When a manufacturer of MDF boards switched to special NSK spherical roller bearings on the work roll of its grinding machine, the plant extending bearing lifetime from 2-3 months to over a year, duly saving €13,400 in downtime and annual bearing consumption.Shock loads and vibration are common issues for woodworking machinery that can impact on the overall performance of bearings. Faced with premature bearing failures every 2-3 months, the manufacturer of MDF boards called upon the expertise of NSK and its AIP Added Value Programme. The plant set a target of at least one year bearing lifetime, which would allow it to only perform planned shutdowns and maintenance.
NSK’s specialist engineers commenced a full application review, meticulously studying the design of the grinding machine and its operating conditions. As a result of its observations, which identified the cause of bearing failures as shock loads and vibration, NSK recommended installing its special vibrating screen series of spherical roller bearings, which were provided for testing.
The conclusion of the trials saw bearing lifetime extended to 10,000 hours, which met the expectations of the MDF plant. The previous cost of €13,400 per year associated with downtime and bearing consumption, was therefore eliminated.
After 14 months of operation, the NSK bearings were replaced as part of a planned maintenance routine.
NSK’s long-life vibrating screen series of spherical roller bearings are engineered to withstand harsh working environments, particularly those where recurring vibration is an issue. The bearings are supplied with a precision machined, tough, one-piece brass cage. Further features include high levels of surface finish on the rollers and inner/outer rings, and especially heat treated rollers to prevent cracks from vibration and shock loads.
As a result of these characteristics, NSK’s vibrating screen series of spherical roller bearings offer at least twice the service life of conventional bearings, while dynamic and static load ratings are increased by 1.25 times. The bearings can be supplied in bore diameters from 40 to 200mm.
