\n\tThe BeNeLux failure analysis group in Liege, all members of FAS, recently attended a technical meeting where they presented a discussion of rolling contact fatigue in gears to about 14 engineers and academics from across Belgium and Luxemburg.<\/p>\n
\n\tCalled a Short Technical Information Session, the meeting was sponsored by CMI de Malzine, a gear manufacturing company, and was held at its plant. CMI stands for “Cockerill Maintenance & Ing\u00e9nierie,” an engineering company formed in Belgium during the industrial revolution by John Cockerill. Today the company employs more than 4680 people around the world, in a range of industries such as energy, industrial equipment, and boilers. <\/p>\n
\n\tThe FAS speakers focused on two gear failures involving rolling contact fatigue and contaminants in the gear materials. The photo shows the premature pitting of gear teeth in a case-hardened gear, one of the topics of discussion.<\/p>\n
\n\tConstructive exchanges of ideas by the audience and speakers followed the presentation. These were related to the various ways the failures should be analyzed, tools that could be used for getting results, and methods for finding the most probable root causes. Precautions that should be taken during the heat treatment of gears were also discussed.<\/p>\n