On the day the machine arrives, most attention goes to whether the casing has been knocked, whether the pipework has been distorted and whether the technical documents are all there. What really decides how the machine behaves afterwards is more basic: what the machine is standing on. Confirming this before the machine is placed costs very little; finding it out afterwards is far more expensive to put right, and it often lands right in the middle of a maintenance window.
Load capacity is the one that cannot be compromised
The weight of the ZYD-100 is about 720 kg and the overall dimensions are 1200×1400×1800 mm; the TYA series and the mobile units weigh no less. The result of insufficient load capacity is not a collapse on the spot but a set of continuing problems that appear after the machine has been running for a while: deformation of the frame, uneven contact between the feet and the floor, loose bolts and a pump set that drifts out of alignment.
What has to be confirmed is the total weight of the machine with the working medium filled in, not the weight of the empty machine, and it is the force on the four support points, not an average spread over the whole footprint. A concrete base needs a clear strength requirement, and where that cannot be provided a steel platform with enough capacity is used as a transition. Adding more feet does not solve it, it only pushes the problem into the future.
Levelness decides whether the machine shakes on its own
The effect of levelness is underestimated. If there is a step between the bottom of the frame and the floor, the machine moves and vibrates in a cycle while the pump set runs. The vibration travels along the pipework, the mating faces are loaded repeatedly, and flanges, joints and sealing rings are the first to fail; carried further up the machine, the alignment between the motor and the pump slowly drifts, the current rises and the oil temperature goes up.
A second problem caused by unevenness is the cooling. Where the gap under the machine is not even, the air path is partly blocked and the working temperature of the heating section and the motor moves away from the design state. The overall envelope of 1200×1400×1800 mm leaves little room to work in, so whether the four corners are at the same level has to be measured before installation rather than judged by eye.
The typical problems behind the three conditions
| Floor condition | Typical problem | How to confirm it | Possible consequence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Load capacity insufficient | The feet sink and the frame deforms | Check the base strength against the total weight | Alignment drift, loose connections, vibration gets worse |
| The floor is not level | The machine rocks in a cycle | Check the level of the four corners with a spirit level | Sealing parts fail early, current and oil temperature rise |
| Oil and dust on the floor | The oil pipework corrodes and the cooling is restricted | Clean it and confirm the cleaning routine on site | Shorter life of the machine, unplanned stops |
| Poor drainage and standing water | Moisture in the electrics, insulation falls | Check the drainage and the fall of the floor | Leakage protection trips, faults in the control cabinet |
| Too close to a source of vibration | Vibration from the two adds up | Keep a distance from overhead cranes, presses and the like | Readings fluctuate, fasteners work loose |
Choosing the measures against vibration
- Fit vibration pads or spring mounts between the machine base and the structure of the building, so that less vibration is passed on.
- Fit flexible connections at the inlet and the outlet of the pump set to absorb the vibration and the shock coming along the pipework.
- Fix the inlet and the outlet pipework with supports, so that it does not hang free and swing over a long run.
- Keep a distance from the source of vibration and, where that is possible, turn the machine so that the vibration directions do not line up.
- After installation, run the machine unloaded once and measure the settlement and the vibration at each foot.
- Put the measurements into the installation file, to serve as the reference for later maintenance.
When these checks should happen
The condition of the floor is part of the installation plan, not a remedy to be found during installation. The form of the base and the loads are settled at the drawing stage, the level and the drainage are checked on site, and the vibration and the current data verify the result once the machine is in service. When all three are done, the later work on the alignment and on the sealing has a stable starting point; leave one of them out and the problem returns six months later in a different form.
The condition of the floor is something that can be confirmed before the machine arrives; finding out afterwards that the floor cannot carry it costs far more to put right.
