Before visiting the failure site, interview a contact person located at the site and explain what you need to inspect the gearbox including personnel, equipment, and working conditions.
Request a skilled technician to disassemble the equipment under your direction. But, make sure that no work is done on the gearbox until you arrive. This means no disassembly or cleaning. Otherwise, a wellmeaning technician could inadvertently destroy evidence.
Verify that the gearbox drawings, disassembly tools, and adequate inspection facilities are available.
Ask for as much background information as possible, including manufacturer’s part numbers, gear and bearing runtime (hr), service history, and lubricant type.
Now, it’s time to assemble your inspection equipment, including items such as a magnifying glass, measuring tools, felt tip markers, lubricant sampling equipment, and photographic equipment. A well-designed set of inspection forms for the gearbox, gears, and bearings should be at the top of your priority list.