NSK bearings help pet food plant raise OEE
When a major UK pet food producer wanted better machine utilisation with the aim of raising its OEE ( overall equipment effectiveness ) by 3 points , it decided to ask experts at bearing specialist NSK if they could evaluate processes and systems to help with this improvement goal .
The prompt to engage NSK arrived after hearing about the company ’ s AIP Added Value Programme , in particular its ability to improve bearing life through a mixture of training and application engineering services . This approach focuses firmly on identifying improvement opportunities in three keys assets : people , plant and processes .
At the pet food facility , the management team was aware of various application issues which NSK experts viewed , leading to the creation of a process map . The process map is one of the most powerful elements of AIP as it focuses on generating a complete documented review of the production process from start to finish , placing particular emphasis on critical bearing applications . In this case , the process map identified five areas for potential OEE improvement .
Trials subsequently began , initially focusing on the more costly application : the plant ’ s pellet extruder . Here , the customer was experiencing bearing failures and loss of production every 10-12 weeks on average .
Using analytical data from the trials , NSK determined that the existing grease lubrication was not fulfilling the life expectancy of the bearings . The expert engineers therefore recommended a high-viscosity oil for longer life alongside a suitably durable bearing solution .
36 FDPP - www . fdpp . co . uk
Using analytical data from the trials , NSK determined that the existing grease lubrication was not fulfilling the life expectancy of the bearings .
The customer duly replaced its existing bearings with highquality NSK spherical roller bearings from the company ’ s EA series , as well as NSK spherical thrust roller bearings . EA series bearings , which feature pressed steel cages , offer high loadcarrying capacity , high limiting speeds and high functionality under operating conditions involving elevated temperatures , making them ideal for the pellet extruder and other applications at the pet food plant .
After reassembly , the extruder ran for 7 months without any bearing failures , resulting in impressive cost savings of £ 70,000 thanks to reductions in production downtime and maintenance . In addition , the pet food plant achieved its goal of raising OEE by 3 points .
At the request of the customer , NSK also conducted on-site bearing training for the plant ’ s
maintenance staff , providing even more added value as part of the overall solution .
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