Expert Maintenance Tips: 5 Proven Practices for Motors & Drives

Routine motor care is essential, but did you know that rogue electrical currents can blast bearings, dust can bring drives offline, and the wrong screwdriver can make motors behave unpredictably? Learn from on‑the‑job experts how to avoid these pitfalls.

Tip 1 – Perform regular health checks on motors

Mark Gwinnett, head of ABB’s Service Division, compares motor inspections to a routine medical check‑up. “Tests such as PdMA (predictive maintenance and condition monitoring), vibration analysis, and oil analysis provide a comprehensive health snapshot,” he says. In Canada’s oil sands at Fort McMurray, these tests keep motors running reliably under harsh conditions and help verify critical spare parts for emergency replacements.

Tip 2 – Tighten motor electrical connectors to the manufacturer’s recommended torque setting

At Montreal Pierre Elliot Trudeau International Airport, a baggage handling system’s 75 motors suffered from slow operation and missed bags after a month of unexplained faults. Ghislan Reindeau, interim site manager at Cofely Services, discovered that six bolts holding the motor junction box were misshapen and had been overtightened, breaking the connection. After replacing the tools with high‑end Wera torque screwdrivers set to the manufacturer’s torque specifications, the issue was resolved, and Reindeau now guarantees proper torque every time.

Tip 3 – Protect motor bearings from transient voltage damage

Ron Van Bavel, district manager at Baldor Motors and Drives Ltd., warns that variable speed drives can send harmful transient voltages down the shaft, damaging bearings in as little as a few weeks if left unprotected. “In heavy industry the problem is obvious, but lighter‑industry users often miss it,” he notes. A practical fix is to install grounding bushings, which cost between $200 and $500, or, in Class I, Division 2 hazardous areas, use ceramic bearings for safety.

Tip 4 – Remove dust to prevent drives from tripping off

Bill from BJ Electric Motor and Control Ltd. explains that dust and static discharge can trigger nuisance trips, appearing as ground, temperature, over‑current, or communication faults. “Because drives operate on very low voltage, even a small static charge can trip the system,” he says. For clean‑out, Bill recommends: (1) letting the power remain off for 30 minutes to allow capacitors to bleed, and (2) using clean, dry air—not compressor air—to blow dust out.

Tip 5 – Ventilate and clean motors and drives to prevent overheating

Bill offers a useful rule of thumb: if a drive is rated for a 30‑degree Celsius rise, it should run at 60 °C in a room with a 30 °C ambient temperature. Any 10 °C increase above normal operating temperature halves the life expectancy of the motor or drive. During preventive maintenance, open the drive, inspect for dust buildup, verify that fans spin freely, and blow out any contaminants.