SKF Bearing Life Cycle - Rindus & SKF Advise
Introduction to the Bearing Life Cycle
Every bearing has a certain service life. Research has shown that for numerous reasons not every bearing achieves this. There are important stages within the Bearing Life Cycle that have a major impact on bearing life. These stages are the selection and purchase of a bearing, assembly, lubrication, alignment, simple condition monitoring and disassembly.
The stages in a bearing's life cycle are extremely important for maximizing its service time. By selecting the right bearing for the application, adopting the right maintenance practices and using the right tools, you can significantly extend the service life of your bearing, reduce energy consumption, increase the productivity and efficiency of the installation and, not unimportantly, significantly improve the health and safety environment by reducing accidents and, as a result, absenteeism.
Main causes of premature bearing failure
Poor assembly
About 16% of all premature bearing failures are caused by a poor assembly (usually excessive or improperly applied force...) or by maintenance personnel not familiar with the proper tools. Some installations require mechanical, hydraulic or heat application methods for correct and efficient assembly or disassembly. Professional assembly, using specialized tools and special techniques, is another positive step towards to maximized machine uptime.
Poor lubrication
"Sealed-for-life" can be installed and forgotten about, but about 36% of premature bearing failures are caused by insufficient lubricant or lubricant with incorrect specifications. A bearing that is not properly lubricated inevitably fails long before its normal service life. Because bearings are usually the most inaccessible parts of machinery, lubrication is sometimes tricky and improper lubrication practices are often the cause of the problem.
Contamination
Approximately 14% of bearings that fail early fail due to bearing and lubricant contamination problems caused by poor seals or improper seal selection. SKF carries a comprehensive range of seals and offers both standard and customer-specific seals for the most difficult operating conditions.
Fatigue
When machines are overloaded or subjected to induced loads due to improper maintenance, bearings often bear the consequences, resulting in 34% of all premature bearing failures. Sudden or unexpected failure is also preventable, as neglected or overloaded bearings provide easily detectable "early warning" signals.
Advice
Our specialists at Rindus will be happy to assist you, if necessary with SKF factory specialists, to extend the life of your bearings and bearing blocks. Do not hesitate to contact us !
