Coiler drums are integral components of the Steckel mill reversing hot strip rolling process. A Steckel mill produces hot rolled strip steel from cast slabs, which are heated before being converted, via roughing, to a transfer bar, of which the thickness is subsequently reduced to the desired gauge by means of a reverse rolling process performed by the Steckel mill. Coiler drums are located inside two Steckel furnaces, which are positioned on both sides of the mill stand. As the strip thickness is reduced during each pass, the length increases. In order to obtain high rolling speeds and retain temperature, the strip is successively coiled and uncoiled, under tension, onto and from the heated coiler drums during processing. As coiler drums have a high unit cost and a significant impact on the quality of the finished product, coiler drum performance is important to Steckel mill operators. The high cost is associated with the high alloy composition of the casting and the specialised manufacturing process required for the production of coiler drums. Deterioration of the coiler drum condition over its service lifespan can adversely affect the quality of the final product, namely coiled strip. This investigation was therefore undertaken to gain insight into coiler drum failure mechanisms, which will benefit Steckel mill operators, mill suppliers and coiler drum suppliers. / Professor R.F. Laubscher

Recent failures of large induction machines due to rotor bar breaks have become a major industrial concern in South Africa. These failures have occurred while applying current condition monitoring methods. This would imply that current theories are either inadequate or badly implemented. This thesis investigates two currently used condition monitoring strategies which focus on monitoring the stator current and axial vibration to detect bar breaks as well as a third method which involves putting destructive shaft voltages to good use and using this signal to diagnose rotor defects. This document begins by familiarizing the reader with two conventional approaches which involve monitoring the stator current and the axial vibration to detect rotor bar breaks. Thereafter the origins of shaft voltage are discussed and its use as a condition monitoring tool is first theoretically derived and then validated by finite element simulations. A thorough discussion of the measurement equipment required is presented and ultimately the performance of these three methods is tested by means of a laboratory measurement as well as two on-site measurements. The results from these measurements suggest that when making proper use of both conventional condition monitoring methods, these methods have a 50% success rate in the detection of rotor bar breaks. The alternative method investigated, which involves monitoring the shaft voltage, has a 75% success rate in the detection of rotor bar breaks. This highlights the use of shaft voltage as a condition monitoring tool. / Dr. S. R. Holm Prof. W. A. Cronje