Extruder, Mixer and Calender Gearbox Repair for Plastics, Rubber and Tire Plants
Extruders, internal mixers and calenders carry some of the highest torque in any plant, and many run on drives from builders that have long since changed hands. We rebuild those gearboxes and manufacture replacement gears and shafts for them.
Drives we work on
Polymer processing puts high, steady torque through compact gearboxes, with the screw thrust taken in the same housing.
- Single-screw extruder gearboxes and thrust assemblies
- Twin-screw extruder gearboxes and torque-split drives
- Internal mixer drives and rotor gearing
- Calender and two-roll mill drives and roll-neck gearing
- Pelletizer and strand-cutter drives
- Film, sheet and pipe line haul-off and winder drives
- Compound handling and conveyor drives
Extruder gearbox rebuild
Teardown, inspection against drawing or calculated geometry, replacement of worn gearing and thrust components, and reassembly with a documented build record.
Custom gears and shafts
Helical, double helical, spur and bevel gearing and complete shafts, cut to order to fit the existing housing.
Obsolete drive support
When a machine builder has been acquired or closed and spares have dried up, we reverse engineer the internals from the worn parts.
What usually brings these drives to us
High torque and continuous duty show up first in the gear teeth and the thrust arrangement.
| What fails | What we supply |
|---|---|
| Pitted extruder gearbox gearing | New gear set manufactured to the existing centres |
| Extruder from a builder with no spares support | Gearing and shafts reverse engineered from the removed parts |
| Mixer drive gearing damaged | Replacement gear set manufactured from measured geometry |
| Calender drive shaft worn at the fits | Replacement shaft machined complete to the original fits |
| Haul-off reducer worn beyond limits | Rebuild with new gearing, journals restored to size |
Working from no drawings
Most of the drive components we are asked for are no longer manufactured, and the original drawings are long gone. We reverse engineer from the worn part itself: the component is measured, the tooth geometry and fits are established, material is confirmed, and a replacement is cut to suit the existing housing, shafts and bearings so nothing else in the assembly has to change.
Where a gear has failed because of a design limitation rather than wear, we will say so and propose the change rather than reproduce the fault.
Shop capabilities
- Gear hobbing and grinding up to 3 m (118 in) diameter; components up to 6 m long
- Custom-built gearboxes up to 200 tonnes
- High-speed gearboxes up to 20,000 RPM for blowers, compressors and pumps
- Spur, helical, double helical (herringbone), bevel, worm, internal and planetary gearing
- 4-, 5- and 9-axis machining, mill-turn, wire EDM, cylindrical and centerless grinding, thread whirling
- Heat treatment: hardening, tempering and surface treatments
- Inspection: CMM, gear geometry and profile verification, surface finish, hardness (Rockwell, Brinell) and non-destructive testing
- Test bench reports on refurbished and upgraded gearboxes
- Materials: carbon and alloy steels (4140, 4340, 8620), stainless and duplex, tool steels, bronze, titanium and Inconel
We repair all major gearbox makes, including Flender/Siemens, SEW-Eurodrive, Nord, Sumitomo, Falk/Rexnord, David Brown, Hansen, Lenze, Bonfiglioli, Brevini, Renold and Philadelphia Gear.
Quality and documentation
Euro Gear holds ISO 9001:2015 certification (certificate 14144280, issued by QA Certification, valid to September 2029; verifiable at www.irqao.com), covering engineering, reverse engineering, custom design and R&D for gears, gearboxes and industrial mechanical components; custom manufacturing, precision machining and fabrication; inspection, repair, rebuilding, upgrades, anti-wear coatings and testing of industrial equipment; technical consulting, maintenance support and reliability solutions. Material certification, dimensional reports, traceability records and test bench reports are supplied as specified in the quote. Euro Gear is a member of the American Gear Manufacturers Association (AGMA).
Where we work
From our engineering and manufacturing facility in Saint-Hubert, just south of Montreal, and our US operation in northern New York, we serve plants across Quebec, Ontario and Atlantic Canada and the northeastern United States, and ship across North America. Service is available in English and French.
Lead times
Standard gearbox repairs typically take two to four weeks, depending on parts and the extent of the damage, and we plan around shutdown and turnaround dates. When a drive fails without warning, our 24/7 breakdown response dispatches technicians to plants across Canada and the United States, and our field team also handles on-site inspection, alignment, installation and commissioning.
Common questions
- Do you rebuild twin-screw extruder gearboxes?
- Yes. We rebuild single- and twin-screw extruder gearboxes and manufacture replacement gearing and shafts when parts are no longer available from the builder.
- Can you make gears for a mixer whose builder no longer supports it?
- Yes. We measure the existing parts to establish tooth geometry, fits and material, and manufacture replacements to suit the existing drive.
- Can you work to a planned shutdown?
- Yes. Tell us the shutdown date at first contact and we will tell you honestly whether the part can be ready for it.
- Do you attend site for breakdowns?
- Yes. We provide 24/7 emergency breakdown response across Canada and the United States, with technicians dispatched to site, as well as on-site inspection, alignment, installation and commissioning. Call 1-866-702-3126.
- What do you need from us to quote?
- Photographs of the nameplate and the worn component are usually enough to start. Drawings help but are not required.
Send us the part
A photograph of the nameplate and the worn component is usually enough for us to tell you whether we can help. Drawings are welcome but not required.
Further reading
- Gearbox Failure: Common Causes and Prevention: Common causes of industrial gearbox failure (inadequate lubrication, overloading, misalignment, thermal issues and contamination) and how to prevent them.
- 5 Signs Your Industrial Gearbox Needs Repair: Warning signs to catch before an unplanned shutdown: unusual noises, excessive vibration, temperature increases, oil contamination or leaks, and reduced performance.
- How to Extend the Life of Your Industrial Gearbox: Lubrication management, operating within specifications, predictive maintenance, environmental protection and professional maintenance to extend gearbox service life.