Success Story
Industry: Quarrying, Mining and Construction
Application: Vibrating Drum
Cost Savings: $3,184
Introduction
A Quarry & Mining company was having frequent reliability problems with bearing units assembled in a vibrating drum. Bearings were exposed to large amounts of sand, which often covered the units completely. Due to the nature of the application and its difficult access made repairs and cost of maintenance a large issue.
Key Facts
- Vibrating Drum
- Harsh environments with exposer to sand
- Regular failures with challenging replacement led to high maintenance cost
- NSK Solution: Self-Lube housings with Triple Lip Seal Supports - ideal for remote applications
- Increased life by 10x's
- Vibrating Drum
- Self-Lube
Value Proposals
- NSK Engineers visited the site to assess the application
- Failed Bearing Analysis showed that fine sand particles were entering the bearing causing early failure
- A trial of Self-Lube triple lip sealed bearings resulted in life improvements of 10x's
Product Features
- Three high integrity nitrile seal lips with lubrication traps to stop ingress of contaminates
- High strength steel outer case resists impact to seal and provides a primary dust trap
- Available for both setscrew and eccentric locking collar inserts options
- Large size range offered, including imperial options
- Inserts interchangeable with standard items
- Longer bearing life through superior seal performance
- Extended re-lubrication intervals, greatly reducing maintenance costs and increased productivity of machinery
- Simple implementation; ready replacement for existing bearing units
- Mounting on the shaft with balled setscrews, providing much greater resistance to loosening
Cost Saving Breakdown
| Before | Cost p.a. | NSK Solution | Cost p.a. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Replacement per year × No. of engineers × $32/hr | $388 | Less than 1 replacement per year × No engineers × hours × $32/hr | $39 | |
| Downtime costs: 70ton/hr × $7.5/ton × hours × No. of replacement per year | $3,150 | Downtime costs: 70ton/hr × $7.5/ton × hours × No. replacements per year | $315 | |
| Bearing Life: 2 months approximately (440hrs) | $0 | Bearing Life: 19 months approximately (4.400hrs) | $0 | |
| Total Costs | $3,538 | $354 | ||
Reference:SS-E-7023
