Our engineer, Matt, has just returned after supporting an operator in the Caspian Sea with the overhaul of their Caterpillar 3512 generators.
Whilst working with some local engineers who had begun dismantling the engine, they showed him something they had found which required urgent attention.
This is something we have come across many times before and seems to be a recurring issue, though with different causes, different damage and different solutions.
The local engineers showed Matt these cracks in the bedframe.
Whilst this type of damage could be repaired by a qualified welder, on consultation with a structural expert, we didn’t just want to repair it.
We wanted to understand it, to prevent this from becoming a regular problem.
The first thing we did was check the engine fixings to the bedframe and then between the bedframe and the structure.
It’s very common for anti-vibration mounts to have been used beyond their intended life, or degraded through oil contamination, which could well have been a root cause.
This time though, we didn’t find any anti-vibration mounts. It’s not that uncommon to find this kind of set-up, but this damage indicates excessive vibrations in the set.
There isn’t enough information to know whether the operator is using a set destined for a different application, or the set packagers got things wrong, but rectification is now needed.
One preventative measure is to take vibration measurements as part of regular health checks and if you do have anti-vibration mounts, make sure they are checked regularly and changed in-line with manufacturer recommendations or a cracked bed frame could be the least of your worries!
