Four Steps to Correct Premature Bearing Failure

Are your bearings reaching their optimum life expectancy? If they aren't, it's worth reviewing not only the bearings but associated machinery to find the causes of premature failure.

One U.S. paper mill was experiencing excessive downtime with the ongoing malfunction of a critical piece of machinery. The diagnosis: premature press roll bearing failure due to cracked inner rings - a common challenge in the papermaking process.

Mounting costs led the mill to call in NSK to investigate further, as continued press roll bearing replacement failed to curb machinery failure. A thorough technical assessment identified a significant problem with the paper machine's components, rather than the bearings themselves. The faulty machinery was fixed and bearing life was immediately increased to acceptable levels.

If your bearings continually fail to meet lifespan expectancies, follow these four steps to analyze the problem and potentially eliminate recurring bearing maintenance and downtime:

STEP ONE: BEARING CONDITION

When a bearing fails, conduct a comprehensive bearing failure analysis and bearing inspection: check for wear and damage that may indicate inappropriate bearing selection or improper installation. Not all bearings are able to withstand high temperatures, contamination issues, vibration, or high speed environments and the wrong bearing choice can significantly impact failure rates and bearing maintenance requirements. Using the correct bearing for an application will increase bearing life and lower maintenance costs and repair costs instantly – your NSK technical representative can assist with bearing failure analysis and provide suggestions as to the best bearing choice for your specific application.

 STEP TWO: LUBRICATION

After confirming that the bearing type is suitable and the installation was correct, turn to your lubricants and bearing lubrication system. Depending on contamination factors and operating heat levels, each machine or equipment part will require specific lubrication types and levels to ensure bearing health for paper mill bearings. Alter lubrication practices if necessary and investigate lubricants designed specifically to work under the applicable conditions. Your NSK technical representative can provide exact specifications, or you can download NSK's Oil Lubrication Reference Guide.

STEP THREE: MAINTENANCE

To extend bearing life and reduce unscheduled downtime, maintenance staff must always be working to keep machines running at peak levels: even the most robust components will suffer without proper upkeep. Audit internal processes and ensure that maintenance staff is knowledgeable on all aspects of equipment care and the specific timing of ongoing maintenance procedures and ask your NSK technical representative for specific recommendations.

 STEP FOUR: MACHINERY

If the cause of bearing failure is not apparent after steps one through three, the machinery itself must be examined. Vibration and operation deflection shape analysis will aid in the identification of equipment defects that may be causing undue stress on components and bearings. NSK can assist in these analyses so that, armed with analytical detail that pinpoints structural problems, the machinery can undergo corrective maintenance. Not only will bearing life be extended, overall efficiency and productivity will also increase.

 The NSK Asset Improvement Program (AIP) includes a complete suite of diagnostic services, including bearing failure analysis, on-site bearing inspections, diagnostic and vibration analysis and personnel training.

Contact us today to learn how the AIP program can help maximize uptime in your facility!