How Atoms Prevented Costly Downtime at a Sand Plant

When critical equipment fails, the costs go far beyond the repair bill. For one sand plant, a simple oversight during routine maintenance could have resulted in months of downtime and the loss of a large, expensive gearbox. Instead, Atomation's monitoring technology caught the problem in real time and prevented a disaster.

The Situation

The plant's washer screw—a double screw system that feeds a conveyor in the final process from the washer to the conveyor to the stockpile—was due for routine maintenance. During an oil change on the gearbox, the machinery wasn't refilled with oil before being put back into operation.

Without proper lubrication, the gearbox began operating under dangerous conditions that would typically go unnoticed until complete failure occurred.

The Atomation Solution

The plant had deployed Atomation's AT-R sensors on the gearbox, connected through a battery-powered gateway. This setup provided continuous monitoring without the need for complex wiring or external power sources—critical advantages in rugged aggregate processing environments.

The AT-R sensor monitored the gearbox temperature continuously, with threshold-based alerts configured to notify operators when conditions deviated from normal operating parameters.

The Save

When the gearbox temperature spiked due to the missing oil, the AT-R sensor immediately detected the anomaly. The threshold-based alert triggered instantly, notifying the operations team of the dangerous condition. The line was stopped, the oil was added, and the equipment continued operating normally.

Why Threshold-Based Monitoring Matters in Aggregate Operations

In aggregate settings where production flows depend on each piece of equipment functioning properly, this kind of real-time protection is invaluable. Threshold-based alerts ensure that operators don't need to constantly monitor dashboards—they're only notified when conditions require immediate attention.

Gearboxes are large and expensive pieces of equipment that can take months to repair or replace. The downtime alone can cripple production schedules and revenue. The Atomation system provided the visibility needed to catch a problem that would have otherwise gone unnoticed until catastrophic failure occurred.

Deployment Made Simple

The combination of wireless AT-R sensors and battery-powered gateways means facilities can deploy comprehensive monitoring across their operations without extensive infrastructure investments. For aggregate producers managing equipment across large outdoor facilities, this flexibility is essential.

For more information about how Atomation's AT-R sensors and threshold-based monitoring can protect your critical equipment, contact us today.