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A major can manufacture plant was experiencing repeat failures of the spray-head spindle bearings in its can-coating machines .
NSK bearings prevent failures at global can manufacturer
When the world ’ s largest beverage can manufacturer was experiencing regular , unexpected production stoppages due to the premature failure of spray-head bearings in its coating machines , the company turned to the expertise of NSK . Recommending NSK deep groove ball bearings featuring VV series non-contact seals helped the plant to eliminate failures and achieve impressive annual savings of € 240,000 .
The food and beverage industry is extremely demanding , not least because production line stoppages can prove expensive in all kinds of applications . Manufacturing aluminium cans for soft , isotonic , and alcoholic drinks is no exception , particularly when the company happens to be the world ’ s largest beverage can manufacturer .
Repeat failures of the spray-head spindle bearings in the factory ’ s can-coating machines was causing significant disruption to production and costly downtime on a high-volume production
60 FDPP - www . fdpp . co . uk
The NSK solution resulted in excellent grease retention while still allowing high-pressure air flow through the bearing as part of the machine ’ s operating procedure .
line . The company tasked NSK with resolving the issue .
Expert NSK engineers conducted a full evaluation of the application , including comprehensive bearing and grease analysis . From this activity it was possible to deduce that the bearings were seizing due to the ejection of bearing grease by high-pressure air needed for the process . Inadequate bearing seals were failing to prevent this unwanted effect .
As part of a complete value proposal , NSK recommended the adoption of its deep groove ball bearings with VV series noncontact seals and C3 internal clearance geometry . Offering high performance in contaminated environments , this innovative configuration seals effectively without increasing either torque or operating temperature . Notably , the noncontact lip design reduces bearing drag , an important advantage where power loss is critical .
The NSK solution resulted in excellent grease retention while still allowing highpressure air flow through the bearing as part of the machine ’ s operating procedure . Most importantly of all , the can manufacturing plant witnessed a dramatic increase in bearing life : from 7 to 110 days of operation , after which routine maintenance took place .
The customer is benefitting from extended bearing life , alongside increased productivity and reduced maintenance costs , resulting in annual savings of € 240,000 .
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