Tooth contact pattern/area Inspection at slew bearings

During the replacement of slew bearing (unloader cranes), below inspections are crucial

• backlash (usually 0.3 to 0.4mm depending to the manufacturer) and
• tooth contact pattern/area.

Checking contact pattern/area shows how the bearing and pinion are engaging. Fine tuning adjustment is to be made based on the tooth pattern findings.

Inspect the tooth meshing pattern / area by

• applying Prussian Blue paste evenly to 2x facing teeth on slew gear &
• slewing in both CW & CCW directions to get imprinted profiles on pinions

Adjust slew drive position & orientation until

• Recommended backlash is achieved
• meshing lengths along both tooth width & tooth height directions are within the recommended range
• tooth contact area is approximately near the centre of gear tooth face