Complementing the housing is the stainless steel insert , which delivers improved corrosion resistance for wet environments . Moreover , the Molded- Oil insert cavity contains a lifetime of lubricating oil and polyolefin resin that means no re-lubrication is required for the lifetime of the product .
Another important feature for the food and beverage industry is the flinger seal , which prevents the ingress of bacteria and protects the Molded-Oil filled cavity . There is also no potential for lubricant leaks .
BACTERIA-FREE
NSK has taken great care to ensure the design of its Life-Lube ® bearing units are free of crevices and ‘ bug traps ’ that could harbour mould or bacteria . As a result , the bearings are ideal for food manufacturing environments that involve dust ( dry or wet ), water ( spray or submerged ) and wet abrasive contamination , as well as temperatures up to 80 ° C . Life-Lube ® bearing units are also suitable for use in some starchbased environments , as well as those involving low temperatures , down to -18 ° C .
NSK has taken great care to ensure the design of its Life-Lube ® bearing units are free of crevices and ‘ bug traps ’ that could harbour mould or bacteria .
SUBSTANTIAL SAVINGS
A major snack food producer is among those now taking advantage of Life- Lube ® bearing units . Previously , the company was experiencing frequent bearing failures on its cutter line , so it requested the assistance of NSK to help reveal the root cause .
NSK analysed the failed bearings and reviewed the application as part of its AIP Added Value Programme . By following a process map survey of the site , it was evident that extensive grease washout had been taking place following production line washdowns . To help keep the line running and avoid costly unplanned downtime , the plant was replacing the bearings every six weeks as part of preventative planned maintenance , but failures would often occur beforehand .
NSK engineers recommended replacing the existing bearings with Life-Lube ® housed units , commencing a trial on one production line . One year later , the units were still performing well with no failures , delivering substantial
annual cost savings in maintenance labour , replacement bearings and lost production time . Due to this success , the food plant is currently adopting Life-Lube ® bearing units on its two other production lines .
Today , the plant enjoys many other benefits of Life-Lube ® bearing units , which include a spherical housing seat and spherical outer ring that allows for any initial misalignment on mounting , and the availability of various locking methods as standard to ensure close-fit shaft mounting . In addition , quiet and efficient running comes courtesy of super-finished raceways .
This success story is one of an increasing number across the food and beverage industry , where plants are discovering that the combination of thermoplastic housing , special nitrile rubber seals , stainless-steel bearing material and Molded-Oil lubricant makes the Life-Lube ® range ideal for wet and / or contaminated environments .
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The suitability of Life-Lube ® bearing units for food applications is vast , encompassing tasks that include primary ( cutting and mixing ), secondary ( moulding ), conveying , inspection , heating and packaging processes , while beverage applications include bottle moulding , filling , sealing , inspection and packing . In these operating environments , Life-Lube ® will resist excessive moisture , washdown chemicals and contamination , all while operating at continuous high speeds if required . The speed factor is maximal dn = 12 x 104 ( dn = bore diameter in mm x speed in rpm ).
A cutaway section of an NSK ’ s Life-Lube ® bearing unit , showing the stainless steel insert and Molded-Oil lubrication . Photo : NSK
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