Smart inspection without disassembly

ABB’s in-situ visual inspection service uses a robotic crawler – ABB Air Gap Inspector – to examine the stator core, rotor core and winding of large motors and generators. The inspections make it possible to check for faults without the need to remove the rotor. The robotic crawler moves in the air gap between the stator and rotor, traversing the stator core laminations using modular, magnetic tracks. It can be used in all large synchronous motors and generators with air gaps of 10 mm or more.

Enhancing preventive maintenance

ABB Air Gap Inspector can be used during planned outages without removing the rotor, and in cases where removal of the rotor is not possible. The air gap inspections greatly enhance preventive maintenance work and can be used for:

 

  • Internal inspections during minor outages
  • Inspections in combination with ABB preventive maintenance level L3 and, to some extent, L4 (in special cases when rotor removal is not possible). During L3 maintenance (with end covers removed but rotor in place), a robotic crawler enables more effective visual inspection of stator and rotor areas that are normally inaccessible. This supports early issue detection and helps plan future maintenance. If rotor removal isn’t possible during L4, L3 can be combined with in-situ robotic inspection. While not a full substitute for L4, it provides valuable insights into internal component conditions to guide further actions.
  • Gathering additional information to support ABB Ability™ LEAP and improve the remaining lifetime estimation. In addition, any faults detected by ABB Ability™ LEAP can be confirmed with the air gap inspection and their exact location and severity can be assessed.

Key benefits

Time and cost savings

Avoiding the need to remove the rotor means significant savings in time and costs as well as reduced risk.

Optimized maintenance planning

The extent and quality of inspections are greatly enhanced, helping to optimize maintenance planning.

Increased availability

Air gap inspections increase the availability of motors and generators by reducing the number of outage days when rotor removal is required.

Other resources

Frequently Asked Questions

Have a questions? We've got an answer. Check out our FAQs on ABB Air gap inspection.

Synchronous motor service solutions

Check out our interactive web page to learn more about our service solutions for synchronous motors.

Related offering

ABB Ability™ LEAP for motors and generators

ABB Ability™ LEAP (Life Expectancy Analysis Program) analyzes the condition and expected lifetime of the stator winding insulation. It detects potential problems before they become critical and lead to expensive downtime, enabling you to plan maintenance in advance.

Preventive maintenance

An investment that helps avoid failures. ABB’s services are built on extensive experience in manufacturing and maintaining drives, motors, and generators.

ABB Ability™ Digital Powertrain Insights

Self-service asset intelligence platform. Enables internal teams to monitor, analyze, and act independently while building predictive maturity.