Insulation plant saves R13 million a year with NSK bearings
October 2023
Motion Control & Drives
A leading manufacturer of insulation products for the construction industry turned to NSK for help in solving repeat bearings failures on its band saws. Thanks to NSK’s intervention and subsequent proposals, the plant is witnessing impressive annual savings of R13 million.
The manufacturer of insulation solutions for the construction sector had recently completed the commissioning of a new automated production line, and was looking forward to the benefits that its investment would offer. However, production proved erratic due to repeated failures of bearings on the blade guide rollers of the production line’s three band saws. The situation escalated and soon became critical, with bearing changes taking place on a daily basis. On occasions, the blade guide bearings were lasting only three hours, leading to costly downtime and increased maintenance. Some bearing failures were even resulting in damage to the saw blades.
NSK received a request on behalf of the band saw manufacturer to help identify the root cause of the failures and offer solutions. An engineering team from NSK reviewed the application at the customer’s site, performing a comprehensive failed bearing analysis. This activity revealed that bearing failures were occurring due to the ingress of contaminants. As a result, the team recommended NSK’s deep groove ball bearings with high-performance DDU sealing, using a patented full contact sealing mechanism. The contact seal design offered maximum protection against all contaminants, including dust and water, while simultaneously ensuring good grease retention.
A trial showed a significant improvement in bearing life. Whereas before around one third of the blade guide roller bearings would fail every day, now the plant changes its NSK bearings every three to four months as part of a planned maintenance schedule. Reductions in production downtime, maintenance labour, replacement bearings and damaged saw blades is resulting in significant annual cost savings of R13 million.
Further reading:
Plastics improve machine performance and reliability
igus
Motion Control & Drives
Engineered plastics from German polymer manufacturer, igus continue to revolutionise mechanical systems across various industries worldwide, with a pledge to ‘improve what moves’ by replacing moving steel components with polymer equivalents.
Read more...
Integrated solutions power the future of mining
ABB South Africa
Motion Control & Drives
ABB has a diverse array of solutions that cater to multiple industry sectors, and especially mining. Mining companies across South Africa are embracing automation and control technologies.
Read more...
Keeping the ball rolling
Bearing Man Group t/a BMG
Motion Control & Drives
BMG’s Fluid Technology team has recently completed the design, supply and commissioning of an advanced lubrication system for a main bearing on a ball mill, which has been developed to optimise productivity and minimise maintenance requirements and downtime.
Read more...
Get your bearings right
Bearing Man Group t/a BMG
Motion Control & Drives
BMG’s Bearings Division offers a comprehensive range of bearings, which comprise ball, roller, and linear bearings ranging in size from miniature to extremely large units.
Read more...
SEW-EURODRIVE prioritises ecology and economy
SEW-EURODRIVE
Motion Control & Drives
Committed to environmental sustainability principles, SEW-EURODRIVE has developed the ECO2 design to offer drives with uncoated aluminium, with no compromise in their performance and durability.
Read more...
A year of innovation and milestones for ISO-Reliability Partners
Motion Control & Drives
For ISO-Reliability Partners 2024 was a transformative year marked by innovation, collaboration and a steadfast commitment to advancing industrial reliability. Guided by CEO, Craig FitzGerald, the company has introduced cutting-edge technologies, expanded its product portfolio and strengthened its reputation as a leader in lubrication, filtration and tribology.
Read more...
The impact of gearless mill drive technology on CO2 emissions
ABB South Africa
Motion Control & Drives
ABB has released an in-depth white paper detailing the vital role that gearless grinding technologies can play in driving productivity in mining while simultaneously reducing their carbon footprint.
Read more...
Global geared motors market
Motion Control & Drives
The global geared motors market experienced significant growth from 2021 to 2023, driven by market recovery following the pandemic in 2020, and high backlog levels in 2022.
Read more...
Innovative new products from maxon
DNH Tradeserve t/a DNH Technologies
Motion Control & Drives
A series of innovative new products has been launched by maxon. These include a drive with a diameter of just 16 millimetres, a controller that can be easily integrated into even the tightest of spaces, and a robust and reliable robotic actuator.
Read more...
Effective dust control
Motion Control & Drives
BLT WORLD, in conjunction with the global ScrapeTec team, plays an important role throughout Africa by assisting companies, during conveyor handling, to manage dust emission and material spillage effectively.
Read more...
printer friendly version