Hi-TF bearings help to prevent premature cement plant failures

NSK's cost-saving Asset Improvement Programme (AIP) has solved a recurring problem of large bearing failures in a screw pump conveying system at a major cement works. Because of contamination, 27 bearings failed in one year on the screw pump system. NSK has reduced this by over 50 per cent by specifying Hi-TF bearings, at the same time reducing maintenance costs and improving plant reliability.

The screw pump conveying system was experiencing regular failures due to large angular-contact bearings being contaminated by dust. Hygroscopic dust was entering the bearings, wearing the raceways and increasing clearance to the point that, to avoid catastrophic failures, the bearings had to be changed prematurely, and on a regular basis.

Problems became so bad that in just one year a total of 27 bearings were employed on the conveying system. This was bad enough just in terms of replacement bearing costs. However, once expenditure on maintenance was added, for breaking down the system repeatedly, the total cost made grim reading, and was clearly unsustainable.

NSK recommended bearings made from Hi-TF Steel as a solution to the premature failure problem, asserting that the material would manage the problem by offering resistance to contamination. In addition, the new bearings would run quieter and smoother and offer protection from shock loads.

Hi-TF advantages

Hi-TF provides an answer to the problem of premature bearing failures that occur due to arduous and dirty operating conditions when bearing lubricant is easily contaminated with debris (cement dust in this case). In comparison with bearings made of ordinary carburised steel, Hi-TF offers up to seven times the life with contaminated lubricant, and up to oen and a half times the life with clean lubricant. Where the problem is related to insufficient lubrication, the life of Hi-TF is still impressive at around 4.7 for that of ordinary carburised steel.

In addition to extending service life under conditions of boundary or contaminated lubrication, Hi-TF bearing steel offers increased resistance to wear and seizure as a result of the dispersion of large number of fine carbides and nitrides in the bearing material. In comparative tests with bearings made of conventional materials, such as SUJ2 steel, the Hi-TF material structure has shown less than one-third the rate of wear and a 20 per cent increase in resistance to seizure.

NSK manufactured replacement angular-contact bearings from Hi-TF material for the screw pumping plant. In addition to superior carburised rings for improved shock resistance, the bearings have brass cages, lubrication slots on their outer faces and are supplied with P6 accuracy to give quieter and smoother running.

Since installing the new Hi-TF bearings, bearing consumption at the cement plant has reduced by more than 50 per cent. As a result of this success, the plant has since converted other areas of its operations to Hi-TF bearings.

Contact NSK for more information about Hi-TF bearings or use the form on this page.