【Haichuan’s Insights from Other Sources】Invented a special bearing removal tool for electric motors to solve challenges in motor maintenance

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On October 9, at the motor maintenance site of CNPC Electric Power and Thermal Power Company No. 1, two maintenance workers were skillfully using a finely designed \"special tool for removing bearings from motors\". They aligned the adjustable clamps on the tool with the motor bearings and gently fastened them in place; a shimming device was then added to the bearings, allowing the bearings, which were previously firmly fixed to the shaft, to be smoothly removed by the maintenance personnel. This ingenious little tool was invented by Zhan Changjiang, an employee of Wu Haiyu’s team in the Electrical Control and Maintenance Department of CNPC Energy Thermal Power Company No. 1. Since its establishment in March 1991, the Wu Haiyu Team has functioned like a tightly tightened screw, firmly fixed in the crucial role of ensuring power supply for oil production, providing heating for the public, and generating benefits for enterprises. Adhering to the principle that \"production challenges are opportunities for innovation,\" it has resolved numerous production problems through practical inventions and innovations. In recent years, under the dual pressures of staff reductions due to retirement and the commissioning of new units, the Wu Haiyu team has faced the severe challenge of having few employees to manage many pieces of equipment. Just the task of removing motor bearings requires 4 workers to work around the equipment all day long; this is not only time-consuming and labor-intensive but also carries the risk of damaging the components due to operational errors. “We can’t let old methods hold production back! ”Zhan Changjiang saw this with concern and was anxious; he resolved to overcome this challenge. He found all the dozens of equipment drawings, laid them out on the table one by one and examined them carefully, paying attention to even the smallest details regarding bearing installation. When he encountered differences in bearing sizes for different types of motors, he used calipers to take repeated measurements and accurately recorded the data for each diameter and thickness on draft paper, being careful not to let any error affect the subsequent design. The old steel materials and spare parts piled up in the corner of the room became his \"treasures\". He selected steel with the appropriate properties, and using a grinding wheel, gradually shaped it into the初步 form of a tool. He then adjusted the curvature of the clasp based on the measurement data. After each grinding session, he would test-fit it near the motor; if the clasp didn’t fit snugly against the bearing, he would take it apart and make further modifications. Even though calluses formed on his hands, he never stopped working. During the day, he spent time at the maintenance site, watching closely as the technicians carried out each step of bearing removal, and noted down details such as the \"force applied\", the \"time taken for removal\", and the \"parts prone to getting stuck\" in his notebook. When he returned to his team in the evening, he would study over and over again the sketches he had drawn under the desk lamp, making repeated changes. Sometimes, when he came up with an idea for improvement, he would get up immediately, even if he was already lying down, to add notes to the sketch. In this way, from the initial design prototype to the finalized trial assembly, he conducted over 20 disassembly and assembly tests in total, continuously refining the plan. Ultimately, a “special bearing puller for electric motors” suitable for various motor models was developed. The adjustable clasp on the tool can firmly \"grip\" bearings of most different sizes. By pressing a shimming device into the bearing, the bearing assembly that was originally fixed in place can be pushed forward, making it easier for maintenance personnel to remove it. The disassembly task that used to require 4 workers to work around the motor for an entire day can now be completed with high quality in just 30 minutes by 2 people using this tool, representing a increase in efficiency by dozens of times.