GEARS, DRIVES & MOTORS
IMPROVED SERVICE LIFE
NSK
NSK SOLVES CONVEYOR FAILURE
ISSUES AT DRINKS PLANT
By changing to NSK Molded-Oil mounted-
unit inserts, an international drinks
producer has overcome repeated problems
of premature insert failures on the drive
system of four vital sorting conveyors. The
move has improved service life notably,
leading to an annual saving of more than
€5000.
At the beverage plant, cleaning processes
comprising a mix of water and chemicals
were destroying the bearing seals and
washing out the grease pack on the
company´s existing mounted units. As a
result, the inserts within the mounted units
had to be replaced every 5 to 6 months,
and re-greased every 3 weeks. NSK was
invited to find a solution to this problem
in order to improve service life and reduce
maintenance requirements.
After a thorough review of the application,
NSK´s team of expert engineers concluded
that a switch to Molded-Oil mounted-unit
inserts would solve the issue.
NSK mounted units comprise two basic
components: the insert and the housing.
Each unit consists of a sealed single-
row ball bearing with spherical external
116
PECM Issue 37
diameter and extended inner ring mounted
in a pillow block or flanged housing. The
spherical fit accommodates any initial
misalignment.
Importantly, the lubricant within Molded-
Oil inserts is durably incorporated inside a
stable carrier medium, namely an oil-
impregnated polyolefin resin. This type
of lubricant cannot be washed away by
liquids or steam, and prevents the ingress
of contamination. Moreover, as the carrier
only releases the lubricant slowly, sufficient
lubrication is maintained over a long
operating period. A further benefit is that
the operating environment remains clean as
no grease can leak out and no oil refilling is
required.
Made from martensitic stainless steel,
Molded-Oil inserts are ideally suited to
applications which are in frequent and
heavy contact with water.
One year on from installing Molded-Oil
mounted-unit inserts, the drinks producer
has reported no failures whatsoever,
while the need for re-greasing has been
eliminated. As a result, annual cost savings
have been calculated at €5080.
About NSK
Established 100 years ago, NSK (Nippon
Seiko Kabushiki Kaisha) is a Japanese-
listed company that has evolved from
a regional ball bearing supplier to a
roller bearing specialist and automotive
supplier with a global market presence.
Today, NSK employs more than 31,860
employees in 30 countries. As per
March 2018 NSK achieved a turnover
of 1020 billion Yen. This result has been
driven by ever-increasing investment in
research & development, enabling the
company to continuously improve the
quality of its products and services. This
investment supports NSK´s objective of
»No. 1 in Total Quality». In addition to a
complete rolling bearing portfolio, NSK
develops and manufactures precision
components and mechatronic products,
as well as systems and components
for the automotive industry, including
wheel bearing units and electric power-
steering systems.
For more information,
visit www.nskeurope.com