In a collaborative effort, SKF South Africa and its authorised distributor, Bolt & Engineering Distributors Klerksdorp, successfully remanufactured a double-row tapered roller bearing (TRB) assembly for a vertical mill within a two-week timeframe, offering the customer a 50% cost-saving alternative that keeps the plant operational while they await the supply of new bearings.
The mill bearing design incorporates three grinding rollers, each equipped with a double-row TRB located on the outboard side. The bearings had worn due to wear and tear, causing frequent mill breakdowns which resulted in unplanned downtime that disrupted production and recurringly demanded urgent responses from the maintenance team. This sequence of events adversely affected the plant’s overall operational efficiency and reliability, amplifying costs for the customer, a leading cement manufacturer based in the Northwest Province.
The customer required rapid bearing replacement to mitigate incessant downtime and associated costs and restore mill operation within the shortest possible time so that production could resume sustainably.
“Lead times for the unscheduled replacement of double-row TRBs can be somewhat lengthy, given the specialised nature of these units,” explains sales manager, Simphiwe Siwela. To counter long lead times, SKF proposed remanufacturing the existing bearings, contingent upon them meeting the necessary criteria. “Our time-efficient, reliable and cost-effective solution having been welcomed by the customer. Bolt & Engineering Distributors promptly collected and delivered the bearings to the SKF ReMan Centre in Jet Park, Johannesburg, for the necessary assessment,” says Siwela.
The assessment results determined that only one bearing assembly was eligible for refurbishment as the second assembly failed to meet the required standards due to excessive wear. Upon receiving the inspection report, quotes and procedures from Bolt & Engineering Distributors, the customer placed an order for two new bearings.
The two-week refurbishing process included repair classification, a thorough inspection, cleaning, and precision reconditioning of the bearings, which were restored to their original specifications by SKF’s highly skilled ReMan specialists. “SKF expertise guarantees that our remanned bearings are as good as new,” explains Siwela.
SKF’s standard turnaround time for a full ReMan project is two to three weeks. “Being aware of the time sensitivity of the project and our customer’s urgency, the SKF ReMan team pulled out all the stops, ensuring that we were able to refurbish and install the double-row TRB in our minimum turnaround time of two weeks” he adds. “By providing the alternative bearing refurbishment solution, we assisted our customer in avoiding prolonged downtime while waiting for the delivery of the new bearing assembly. This proactive measure allowed the cement plant to remain operational until the new bearing unit arrived.”
SKF champions remanufacturing, which is a core tenet of the circular economy, yielding both economic and environmental benefits. In addition to saving the customer 50% of the cost of a new bearing by going the ReMan route, this low-carbon process minimises the need for raw materials required in new manufacturing, subsequently reducing waste, conserving resources, and ultimately shrinking the collective environmental footprint.
Siwela emphasises the strategic value of this initial successfully completed remanufacturing project, which creates a gateway to future refurbishment and other business opportunities. “With the cement manufacturer’s approval of the stores review for potential ReMan candidates, we anticipate great potential for more refurbishment business at the cement plant.”
The customer is already well acquainted with the SKF brand’s reputation for quality and reliability and shares a long-standing relationship with Bolt & Engineering Distributors, which has supplied the cement plant with a range of SKF products and solutions including centralised lubrication systems for their vertical cylindrical mills, single point lubricators for their fans, and several maintenance products such as bearing pullers, bearing heaters and laser alignment tools.
| Tel: | +27 11 821 3500 |
| Email: | [email protected] |
| www: | www.skf.co.za |
| Articles: | More information and articles about SKF South Africa |
© Technews Publishing (Pty) Ltd | All Rights Reserved
printer friendly version