or wasted product. In general, inspections and maintenance contribute to a longer service life for your rotary valve.
Which one of these issues is NOT a sign that your rotary airlock needs repair or replacement?
Way to go! As you know, the drive chain does need a little bit of slack, but not too much.
Nope. That’s actually the correct amount of tension for the drive chain — it shouldn’t be too loose or too tight.
A loose chain could be worn or stretched, which can happen when the rotor is overloaded or stops suddenly, or when there is excessive wear on the drive chain. That’s a sign to replace it. As for the other red flags: burrs on the housing should be filed down, deformed or defective parts need replacement, and leakage usually means you need to replace the valve entirely.
Which of the following is NOT a recommended maintenance procedure for standard rotary valves?
Wow, we thought we’d stump you on that one. You’re right: the bearings don’t actually need to be lubricated.
No, but that was a tricky one. On a standard valve, the bearings don’t need lubrication.
That’s because standard bearings on CI and MD series airlocks are sealed for life. You don’t have to lubricate them. Depending on your system, though, other parts may occasionally need re-greasing or oil replacement.
Pencils down! How did you do?
Are you a valve maintenance genius, or do you need a bit of help to get there? Either way, you can keep browsing our blog for handy tips like replacing your parts for NFPA compliance and extending the lifespan of your rotary valves.
