Use a grinder to create a "V" shape along the crack so the new weld can penetrate the full thickness of the metal.
Here is a deep dive into why these cracks happen, how to spot them, and what to do when your equipment starts showing its age. What is a Mixing Station Crack?
The area surrounding the gearbox and motor experiences the highest torque stress. The "Band-Aid" vs. The Cure Mixing Station Crack
A crack in your mixing station is a message from your machinery that it’s being pushed beyond its limits. By catching these issues early through visual inspections and proper welding techniques, you can extend the life of your plant by decades.
Mixing stations deal with immense torque and heavy loads. Over years of operation, constant vibration weakens the molecular structure of the steel, leading to "stress cracks." Use a grinder to create a "V" shape
When a crack is discovered, many operators are tempted to simply weld a patch over it and keep running. While this works for a few days, it often makes the problem worse by creating a "hard spot" that doesn't flex with the rest of the machine, leading to a much larger crack right next to the repair.
A mixing station is the heart of a batching plant. It consists of a large mixer (often a twin-shaft or planetary model), support frames, scales, and silos. A usually refers to a fracture in the metal casing of the mixer drum, the structural support beams, or the welding joints that hold the high-vibration components together. The Culprits: Why Do Cracks Form? The area surrounding the gearbox and motor experiences
Trying to push a 2-cubic-meter mixer to do 2.5 cubic meters puts lateral pressure on the drum walls that they weren't engineered to handle. The Danger Zones: Where to Look
Drill a small hole at both ends of the crack to stop it from spreading further.