As with many machines, alignment of gears and components is critical. So, when even one component becomes out of round or out of tolerance, it can jeopardize not just the machine, but the entire operation with the threat of downtime and costly repairs.
Unfortunately, the largest coal mining operation in Kalimantan, Indonesia, experienced just this situation when a differential bearing housing became out of round from the relentless production required by the mining industry. But repairing this bearing housing isn’t as easy as it seems. They could build up the area with thermal spray, however this process is time consuming and comes with a high risk of mis-machining due to the critical alignment of the differential gear during assembly.
So, this coal mining company reached out to PT Rep Sal Indo, a SIFCO ASC partner based in Jakarta, Indonesia, specializing in the SIFCO Process® of selective electroplating. The SIFCO Process® is a portable method of electroplating localized areas without the use of an immersion tank. The use of handheld anodes allows technicians to mask off the specific areas to be plated, and apply the deposit in-situ, with minimal disassembly. Such was the case with the Differential Bearing Housing. By using selective plating, the repair was able to be completed with the gears installed, fully preventing the risk of misalignment. PT Rep Sal Indo fully repaired 2 internal diameters within 0.025mm – meeting the customer’s required specifications and significantly reducing potential downtime.