A starch and glucose producer in South Africa fitted Vesconite wear-resistant deflectors to its centrifugal pumps in 2019, and substantial maintenance, component, and capital-cost savings resulted. Deflectors are cylindrical rings placed at either end of the bearing assembly around the shaft. In this application, they fit at the end of oil lip seals to prevent […]
Michell Bearings announces incorporation of Michell Bearings Inc. at Sea, Air, Space exhibition
Michell Bearings, a leading UK Babbitt bearing manufacturer that supplies products to the global industrial and naval industries, has announced the incorporation of a USA business, Michell Bearings Inc The incorporation will allow customers in North America, especially those in the USA naval industry, to collaborate with Michell Bearings in a more efficient way. It […]
Heavy-duty elastomeric bearing materials from Thordon Bearings
Thordon’s heavy-duty elastomeric bearing materials have been keeping the Comeau Marine Railway operational under locally concentrated loads and in some of the harshest, abrasive waterways for more than forty years. Comeau Marine’s 600t-capacity railway, one of Nova Scotia’s oldest patent slips, operates year-round to maintain and service much of the inshore fishing fleet as well […]
Greater efficiency in production with igus lightweight iglidepolymer linear bearings
New, cost-effective drylin linear bearing ensures fast, lubrication-free movements. igus, a motion plastics specialist, showcases what plastics can do with its first drylin W linear bearing made entirely of tribo-polymers. The linear bearing has been developed specifically for linear movements. At just ten grams, it is quick to install, vibration-dampening, lubrication-free and ideal for transportable […]
Seawater lubricated propeller shaft system from Thordon Bearings
The largest cruise ship to be built in Italy has been delivered with a COMPAC seawater lubricated propeller shaft system from Canada’s Thordon Bearings. The 170,400gt MSC Seashore, delivered from Fincantieri’s Monfalcone shipyard late last month, joins the smaller 154,000gt Seaside-class vessels MSC Seaside and MSC Seaview, both of which were delivered with a COMPAC […]
NKE receives accolades for work environment
Bearing manufacturer NKE Austria GmbH has received the “Great Place to Work” certificate. Businesses that take part in the certification process and meet the respective requirements are entitled to display the commendation “Certified by Great Place to Work” for a year. The process is based on a survey of all employees and is intended to […]
Pitch control plain bearings for wind turbine application
A large wind turbine manufacturer continues to use Vesconite Hilube actuator bearing supports in its wind turbines’ hydraulic blade pitch control systems. Pitch control systems are essential to protect wind turbines in adverse weather conditions as well as maximize the energy production of wind turbines. These systems allow blades to be twisted so that load […]
igus unveils new sensor for predictive maintenance
igus has developed a sensor for its smart plastics software that calculates the remaining service life of energy chains, cables, linear guides, and plain bearings during operation. The i.cee:local sensor from igus optimizes the life of the system, detects faults, allows them to be fixed at an early stage, and allows for maintenance to be […]
KACO expands portfolio of shaft grounding rings
In addition to the application-oriented adaptation of given sealing technologies, KACO has been offering new product segments for several years and is constantly developing them further. These novel product segments also include shaft grounding rings, which ensure excellent protection of the bearings and gearing of electrical machines over their operating life. Through close cooperation with […]
Sulzer cuts component repair times using laser metal deposition
Many industrial applications harbor challenging operating conditions such as corrosive or erosive atmospheres and high temperatures. Every component of rotating machinery used in these conditions needs to operate reliably to ensure an extended overall service life for the equipment. In many cases, specialist coatings form an important part of the design from the original equipment […]
Vesconite’s new Hitemp 160 gets food-contact certification
Vesconite Bearings’ Hitemp 160 polymer bearing material has been approved for use in food- contact applications. This is according to CEO Dr. Jean-Patrick Leger, who received the formal certification letter from the Laboratoire National De Métrologie et d’Essais (LNE) ﹣ the French public institution tasked with the voluntary or regulatory certification of products, management systems, […]
Seawater lubricated shafting system from Thordon Bearings
China’s Fujian Southeast Shipyard has delivered four in a series of five new product tankers ordered by Malaysia’s Orkim Sdn Bhd. The 9000dwt Orkim Sapphire and Orkim Pearl, and 14,500dwt Orkim Diamond and Orkim Emerald represent the first vessels in the ship operator’s fleet to be fitted with a COMPAC seawater lubricated shafting system from […]
Igus sees 30% online growth amid pandemic
An increase in the pace of innovation and emphasis on expanding its digital presence in the face of a worldwide pandemic helped igus increase online sales by 30% in 2020. Innovations range from telescopic robot tube packages to dry-running ball bearings with 21 times the standard service life to large-scale 3D printing. Engineers and OEMs […]
Precision agriculture: the hype around drone technology
Not even the agriculture sector can escape the hype of drone technology. The European drones outlook study reports 150,000 agricultural drones will be used across European farms by 2035, undertaking tasks such as soil and field analysis, crop monitoring, and spraying. Here, Chris Johnson, managing director at EZO bearings specialist SMB Bearings, explains the value […]
Vertical pump bearing application from Thordon Bearings
When a well-known industrial pump manufacturer needed four fully finished vertical pump bearings within three days to meet an urgent delivery deadline, Thordon Bearings’ Customer Service team orchestrated a solution to deliver the 6in (152.3mm) diameter water-lubricated SXL bearings on time. The Texas-headquartered company, a major customer for the Canadian non-metallic bearing specialist, had a […]
Zero pollution bearings for dry bulk cargo carrier application
Captain Henry Jackman, the 34,864dwt dry bulk cargo carrier China’s Jiangsu Yangzi-Mitsui shipyard delivered to Algoma Central Corporation in April, will begin trading on the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway in June with a water-lubricated shaft arrangement from Thordon Bearings. The state-of-the-art vessel, Algoma’s fifth Equinox Class of gearless bulkers and tenth Equinox design to enter […]
Hybrid bearings from NKE are suitable for tough industrial applications
Industrial applications in challenging environmental conditions call for special bearing solutions. Bearing manufacturer NKE Austria GmbH has developed hybrid bearings for precisely these applications. Their advantages are presented here. NKE hybrid bearings consist of ultrapure steel bearing rings and ceramic rolling elements made of bearing grade silicon nitride Si3N4 . “At first glance, this material […]
Kaman Distribution Group appoints C. Todd Boone as VP & General Manager Automation business
Kaman Distribution Group (“KDG”), a leading value-added distributor of bearings, power transmission, automation, and fluid power products, has announced the appointment of C. Todd Boone as the Vice President & General Manager of their Automation business. Most recently, Todd served as the Senior Director of Wesco Distribution’s Applied Technology Group. In addition, Todd held the […]
Radial and thrust forces in bearings
Where accuracy is required, it is important for engineers to consider the forces acting on a bearing. Because a bearing typically supports the free motion of a shaft about an axis of rotation, two forces normally act on the bearing: a radial load and a thrust load. But, what is the impact of these forces? […]
Tailshaft bearing solution from Thordon Bearings
Grupo Servicios Maritimos, an Argentinian company offering a variety of services related to the maritime, inland waterways, and port activity, operates a fleet of ten tugs, two container feeders, and six pilot/service launches, as well as a number of barges. A frequent headache for the Buenos Aires-based operator, however, was the excessive tailshaft bearing wear […]
Radial and thrust forces in bearings
Where accuracy is required, it is important for engineers to consider the forces acting on a bearing. Because a bearing typically supports the free motion of a shaft about an axis of rotation, two forces normally act on the bearing: a radial load and a thrust load. But, what is the impact of these forces? […]
New igus bearings reduce wear in heavy-duty applications
igus has introduced a new bearing with an improved iglide material, TX2, which offers self-lubricating and maintenance-free properties for heavy-duty applications. TX2 increases wear resistance by a factor of 3.5 in load ranges with more than 100 MPa surface pressure. The material is suitable for components in machines that serve construction and agriculture, which can […]
Thordon Bearings’ launches first large commercial vessel project in Mexico
Mexico-based TZ Industrias has replaced the deck machinery bushing aboard the Caroil Transport Marine oil tanker Petion with ThorPlas-Blue, marking Thordon Bearings’ first large commercial vessel project in the country. Thordon’s grease-free material replaced a competitor’s spherical split bearing on the 72,714dwt vessels’ deck crane during a recent drydocking at the TNG Veracruz Shipyard, Mexico’s […]
SKF’s oil regeneration service made available to customers in Mexico
Industrial end-users in Mexico will now be able to make use of regenerated oil services using a unique and recently developed system from SKF. Molecular Oil Technology (MOT) has purchased and will operate under license, a RecondOil Double Separation Technology (DST) stand-alone unit from SKF. SKF already uses the oil recovery system at several of […]
Emerson Bearing Boston offers online guide for enhancing bearing performance and service life
Choosing the proper bearing lubricant can help keep a facility’s machinery safe and operational. Emerson Bearing Boston, a bearing company catering to Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) and Maintenance, Repair and Operations (MRO) markets, offers tips for proper bearing lubricant selection and a complimentary online “Bearing Maintenance Guide”. Grease or lubricant selection can make a huge […]