Dryer vibration issues - looking to replace

[EcoXpress]

Hi everyone,

I have a 105' express exterior tunnel. We've got (10) 10hp driers at the exit. We've had vibration issues for a while now (they're 4 years old) and some of them are starting to blow apart. The manufacturer doesn't have any suggestions for re-balancing and only tells us that they come balanced from the factory and should be fine.
Today one of the turbine section of the blower broke loose from the motor shaft.
I'd like to replace it with another manufacturer's product.
Anyone have a dryer they love/have had for a long time?

Thanks a lot,

Max
EcoXpress

 

[MEP001]

Belanger's dryer impellers are steel. I've never seen one out of balance.

 

[EcoXpress]

Thanks for the reply MEP001.
We've got Motor City equipment which is pretty much the same as the belanger units. Steel impellers also. I'm wondering if we got bad units? Or is there a maintenance step I'm missing?

 

[Waxman]

I’ve got Superior blowers. 15 years old. Very few problems. Flawless operation. Company is now called Dryer Pros

 

[Earl Weiss]

It is possible impellers get dirty from sucking in drying agent and other stuff sticking to them causing them to go out of balance- make sure they are clean.

 

[mac]

Can't believe no one has come up with the correct answer, and I'm not that smart. If the impellers are made of carbon steel, as they suck in the moist air, they start to rust. When they rust small pieces fall off. Considering how much they weigh and the speed they turn, it doesn't take much for them to get out of balance. You should bite the bullet and get rid of them all. You even mentioned how one or two blew apart. If one goes and sends a piece through a car or hits someone, you will be featured on the evening news. I have sold the Premier blowers, which are stainless impellers and motors.

 

[MC3033]

Can you just put new wheels on all the blowers? I’m guessing it would be 1/4 of the cost.

 

[mac]

Well yes and no. It’s not like changing tires on your car. The impellers are sized specifically for the enclosure. Most times there should be a very tight tolerance between the impeller blades and the enclosure to get max performance. So if the original manufacturer doesn’t offer aluminum or stainless blades you become the design engineer. And most other supliers really don’t want to just sell you a part from someone else's stuff. Welcome to carwashing.

 

[EcoXpress]

Mac, thanks for the info, and I completely agree. We took the impeller out yesterday, and there was a significant amount of flaking. Definitely enough to throw the balance. I'm going to look for a full replacement with a company that makes stainless steel impellers.

 

[soonermajic]

Do you giys think this could be partly attributed to dryers inside the bay, close to the drying agents?
I've known a few giys w/ outside stand dryers, that had Superior & Autecs, that lasted for well over 15 yrs w/out issues.

 

[Waxman]

I think you should call Dryer Pros

 

[EcoXpress]

Thanks again for all the help guys. Rick at Dryer Pros was very helpful and knowledgeable. Replacing taper locks (that hold the impellers in) seems to be the best option for units whose impellers aren't too rusted. Ones with more flaking need new impellers. Getting them off is the nightmare though. I'll see how many I can service successfully vs how many we need to replace and will report back

 

[EcoXpress]

A follow up on this...
Replaced only the taper locks on a few dryers, which reduced the vibration a good amount. Replaced the taper lock and the impellor on others which reduced the vibration much more. Not perfect, but definitely good enough. Getting the taper locks off was a bear but I've got a pretty good system figured out for it now. If anyone seeing this in the future is having trouble getting the locks/impellors off, feel free to message me

 

[MEP001]

It wouldn't hurt to post your method here.

 

[Robert2181]

I agree!

 

[John J Spokas]

Around here there are shops that will sandblast, balance, and paint steel blower fans. It is less expensive than new but it's been awhile so I do not recall what the savings came out to.

 

[mac]

If you hav steel inpellers it will never go away.