NSK seals the deal with energy producer
One large producer of both electrical and heat-based energy was facing frequent failures of their water recirculation centrifugal pumps as a direct result of unreliable bearings.
Frustrated with the lost productivity and the maintenance costs arising from these failures, the company asked their local distributor to help them come up with a solution. That distributor then called in NSK to add our experience as well. We joined forces to perform a comprehensive Bearing Failure Investigation on site. This quickly demonstrated that the bearings used with the pump were improperly lubricated, with the bearings failing as a direct result.
We saved them almost €29,000
In terms of solutions, the age of the equipment and the poor condition of the seals meant that design modification to avoid oil leaks was not an option. Instead, we suggested that the company change from the conventional Deep Groove Ball Bearings they had been relying on to NSK’s Deep Groove Ball Bearings with DDU seals as well as a grease specially developed for use in high temperature applications.
The Deep Groove Ball Bearings are made of our proprietary Ultra Clean Steel, a highly pure vacuum-degassed, high-carbon chromium steel containing a minimum of non-metallic inclusions. They came with Super Finished Raceways, which have been specially honed to minimise noise and improve lubricant distribution, and a pressed steel cage, which is resistant to high temperatures and comes with tightly controlled clearances to reduce friction. The patented DDU seals, made of nitrile rubber prevent contamination of the bearing itself, even in the toughest of environments.
"NSK monitored the new bearings for six months and found that no failures took place during that time. The new bearings with DDU seals were then rolled out across all 20 pumps"
The company agreed to trial the new solution, implementing it on three out of 20 pumps on its site. NSK monitored the new bearings for six months and found that no failures took place during that time. The new bearings with DDU seals were then rolled out across all 20 pumps and monitored for a further 12 months, with no further failures occurring even over that time span.
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The change meant that the company managed to save almost €29,000 per year thanks to failure-free running, increased productivity and reduced material and maintenance costs. NSK offers a wide range of products for every application, working with us to ensure you have the chosen the right bearing for your circumstances can have huge benefits for both your productivity and your bottom line.
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