Good Vibes
Quarries and mines are, pretty much invariably, very harsh environments and the bearings used in quarrying and mining equipment need to be able to stand up to contaminants, powerful vibrations, shock loads and more. If the product isn’t quite right, which can happen for any number of reasons, then problems will ensue…
Take one company from the sector, which was experiencing premature failure of cylindrical roller bearings, used on vibration units for a block vibrator machine, every two to three months. The knock-on effect of this was, unsurprisingly, increased maintenance and costly downtime.
NSK identified the issue as the vibration itself, the bearings being used weren’t able to stand up to such extreme levels of it, obviously a problem for component parts being used in a black vibrator machine!
After careful consideration, NSK’s team of trained engineers recommended that the company adopt our VS (Vibrating Screen) Series of Spherical Roller Bearings, which have been engineered specifically to withstand the harsh working environments and frequent vibration of the mining, quarrying and construction industries. They come with improved roller guidance and their smooth running reduces bearing damage from slippage, surface fatigue and flaking.
"We work closely with all our customers to help them operate in the most efficent and productive way possible."
Colin Cook, NSK’s European AIP & Reliability Manager
Other key features of the VS series include a precision-machined one-piece brass cage with contoured roller pockets, specially heat-treated rollers and self-aligning ability with a floating guide ring. Major benefits of using them include a service life double that of conventional bearings (which naturally comes with correspondingly lower maintenance costs), dampened vibration and a bearing highly resistant to heavy or shock loads, and high-speed performance.
Our team of engineers supervised the fitting of the new bearings, and proceeded to monitor their performance for an entire year. After the 12 months were up, they were delighted to report that the VS Series bearings had outperformed their predecessors, with bearing life vastly improved and a significant reduction in unplanned downtime, maintenance costs and lost production time.
Learn More About Bearing Troubleshooting
Colin Cook, NSK’s European AIP & Reliability Manager, stresses that it is this willingness to work collaboratively that makes NSK the best partner for the sector. ‘We’re the only manufacturer to offer a complete development and supply service for the essential parts required for machine tools,’ he says. ‘And we’re second to none when it comes to the quality of our products.’
However, our service is every bit as important when it comes to setting ourselves apart from the competition. We work closely with all our customers to help them operate in the most efficient and productive way possible. The needs of the machine tool sector are increasingly sophisticated, but our truly comprehensive service ensures that our partners can rest assured they will have optimal operation when it comes to their machinery.
Furthermore, all those features combined saw the quarrying and mining company save just a hair’s breadth under €75,000 per year. This includes the cost of replacement bearings, engineering expenses, the losses from missed production opportunities and shaft inspections. All of which goes to show how much difference a reliable block vibrator machine can be… and just as importantly how vital it is to have component parts you know you can rely on, no matter the conditions.
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