Heading off trouble, automatically
Companies can spend tremendous time and energy selecting the best bearing for a particular application and ensuring that it’s installed properly. And both are critical considerations. But even the most carefully selected and properly installed bearings can be prone to failure if two other considerations aren’t kept in mind: proper lubrication and adequate condition monitoring.
Companies can spend tremendous time and energy selecting the best bearing for a particular application and ensuring that it’s installed properly. And both are critical considerations. But even the most carefully selected and properly installed bearings can be prone to failure if two other considerations aren’t kept in mind: proper lubrication and adequate condition monitoring.
Whatever the application, it’s important to realize that the key to a bearing’s continued operation lies in how it is maintained and monitored over the course of its operating life. That fact stands at the very core of SKF’s Trouble-Free Operation (TFO) program designed to help companies extend the life of their bearings and maximize equipment uptime.
TFO recognizes that four main factors influence abearing’s performance and operating life: product quality, environment, installation and maintenance. While the issue of maintenance can involve many different efforts, the areas of lubrication and machine monitoring are two
of the most essential.
Lubrication’s vital role
An estimated 50 percent of all bearing failures can be attributed in full or in part -to lubrication problems, according to Todd Snelgrove, product manager for maintenance products. Unfortunately, there are many obstacles that can stand in the way of proper bearing lubrication.
One obvious issue is the location of the bearing. Some applications, including many fans and motors, simply don’t allow maintenance staff the easy access they need to regularly check and lubricate bearings as needed. As a result, these hard-to-reach bearings are often under-lubricated or over-lubricated at the wrong time intervals.
Another obstacle -particularly in today’s business world is the availability of maintenance resources to do the job. With most companies operating leaner than ever, the typical maintenance staff is stretched thin and may have trouble keeping up with the bearing lubrication demands of its facilities.
“If there are no operating problems readily apparent, a bearing could go far too long without sufficient lubrication, Snelgrove says. And that’s a slow and steady recipe for
disaster.”
Finally, effective bearing lubrication demands the correct type of grease, applied in the correct amounts, at the correct intervals. Without a guide to those three criteria, maintenance staff members may be left guessing and their guesses could prove expensive lessons.
Recognizing the vital role that lubrication plays in a bearing’s performance and life span, SKF provides a solution designed to take the subjectivity out of bearing lubrication. This solution is System 24, a line of automatic lubricators that help to maximize bearing life and simplify bearing maintenance. When teamed with our Dial Set software, System 24 helps companies protect their equipment investment and minimize downtime through the safeguard of
proper bearing lubrication.
Reliable and cost-effective
The System 24 lubricator is a dependable and cost-effective alternative to manual lubrication and one that eliminates the subjectivity of the task. The disposable System 24 units pre-filled with a designated lubricant include a number of features that help to ensure effective and appropriate lubrication.
System 24 units are pre-filled with one of four different types of grease making the solution appropriate for a wide range of applications. The line of options includes a food grade grease; a lubricant designed specifically for electric motors; a premium-quality, high-viscosity grease; and an all-purpose lubricant with a wide temperature range. SKF’s Custom Fill program can provide a System 24 unit filled with other, specialized greases to meet an individual customer’s needs.
Snelgrove notes that some bearing applications require very small amounts of lubricant over long periods of time. In those instances, SKF can provide a System 24 mini unit with only 2 ounces of grease (half the amount found in the standard 4.25-ounce units). The mini unit unique to SKF is an ideal way to help avoid over-lubrication and the problems it can create, including increased temperature, blown seals and excessive grease purging,Snelgrove says.
More lubrication help
While System 24 helps to regulate the flow of lubrication to a bearing, maintenance staff members still are left with the task of deciding how much lubrication to provide and at what time intervals. SKF’s new Dial Set software helps customers make those critical decisions quickly and confidently.
The Dial Set software downloadable from SKF’s Web site guides the user through the process of calculating the correct time setting for the System 24 unit. Software users simply provide information on the bearing type and dimensions, as well as operating conditions such as speed, temperature, load, contamination and other factors. Then Dial Set automatically calculates the amount of lubricant required for that particular application at a specific time interval. By using Dial Set, maintenance staff will learn precisely how to set the System 24 dispense rate before installing the unit.
Some companies have found their lubrication usage and the associated costs drop by as much as one-third, just by identifying the correct amount of grease and the correct time interval, Snelgrove notes. When multiplied over the many bearing applications throughout a given facility, those savings can add up
dramatically.
Monitoring temperature
While lubrication plays a role in many bearing problems, it’s certainly not the only culprit. Unfortunately, many impending problems – lubrication-related or otherwise – are overlooked simply because the equipment’s operating condition isn’t being monitored properly.
Often, condition monitoring isn’t made part of an organization’s maintenance program due to a perception that it’s expensive and difficult to administer,” says Radney Poole, product manager for housing and accessories. Companies may have the best intentions, but they perceive that their budgets and their staff resources won’t allow a full-scale condition monitoring program.
SKF recognizes that even a modest condition monitoring effort can help to head off bearing-related problems before they become emergencies. In response, SKF recently launched TempGard an affordable and easy-to-use device that provides an early warning alert for temperature-related bearing failures.
TempGard is a visual indicator that operates much like the pop-up timers used for roasting turkeys. The TempGard unit houses a metal spring designed to elongate when the bearing’s operating temperature reaches a pre-determined point. As the temperature begins to approach that point, TempGard’s colored piston starts to show up in the unit’s clear window. When the operating temperature reaches the pre-determined threshold, the piston will be fully displayed in the window clearly alerting staff members that a temperature-related problem is imminent.
“TempGard is an ideal first step in condition monitoring especially for companies that aren’t using any monitoring devices beyond an operator’s own visual check,” Poole says.”If TempGard begins to signal a temperature problem, the equipment operator can immediately notify the maintenance staff and get a solution in motion. It eliminates the need to check historical records to determine if the temperature reading is unusual. Poole emphasizes that TempGard only monitors temperature and is ideally used as part of a comprehensive condition monitoring program that keeps tabs on other operating conditions, too.
The line of TempGard units covers a wide range of bearing applications, including fans, blowers, pumps, conveyors, paper processing machinery, wood processing equipment, and construction equipment, among others. Customers can select the TempGard unit with the operating temperature range best suited to a particular application. Three units are available, offering temperature ranges of 50° 60° C, 60° 70° C, and 70° 80° C.
Together, the System 24 line of automatic lubricators and the new TempGard unit provide a line of defense that can help customers in any industry to head off bearing trouble before it strikes. By ensuring proper lubrication and by monitoring operating temperature, today’s organizations can take vital steps toward protecting their equipment investment, maximizing equipment uptime, and improving productivity.