The costs of premature bearing failure can be considerable and sometimes devastating to your bottom line with unnecessary bearing damage, machine failure, and downtime.
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Here are five tips on how to avoid premature bearing failure and safeguard your business.
Lubrication related failures account for 36% of premature bearing failures. These failures can be caused by too little, too much, or the wrong type or quality of lubrication. Bearings are often in inaccessible locations, leading to unmet re-lubrication intervals which ultimately cause the bearing to fail prematurely, thereby resulting in costly downtime.
In the case of lubrication-related failures, Bearings offers lubrication solutions that vastly improve bearing lubrication and bearing lifespan. Such solutions include the SKF range of Bearing greases comprising a comprehensive range of lubricants and several tools to facilitate the selection of the most suitable lubricant for any application.
What’s more, the SKF LubeSelect tool guides the user through the process and assists in making the correct grease selection. As relubrication serves as an additional challenge, we provide the System 24 range or the TLMR Series Automatic dispensers from SKF. These solutions ensure the correct quantity of lubricant is applied to the bearing at the correct interval and in those above-mentioned inaccessible locations – all at an affordable cost.
Another SKF solution on offer is the Maintenance-free SKF Explorer Sealed bearing, which requires no re-lubrication throughout their service life. In addition, it gives users the opportunity to improve sealing by using the triple barrier sealing system.
Approximately 34% of all premature bearing failures are the result of fatigue. Fatigue typically occurs when the bearing reaches the end of its natural lifespan but can also result from incorrect selection and type of bearing size. This can lead to a costly exercise if incorrectly specified bearings are simply replaced without checking the root cause of failure.
To prevent premature bearing fatigue, a broad range of factors contributing to the correct bearing selection should be considered, namely applied load (weight, type, and direction), rotational speed, lubrication, environmental conditions, temperature, and the potential misalignment, to mention a few.
Unfortunately, every application is unique and demands a distinctive bearing design. Therefore, each case needs to be considered in isolation, so the most appropriate bearing is selected.
This is where Bearings can assist. With years of industry experience in the design and selection of bearings, combined with our partnership with industry leaders, SKF, we are comprehensively equipped to assist our clients and guide them through the correct selection process. We achieve this by using applications such as SKF Bearing Assist (available on the App Store or Google Play) which provides users with information on bearing rating life, bearing frequencies, recommended fits and tolerances, mounting and dismounting information, and much more. In cases where applications become more complex, SKF Application Engineering can be employed to provide recommendations to users.
It is estimated that approximately 16% of all premature bearing failures are caused by incorrect installation and the non-availability of the correct tools to conduct the installation correctly. The three recognised bearing installation techniques include:
If recommended installation procedures are not followed correctly, damage to the bearing can result from the incorrect fitting process, subsequently leading to costly premature bearing failures.
Bearings offer a suite of products and services to assist bearing installation teams achieve superior techniques and ensuring optimal bearing performance.
Contact us to discuss your requirements of Hub Bearing. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.
In the case of Mechanical fitting, the bearing is mounted with mechanical force. To enable the installer to apply the mounting force to the correct ring of the bearing, mounting kits such as the TMFT series are available as well as the HN and TMFN series of hook spanners to secure the bearing in position with locknuts.
Hydraulic mounting, with the use of the SKF Drive-up Method, utilising HMV ….E hydraulic nut in conjunction with the SKF hydraulic pump and dial gauge, make hydraulic mounting the preferred approach.
When heating is the selected mounting method, it’s vital to consider the maximum operating temperature of the bearing to prevent overheating. Amongst the safest ways to do this is by using a bearing induction heater, such as the SKF TIH L series. This ensures that the bearing is heated to the optimum temperature, without overheating and causing damage to the bearing. Various models are available for all bearing sizes.
A modern bearing is a precision component, and its operating effectiveness depends on a clean running condition, free of foreign materials. Contamination can be caused by improper storage or handling but can also be caused by insufficient sealing protection. Contamination could be the result of using the incorrect seal for the application or temperature range or could be due to misalignment, creating a gap at the seal. It is estimated that approximately 14% of bearing failures are contamination related.
Bearings have a wealth of experience and can empower our clients to select the best sealing solution for their unique application. Additionally, the double barrier sealing technique is an option made easy by SKF. What’s more, the use of sealed bearings within housings allows for a grease barrier to protect the bearing. It is crucial that you utilise the appropriate seal, shield, or grease for your bearing and the conditions under which it operates, all of which we are willing and able to assist you with.
It remains imperative to monitor and adjust the running condition throughout the lifetime of all equipment and machinery. Much like the dashboard of a car provides driver information on the status of the vehicle as well as the required maintenance needed to keep it reliable, equipment similarly needs to be monitored.
To assist plant maintenance teams to assess the condition of their equipment, Bearings offers a comprehensive range of SKF monitoring tools that have you covered. From alignment tools, condition monitoring of temperature, speed, sound, vibration, and visual, we have a product to make monitoring easy and effective.