Posted to News on 26th Jun 2014, 10:10
Time for OEMs to check their sleeves
NSK is promoting a range of sleeves, aimed mainly at OEMs and other volume users of sleeves or lubricated bushings used in equipment such as excavator buckets, backhoe linkages and conveyors. NSK is able to offer bespoke designs, manufactured using its own super-hard-wearing bearing steels, combined with many years of lubrication expertise to help deliver improved wear life and ensure reliable performance in tough mine and quarry applications.
Sleeve bearings or bushings are a crucial component in achieving reliable operation in a range of buckets, blades, backhoes and conveyor equipment. Separating the mechanical actuation part of the assembly with the bucket or container, the design and material specification of a sleeve can determine the wear life of the entire piece of plant equipment. Not all OEMs and other volume users, however, are fully aware of the advantages of using a bearing manufacturer to produce their sleeves.
NSK has huge experience in manufacturing bearing steel, hardening and machining of bearing surfaces, studying the effects of heavy loads and sealing systems in combination with different lubrication techniques. Each sleeve product is therefore designed and manufactured for a particular application, taking into account loads, operating conditions, duty cycles and lubrication regimes. Bespoke lubrication features such as holes, grooves and cut outs can be included to suit the application.
The difference between a sleeve manufactured with this level of engineering knowledge and attention to detail and one simply machined to spec by a non-specialist is ultimate confidence in both quality and performance.
Due to the high capital cost of mine and quarry equipment and the need to avoid maintenance downtime in order to meet productivity targets, a simple and often overlooked component such as a sleeve or bushing can have a huge impact on total cost of ownership. It is therefore worth checking where sleeves are being sourced from and talking to a specialist such as NSK about ensuring the best sleeve component is in place.
NSK sleeves are manufactured to strict quality standards and supplied in large range of different sizes. For further information please go to www.nskeurope.com.
