Belzona’s cold-curing epoxy composites offer several advantages over welding:

Cost effectiveness: With less specialised labour, fewer safety precautions needed, and reduced downtime, the overall cost of the epoxy shaft repair method is much lower than welding.   

Reduced downtime: Worn Shaft repairs can be performed in situ, avoiding the lengthy process of removing, transporting, and reinstalling heavy or complex machinery.

No thermal distortion or metallurgical change: Since there’s no high heat involved, there is far less risk of warping, cracking, or altering base‐metal properties.

Lower safety risk: Fewer hot-work hazards—no open flames, reduced risk of burns or fires, and lower exposure to weld fumes—translates into safer working conditions.

Repairing worn shafts is essential for several reasons:

Proven durability: Case studies of Belzona repairs show that, once properly applied, cold-curing shaft repairs can last for many years under real operating conditions.  

Maintaining performance and efficiency: Shaft wear leads to misalignment, increased friction, vibration and power losses. If left unchecked, these degrade efficiency.

Preventing cascade failures: Worn shafts stress other components—bearings, seals, couplings—and these parts often fail prematurely when shaft wear is not addressed.

Minimising unplanned downtime: Proactive repair avoids unexpected breakdowns, which are usually far more disruptive and expensive than planned maintenance.

Extending component and machine life: Restoring shafts to correct dimensions helps the machine run as designed, which improves longevity and mitigates shaft replacement.   

Causes of wear:

• Mechanical abrasion (solid particles, seals, bearings)
• Corrosion (chemical attack, moisture, process fluids)
• Misalignment and vibration leading to fretting or uneven load distribution
• Poor or inadequate lubrication (or lubricant contamination)
• Material selection not suited to the operating environment (e.g. insufficient hardness or corrosion resistance)

Prevention strategies:

• Design equipment for maintainability (accessibility, ease of inspection)
• Use epoxy repair materials that resist corrosion and abrasion such as Belzona 1111 (Super Metal)  
• Ensure precise alignment during installation, and periodic alignment checks
• Maintain lubrication regimes, using correct lubricant and cleanliness
• Monitor vibration, bearing temperatures and wear patterns to detect early onset of wear

Belzona 1111 (Super Metal) should be allowed to ambient cure as follows. Bear in mind that these curing times are for a repair thickness of approximately 6mm (0.25 inches). They will be reduced for thicker sections and extended for thinner sections.

For mixing small quantities of the shaft repair epoxy, Belzona 1111 (Super Metal), use:    

Belzona 1111 (Super Metal) can be used on pump shaft repairs, motor shaft repairs, gearbox shaft repairs, amongst others.