In this session, DieQua performs forensic autopsies on real damaged components to reveal the hidden calculation and mounting errors that lead to broken gearheads and sheared shafts. Learn how to properly match components to real-world stress profiles in order to avoid emergency downtime and eliminate expensive design re-works.
Overview
Mechanical failures rarely happen without warning. Yet many engineers find themselves troubleshooting broken gearboxes, damaged bearings, contamination issues, or unexpected downtime after the damage has already been done. The challenge is that the true root cause often isn't the component that failed. Instead, hidden factors such as shock loading, machine deflection, environmental contamination, improper lubrication, and inadequate maintenance practices can quietly shorten equipment life long before a failure occurs.
Drawing from decades of real-world application experience, Meikel Quaas and Don Corcoran will share actual engineering failure investigations that reveal what really happened and how the problems were solved. Through detailed case studies, including a $25,000 gearbox failure caused by unexpected dynamic loading and a food-processing application plagued by contamination-related gearbox failures, attendees will learn how seemingly small oversights can create major reliability issues. Each story provides practical lessons that can be applied immediately to motion control and power transmission systems.
Beyond the failure analysis, the session will cover proven best practices for lubrication, contamination prevention, equipment inspection, and preventative maintenance. Attendees will leave with actionable strategies for extending gearbox life, reducing unplanned downtime, improving machine reliability, and designing systems that perform successfully under real-world operating conditions rather than idealized assumptions.
Key Takeaways
- Engineer applications to account for detrimental environmental conditions during operation
- Anticipate machine threatening variables like sudden dynamic shock loads, thermal expansion, and structural deflection
- Prepare for operators who push machines past their limitations (overloading, cutting corners, etc.)
Speakers
Meikel Quaas is a mechanical engineer with over 35 years of experience, as well as President of DieQua Corporation, a premier provider of high-quality motion control and power transmission solutions. A leading authority on gear technology, modular drive systems, and machine integration, Meikel works alongside DieQua’s engineering team and manufacturing partners to build long-standing relationships with OEMs and system integrators. By focusing on often-overlooked mechanical nuances, such as connection methods, motor compatibility, and machine design, he helps design engineers optimize complex manufacturing systems.
Don Corcoran serves as Director of Operations for DieQua Corporation, bringing over 30 years of hands-on experience in manufacturing, motion control, and power transmission. During his time at DieQua, Don has advanced through multiple leadership roles, developing deep expertise in production operations, gearbox assembly, machining, quality assurance, and application troubleshooting. His extensive knowledge of real-world mechanical systems has made him a trusted resource for engineers seeking practical solutions to complex drivetrain and motion control challenges. His experience spans root-cause failure analysis, design-for-manufacturing principles, custom motion control solutions, and continuous process improvement. By combining technical expertise with decades of shop-floor experience, Don helps bridge the gap between theoretical design and real-world application.