18 Foot Segmented Gears

Besides 14-Foot Segmented Gears,
Can You Make Two 18-Foot Segmented Gears for Us?

CASE STUDY #8 ― Stepping Up to Customer Challenges

Customer:

A rock crushing equipment manufacturer.

Challenge:

Our customer that manufactures rock crushers had a problem. While we made a number of gears for them, we did not make the biggest one. The biggest machine they made used a 14 foot diameter gear that was made in (4) segments then welded together. Shipping this to their customer at the finished size presented a big problem. Therefore, they designed a version of the gear with four lap joints that would be bolted together at their customer’s job site.

Their current gear vendor had made several attempts at manufacturing the lap jointed gear. They finally determined that this was not something they could do at the quality level needed. When Cogmatic was brought into the picture, it was to discuss how our team might go about making this gear. Before the discussion about our proposed manufacturing method was over, our customer said, “OK that’s a great approach, but we also really need you to make one that is 18 feet in diameter first. Oh, and by the way, not one, but two gears! And we’ll also need them made as soon as possible!”

Cogmatic Solution:

With our egos thoroughly flattered, but our manufacturing concept unproven, our team gathered to evaluate the potential pitfalls of making these gears. With the help of our team of suppliers, we answered every question about flatness, joint overlap, tooth form displacement, Flame Machining across a joint, heat treatment and assembly.

Thus fortified, we put in place a plan of attack. With lots of discussion with our customer’s engineers, our vendors and our experienced employees, the gears were completed. Sent to the site, they were assembled and have been functioning faultlessly since October 2011.

Cogmatic can’t do everything, and we’ll tell you when we can’t. But when there is a challenging application, we will do everything we can to help our customers.

The manufacturing of this 7,000 pound 18-foot diameter gear is featured in our company video and the pictures on this page. You probably won’t need something that big, but it’s nice to know that when you are working with Cogmatic, you are working with a company that can do this kind of part.