Schaeffler UK opens new customer training centre

Schaeffler UK offers a range of one, two and three-day training courses for managers, engineers and technicians involved in the selection, operation and maintenance of rolling bearings, as well as condition monitoring, vibration analysis and mounting of rolling bearings. Courses are held either at the Sutton Coldfield training centre or on-site at the customer. Training courses can also be tailored for individual customers.

Kate Hartigan, Managing Director at Schaeffler UK commented: "In industries where the loss of a critical piece of plant or equipment can result in costly lost production or downtime, condition monitoring can help to minimise disruption and reduce costs. Our new training centre and the courses that we offer have been carefully structured to ensure that we give customers the maximum support possible during the initial design process through to the successful operation and monitoring of their plant and equipment."

Schaeffler UK offers a broad mix of training courses at basic and advanced levels to suit all delegates. These courses include an Introduction to rolling bearings, which covers topics such as bearing types, basic functions, load directions and bearing fits, as well as brief introductions to bearing lubrication methods and bearing failure modes. For more experienced delegates, an in-depth, two-day course on Rolling bearing technology is available, which also covers basic and adjusted life calculations and factors that influence these values.

Other training courses include an Introduction to bearing lubrication, which covers the fundamentals of bearing grease lubrication; how to select the correct lubricant for an application; how operating parameters such as speed, load and temperature influence lubricant selection; the importance of viscosity; and why providing the right quantity of lubricant is important.

Bearing failure analysis covers the basics of bearing failure modes and analysis, showing delegates how to identify the more common failures through knowledge of the load patterns on the bearing raceways and rolling surfaces. The course also provides delegates with an understanding of where things go wrong and why, as well as knowledge of preventive methods, particularly during assembly of the bearings in the housing and on the shaft.

Mounting of bearings provides trainees with an understanding of how to get the most from plant and machinery by ensuring that the correct methods and procedures are in place for the mounting of bearings and how to avoid simple mistakes.

Bearings for electric motors is an application-specific course that provides engineers with an in-depth understanding of the types of bearings used in electric motors, as well as factors to consider when selecting these types of bearings. Bearing installation, lubrication and maintenance are also covered here.

Fundamentals of noise and vibration

Condition monitoring is a one-day introductory course that covers the fundamentals of noise and vibration, starting from basic concepts and progressing to Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) as a diagnostic technique. Practical examples and case histories are provided to demonstrate how vibration analysis can be used to solve problems.

FAG Detector III is a product-specific, one-day training course on how to get the most from Schaeffler's handheld vibration monitoring device. Delegates are given a basic introduction to vibration analysis and are shown how to configure and use the device, as well as how to set up routes.

Schaeffler UK also offers two further training courses on Vibration analysis (Level 1 and 2). Level 1 is a two-day course that covers the fundamentals of noise and vibration and FFT. Level 2 is a more in-depth three-day course that provides comprehensive, detailed information on the principles and application of vibration analysis and its role in investigating machinery defects, including associated time waveforms, spectra, signal processing and data collection.

Matthew Orme, Senior Mechanical Engineer, Mechanical Testing Support at Lubrizol, a manufacturer of speciality chemicals, recently attended a rolling bearing training course at the training centre in Sutton Coldfield. He commented: "The rolling bearings training provided by Schaeffler was great and very well presented. The technical/practical mix was just right, and my colleagues who also attended the course came away with a good understanding of rolling bearings and condition monitoring and have already started to look more closely at what we do at Lubrizol. The whole day provided much food for thought and we all came away with a number of actions and tasks so it was hugely beneficial."

For more information about Scaeffler's classroom-based and practical hands-on training courses, please call the Marketing Department on 0121 313 5870. Alternatively, email [email protected] or visit the website at www.schaeffler.co.uk.