Bearing News
02/02/2011
SELF- LUBE® INTEGRATED BEARING UNITS
SELF- LUBE® INTEGRATED BEARING UNITS REDUCE BUILD & MAINTENANCE COSTS IN COMPETITIVE INDUSTRIAL MARKETS.
NSK’s RHP range of Self- Lube® housed bearing units help OEM manufacturers and end users to improve their competitiveness, cutting build and maintenance times by reducing bearing complexity and mounting costs.
Self-Lube® bearing units provide integrated benefits in general manufacturing industry, food processing, materials handling and agricultural applications. By providing units that are ready assembled to bolt into place, they enable designers to easily and economically solve specific bearing problems relating to component complexity, mounting, and also bearing maintenance and life in difficult environments.
A simple comparison supports the case for “bolt-on” convenience. The typical mounting arrangement for a standard ball bearing includes a number of separate components, some having to be accurately machined. These components include a housing, stepped shaft; inner and outer ring retainer and lock nut and thread. Not surprisingly, this arrangement is both expensive and time consuming to install. In contrast, one of NSK’s RHP range of Self-Lube® units employs the same basic bearing, but integrates all other elements needed to assemble the bearing, together with facilities for sealing and re-lubricating. In practice therefore, the housed bearing has reduced the number of expensive components, simplified assembly and cut stock holding costs.
Self-Lube® bearings conform to ISO standards, and are available in different materials and configurations. Cast Iron pillow block and flange types are used for normal and medium duty applications, while zinc plated press steel units are available for lighter duty operations. In addition, as many Self-Lube® units are called upon to operate in harsh environments. NSK has introduced the Silver-LubeÒ range of corrosion resistant bearings and housings. These are an excellent solution in applications where frequent wash downs are necessary, optimum hygiene standards are required and good chemical resistance is important. Together with the RHP Life- Lube® range, Silver Lube® bearings can also benefit from the sealed- for- life lubrication provided by NSK’s Molded-Oil™ technology. Ideal for operation in wet or inaccessible applications, Molded Oil™ is a solid lubricant. This means that operating environments are kept free of grease – very important in food applications. In addition, there is no need for refilling of lubricant, as Molded Oil™ provides a continuous supply of lubricating oil.
Essentially Self-Lube® housed bearing units consist of an insert, normally a 6200 series deep groove ball bearing with cast iron (pillow block, flange or take-up unit) or pressed steel housings. The bearing insert can carry a combination of radial and axial loads in the same way as a standard ball bearing. It has an extended inner ring with integral shaft locking device and a spherical outer ring that matches the spherical bore in the housing to overcome initial housing misalignments up to 0.030 radians.
A number of insert types are available for use in light and heavy applications and high and low temperature operating conditions. Heavy-duty types are used widely in equipment such as pumps and fans. Designed with a wide inner ring they facilitate a wide range of locking methods. The simplest of these, set screw locking, is suitable for most applications excepting those where vibration is a problem. Where vibration does occur an eccentric locking collar mechanism is supplied. Alternatively, in applications where positive concentric lock is required, or when heavy vibration or shock loads are present, a taper lock system is preferred. With all these locking arrangements, standard shafting can be used – there is no need for a precision interference fit.
Inserts for High & Low Temperature Operation.
In applications where Self-Lube® Bearings are required to operate in high or low temperature conditions, HLT inserts come into their own. These inserts provide opportunities to reduce maintenance, downtime and replacement costs at temperatures as high as +180°C and as low as -40°C.
Especially suited to high temperature applications, HLT inserts are designed with C5 radial internal clearance and high temperature grease and seals to give maximum life - even at +180°C.
Effective Sealing Systems
As Self-Lube® bearings are widely used in operating environments that are dirty and wet (i.e. materials handling, agriculture and textiles) they are provided with a choice of effective sealing systems. The standard S type seal consists of a robust steel pressing with a nitrile sealing lip that is designed to retain grease within the bearing and keep contaminants out.
For more hostile environments a Flinger seal has been developed. This gives increased levels of protection to the standard single lip seal to extend bearing life in arduous conditions without any loss in speed capability. Finally, offering the highest levels of protection of all is the triple lip seal. A highly efficient seal having three nitrile sealing lips, this component is recommended where a high degree of contamination is present.
The Self-Lube® range can also be supplied with protection of another kind, this time for factory personnel against the dangers posed by rotating shafts. A Protector end cover is available for easy fitment to most standard Self-Lube® housed bearing units. Manufactured in mild steel, the patented Protector is difficult to dislodge, yet can be removed without damage and used again repeatedly.