When it comes to conveying beverages, there’s room for improvement in efficient handling. Beverage processors typically use two to three times more lubricating and cleaning water than goes into the finished product. Wet conveying creates slip hazards and maintenance problems with pumps, leaks and premature failure of bearings, sensors and other conveyor components. It also adds costs for energy, water reclamation and treatment. Even dry mineral-oil-based lubricants can create problems with wear paste buildup.
The dry-running System Plast NG Evo chain and belt, combined with Hub City’s 90% efficient High Efficiency Right Angle (HERA) gear reducers, and corrosion-resistant ball, and cam follower bearings from Sealmaster, McGill, Rollway and System Plast, offers a different approach. The chain and belt is made from a proprietary low-friction polymer engineered for dry, high-speed conveying on bottling and packaging lines. This chain outperforms the original version with higher breaking load, greater elasticity, lower coefficient of friction and greater abrasion resistance. It reduces energy consumption and noise, while allowing brewers to eliminate soap-and-water lubrication from conveying operations.
The companion Nolu-S wear strips and guides enable reduced-lubrication or lubrication-free, high-speed conveyor operation. They are made of a resin with a solid lubricant that reduces the coefficient of friction. The combination of NG Evo chain and Nolu-S wear strips can reduce a conveyor’s energy requirements by up to 30%, with service life as much as five times greater.
Hub City HERA reducers are the 21st century replacement for industrial worm gear drives, providing 90% efficiency in all ratios with up to 40% reduction in energy. Torque-dense with double the capacity of worm drives, HERA drives reduce motor size requirements, as well as the physical size of the drive package. Wide torque capacity and modular shaft, base and flange components allow just four sizes of HERA reducers to interchange with worm reducers from 1.75 to 6 in. (44.45 to 152.4 mm) center distance, reducing inventory requirements. Maximum torque ratings for the four sizes are 1,100; 2,600; 4,500; and 8,500 in.-lb (124 to 960 Nm). The smallest and largest HERA reducers are available in stainless steel. Packaged drives with Marathon or LEESON motors are available as well.
Regal CRES bearings (Corrosion Resistant Engineered Solutions) are engineered with special materials and patented sealing systems to meet material handling requirements for higher speeds, long life, and low maintenance in dry, wet or corrosive environments. Brands include SealMaster roller and ball bearings, McGill Camrol cam follower bearings, Rollway stainless-steel bearings and System Plast mounted bearings for washdown.
SealMaster PN Gold Mounted Ball Bearings and RPB-CR Corrosion Resistant Performance Mounted Tapered Roller Bearings meet both CIP (Clean in Place) and SIP (Steam in Place) sanitation requirements. SealMaster PN Gold bearings—with 316 stainless steel or high strength composite housings—have high phosphorous, electroless nickel plated inner and outer races. High-performance triple-lip contact seals provide multidirectional sealing to exclude contaminants and retain lubrication. An exclusive land-riding retainer design allows 360° grease circulation around the rolling elements for better grease retention and use, important in applications involving vibration, shock loading or high operating speeds. They are factory filled with H1 food grade lubricant. PN Gold bearings are available with a standard three-point setscrew locking collar or the SKWEZLOC concentric locking collar, which induces near-perfect concentricity of the shaft to the bearing bore. The SKWEZLOC collar helps to eliminate shaft damage and reduces noise.
System Plast mounted bearings for the beverage industry are built with corrosion resistant thermoplastic housings of reinforced polyamide. A variety of popular housing styles is available, including pillow block, flanged, tapped base, hanger and take-up, with 400-series stainless steel or 52100 bearing quality steel inserts, packed with H1 food grade grease. Optional end caps and backside seals provide added protection for washdown applications.
Regal Power Transmission Solutions
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Filed Under: TECHNOLOGIES + PRODUCTS, ALL INDUSTRIES, Material handling • converting, Conveyors
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