IHI TX-Z Overhaul — 84,500+ Hours

Medium overhaul of an IHI TX-Z two-stage oil-free centrifugal air compressor (30 m³/min, 0.69 MPa) at an electronics manufacturing plant: carbon-cleaned bearings with babbitt damage found, rusty cooler chambers re-coated, corroded intercoolers assessed, blow-off silencer replaced and vibration probes recalibrated — with the complete photo record and clearance table. Carried out by Turbomax engineers.

IHI TX-Z compressor 1st-stage cooler chamber heavily rusted before overhaul

Machine background

This IHI TX-Z oil-free centrifugal air compressor supplies clean, oil-free instrument air to an electronics manufacturing plant. Commissioned in 2008, it came to us for its second overhaul with more than 84,500 running hours (about 83,300 loaded hours) on the counter.

Model	IHI TX-Z (two-stage oil-free centrifugal air compressor)
Capacity / discharge pressure	30 m³/min / 0.69 MPa
Motor	165 kW, 380 V
Commissioned	2008
Running time at overhaul	84,571 hours (2nd overhaul)

Condition found during overhaul

Bearings — heavy carbon deposits on the 1st- and 2nd-stage bearing journals; the 1st-stage bearing pad shows babbitt wear with pitting — carbon was removed and the condition recorded for replacement at the next overhaul
Cooler chambers (1st/2nd stage) — badly rusted inside; ground clean and re-coated with high-temperature anti-corrosion paint
Guide vane rings & scroll casings (1st/2nd stage) — fouled and rusted; ground, cleaned and re-coated
Coolers — both intercoolers seriously corroded after 10 years in service, especially on the water side; cleaned, and replacement recommended for the next overhaul
Blow-off silencer — one body extremely rusted and blown through; replaced with new
1st-stage impeller — light wear on the blades; cleaned and PT-checked
Diffusers & guide devices (1st/2nd stage) — condition good, no replacement required
Seals — 1st/2nd-stage air seals and oil seals replaced with new

Scope of work — parts replaced

Grinding and high-temperature anti-corrosion re-coating of both cooler chambers, guide vane rings and scroll casings
New blow-off silencer, new blow-off solenoid valve, discharge check valve repair kit, coupling element kit
New oil mist separator element, new oil filter, new intake air filter elements, fresh lubricating oil; oil tank and oil lines flushed
Main and auxiliary oil pump coupling elements replaced; oil heater checked
IGV butterfly valve inspected and cleaned; drain traps checked
Vibration probe gap voltages recalibrated (2.84 V vs. 2.85 ± 0.15 V standard) and all protective settings function-tested
Post-overhaul test run: discharge pressure steady at 0.629 MPa, oil pressure normal, shaft vibration 8.3–8.8 μmp-p — all parameters normal

Photos from the job

The complete photo record from the overhaul report — cooler chambers, guide vane rings, scroll casings shown as found / after grinding / after re-coating:

1. 1st-stage cooler chamber — rust removal & re-coating

IHI TX-Z compressor 1st-stage cooler chamber after grinding — — after grinding

IHI TX-Z compressor 1st-stage cooler chamber after anti-corrosion re-coating — — after re-coating

2. 2nd-stage cooler chamber — rust removal & re-coating

IHI TX-Z compressor 2nd-stage cooler chamber rusted before overhaul — 2nd-stage cooler chamber — before, heavy rust

IHI TX-Z compressor 2nd-stage cooler chamber after grinding — — after grinding

IHI TX-Z compressor 2nd-stage cooler chamber after re-coating — — after re-coating

3. 1st-stage guide vane ring — cleaning & re-coating

IHI TX-Z compressor 1st-stage guide vane ring before cleaning — 1st-stage guide vane ring — before

IHI TX-Z compressor 1st-stage guide vane ring after grinding — — after grinding

IHI TX-Z compressor 1st-stage guide vane ring after re-coating — — after re-coating

4. 2nd-stage guide vane ring — cleaning & re-coating

IHI TX-Z compressor 2nd-stage guide vane ring before cleaning — 2nd-stage guide vane ring — before

IHI TX-Z compressor 2nd-stage guide vane ring after grinding — — after grinding

IHI TX-Z compressor 2nd-stage guide vane ring after re-coating — — after re-coating

5. Scroll casings (2nd & 1st stage) — rust removal & re-coating

IHI TX-Z compressor 2nd-stage scroll casing before grinding — 2nd-stage scroll — before

IHI TX-Z compressor 2nd-stage scroll casing after grinding — — after grinding

IHI TX-Z compressor 2nd-stage scroll casing after re-coating — — after re-coating

IHI TX-Z compressor 1st-stage scroll casing before grinding — 1st-stage scroll — before

IHI TX-Z compressor 1st-stage scroll casing after grinding — — after grinding

IHI TX-Z compressor 1st-stage scroll casing after re-coating — — after re-coating

6. Bearings — carbon deposits and babbitt damage

IHI TX-Z compressor 1st-stage bearing with heavy carbon deposits — 1st-stage bearing — heavy carbon

IHI TX-Z compressor 2nd-stage bearing with heavy carbon deposits — 2nd-stage bearing — heavy carbon

IHI TX-Z compressor 1st-stage bearing pad with babbitt wear and pitting — Bearing pad — babbitt wear, pitting

7. Bearing journals — carbon removed

IHI TX-Z compressor 2nd-stage bearing journal with carbon deposits — 2nd-stage journal — carbon deposits

IHI TX-Z compressor 2nd-stage bearing journal after carbon cleaning — — after cleaning

IHI TX-Z compressor 1st-stage bearing journal with carbon deposits — 1st-stage journal — carbon deposits

IHI TX-Z compressor 1st-stage bearing journal after carbon cleaning — — after cleaning

8. Intercoolers — 10 years of corrosion, cleaned

IHI TX-Z compressor 1st-stage intercooler corroded — 1st-stage intercooler — corroded

IHI TX-Z compressor 2nd-stage intercooler corroded — 2nd-stage intercooler — corroded

Dust blown out of the IHI TX-Z intercoolers during cleaning — Dust blown out during cleaning

9. Blow-off silencer — replaced

IHI TX-Z compressor old blow-off silencer rusted through — Old silencer — rusted through

New blow-off silencer installed on IHI TX-Z compressor — New silencer installed

10. Discharge check valve & coupling — repair kits installed

IHI TX-Z compressor old discharge check valve — Discharge check valve — old

IHI TX-Z compressor discharge check valve renewed — — renewed

IHI TX-Z compressor old coupling element — Coupling — old element

IHI TX-Z compressor new coupling element installed — — new element

11. IGV butterfly valve — cleaned

IHI TX-Z compressor IGV butterfly valve before cleaning — IGV — before cleaning

IHI TX-Z compressor IGV butterfly valve after cleaning — — after cleaning

Measured clearances — TX-Z clearance table

Every shaft/bearing and impeller clearance was measured and recorded against the IHI standard before reassembly:

IHI TX-Z centrifugal air compressor clearance table measured during overhaul — IHI TX-Z clearance table — bull gear, pinion shafts, impeller tip and thrust clearances, measured during the overhaul.

Measured values (mm):

Clearance position	Actual (mm)
B — High-speed shaft (pinion) bearing	0.21
C — Inlet scroll & impeller, 1st stage	0.35
C — Inlet scroll & impeller, 2nd stage	0.50
E — Shaft & bearing clearance, 1st stage	0.11
E — Shaft & bearing clearance, 2nd stage	0.12

Radial tip clearance — impeller top to inlet scroll (mm):

Stage	12 o'clock	3 o'clock	6 o'clock	9 o'clock
F — 1st stage impeller	0.50	0.35	0.30	0.35
F — 2nd stage impeller	0.40	0.30	0.25	0.30

All readings within the IHI acceptance range. The 1st-stage bearing journal was polished and its condition documented for replacement at the next overhaul.

Recommendations for the next overhaul

Both intercoolers must be replaced — 10 years in service with heavy water-side corrosion; cleaning only buys time
1st-stage bearing to be replaced — babbitt pitting already recorded; the journal was polished and the condition documented
Oil seals of both stages — condition acceptable now, keep in the spare-parts stock

Planning an overhaul or need IHI TX-Z spare parts?

Turbomax supplies IHI TXA parts and overhaul service for IHI T2A, TXA, TRA, TRE, TRX and TX series oil-free centrifugal air compressors — bearings, seals, coolers, impellers, IGV components and complete service kits, manufactured to original drawings and backed by former IHI service engineers.

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