TL;DR
Overload on a centrifuge drive usually means excessive bowl load, belt slip, or a motor problem. Check feed solids, belt tension, and motor current.
What you might see
- motor current above nameplate
- bowl speed falling below setpoint
- drive overload fault on control panel
- abnormal heat from drive belt area
Likely causes
Excessive solids loading in the feed increasing bowl resistance torque
Belt slip or belt wear reducing drive efficiency
Motor fault, single phasing, or winding degradation
Bowl bearing drag increasing mechanical resistance
Required tools
- Clamp ammeter
- Belt tension gauge
- Multimeter
- LOTO kit
- Replacement drive belts
Safety first
- The belt drive area has rotating parts at high speed. Never reach into the belt enclosure without the LOTO in place.
- Bowl may still be spinning after motor shutoff due to high rotational inertia. Confirm bowl is at rest before opening any covers.
Procedure
- 1
Stop the centrifuge and lock out. Record the motor current reading from the control panel before shutdown.
- 2
Check the feed solids concentration against the design specification. Reduce feed rate if solids are high.
- 3
Remove the drive belt cover. Inspect belts for cracking, fraying, or glazing.[1]
- 4
Check belt tension using a tension gauge. Slack or over-tight belts both cause slip or excess motor load.[1]
- 5
Inspect the drive and driven sheaves for wear, misalignment, or debris in the belt grooves.
- 6
Measure the motor winding resistance on all three phases with a multimeter. Phase imbalance above 5% indicates a winding problem.
- 7
Restore the belt to specified tension or replace if worn. Realign sheaves if offset is visible.
Sources
Alfa Laval Alfa Laval AFPX / Foodec Centrifuge general technical documentation, Alfa Laval
Alfa Laval AFPX / Foodec centrifuge general drive belt inspection and motor load procedures (general)
More guides for Alfa Laval Alfa Laval AFPX / Foodec
How to diagnose bowl bearing failure on an Alfa Laval AFPX / Foodec centrifuge
High vibration with rising temperature points to bowl bearing degradation. Lock out, inspect lubrication, take vibration readings, and plan a bearing replacement at the next outage.
How to fix a mechanical seal leak on an Alfa Laval AFPX / Foodec centrifuge
A drip at the shaft seal housing means the mechanical seal faces are worn or the flush supply has failed. Stop the unit, check flush flow, and replace the seal.
Stop fixing the same fault twice.
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