Food & Drink Processing & Packaging Issue 39 2022 | Page 51

significant downtime and reduced production . The company would often have to change its bearings every six weeks .
Ideal for any operations where contact with process fluids is unavoidable , NSK Life- Lube ® bearing units are available in bore sizes from 20-40 mm .
NSK performed a bearing failure analysis and application review as part of its AIP Added Value Programme . In particular , NSK conducted a process mapping exercise of the carrot washing operation , identifying problematic areas for the bearings . The analysis revealed that the ingress of hard-particle contamination and washdown fluids were significantly reducing bearing life .
In effect , the lubricant of the standard bearings was washing out , leading to premature failures .
The expert team of NSK specialists recommended Life-Lube ® bearing units featuring Molded-Oil inserts , with a subsequent trial demonstrating vastly improved bearing life . No failures had occurred after a year of operation . The vegetable processing company is now enjoying significant annual cost savings , with reduced downtime and maintenance , as well as increased productivity .
Ideal for any operations where contact with process fluids is unavoidable , NSK Life-Lube ® bearing units are available in bore sizes from 20-40 mm . To ensure design flexibility , housings come in various types , including two-bolt , fourbolt , pillow block and take-up units .
www . nskeurope . com with standard bearings , users of Life-Lube ® units can reduce or even eliminate the annual costs associated with maintenance and downtime .
The stainless-steel insert of the Life- Lube ® series features NSK ’ s proprietary Molded-Oil cavity , which contains a lifetime of lubricating oil and polyolefin resin so that no re-lubrication is required – again reducing maintenance costs .
Among a growing number of food plants enjoying the benefits of Life- Lube ® bearing units is a premium vegetable processing company . The facility was previously experiencing frequent bearing failures on a highvolume carrot washing line , causing
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