This issue of Evolution focuses on the mining and construction industries — business areas that make considerable use of heavy equipment. Such equipment often operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and any downtime is extremely costly. This means that components such as bearings used in heavy industry must be of the highest quality and reliability.

     The “outlook” article in this issue gives an overview of the mining business. Written by Kyran Casteel, senior consulting editor at World Mining Equipment, the article looks at the latest developments in mining worldwide. One point Casteel makes is that a solid maintenance system is “essential” in keeping equipment in operation.

      Our three case stories — from Poland, South Africa/Germany and Finland/United States — look at mining and construction from the viewpoint of specific companies. In contrast, our “spectacular” story, which looks at steel making through the centuries, offers a more historical perspective.

      My own mining experience was gathered in short but intense visits to a gold refinery (see Evolution 1/96), a gold mine and a platinum refinery outside Johannesburg in South Africa. I was only some 6,000 feet below ground (some mines extend down to 15,000 feet) but it was far enough to make me acutely aware of the importance of bearings that function properly.

      At Rustanburg Platina Refinery, the platinum refinery on our tour, the SKF application engineer I was traveling with was checking up on a large spherical roller bearing that had just been changed, along with its entire lubrication system. The management was happy to see us, which speaks to the importance of customer service in all respects.

      Some 145,000 copies of Evolution 4/98 are being printed, in 12 language editions. Chinese has been added and will have a permanent place on Evolution’s language roster. In Evolution 1/99, we will focus on extreme bearing applications from around the world.

      I hope you find Evolution a pleasant reading experience. If you have questions on products, applications, services, or if you require additional copies of Evolution for your colleagues, please contact your SKF dealer or distributor.
Janerik Dimming  

Editor-in-chief