Product category:
Bearings and guideways - rotary and linear
News Release from: NSK UK | Subject: Aqua-Bearing
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 04 September 2001
Bearing resists corrosion and wash-downs
The increasingly stringent demands made upon the food processing industry as a result of recent 'food scares' have put bearings very much in the 'front line' says NSK.
The increasingly stringent demands made upon the food processing industry as a result of recent "food scares" mean that procedures for ensuring hygiene in the production of food are becoming ever more severe This development, in turn, is impacting upon the equipment used in the production process, in terms of problems of corrosion, caused by specialised wash down operations utilising aggressive cleaning mediums
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 11 Jul 2008 at 8.00am (UK)
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Because of their universal application bearings are very much in the front line in this respect.
Routinely they are exposed to water and chemicals (acids and alkalis) by either splash or direct application.
To respond to these demanding conditions NSK has developed the Aqua-Bearing, a special highly corrosion resistant, low cost bearing for light load applications in the operating temperature range up to 150degC The use of a special fluorine plastics for the inner and outer rings, and a fluorine plastic cage, enables the Aqua-Bearing to achieve corrosion resistance equal to ceramic bearings.
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High-performance bearings maximise uptime
NSK's high-performance bearings provide extended uptime and reduced maintenance costs, despite operating conditions of extreme heat, water ingress, and lubricant contaminated with water and scale.
Resistance is also better than that of previous generations of plastics rolling bearings made of PE (Polyethylene) or PPS (Polyphenylene Sulfide).
The effectiveness of NSK's materials specification means that the Aqua-BearingTM is even able to handle applications in strong acids or alkalis, ozonized water, various kinds of vapour and halogen gases.
In addition to providing improved corrosion resistance, the fibre reinforced fluorine material gives the inner and outer bearing rings increased strength and rigidity.
It also provides an endurance life of over 1,000 times that of A1S144OC stainless steel bearings and 5 times that of previous PE (Polyethylene) bearings under a light load in an acid solution.
The all round excellent operating and life qualities of the Aqua-Bearings mean that they can be used widely, not only in Food Processing environments, but also in Semiconductor and LCD manufacturing, Pharmaceuticals, Chemical Production and in Surface Treatment processes.
Also, in contrast to their normal operating environments where they are exposed to water and chemicals, the Aqua-Bearings are equally effective when operating under dry conditions.
The Aqua-Bearing is the latest in a range of specialized products, which NSK has developed for the Food Processing industry.
Included in this range is the SPACEAT Series a range of bearings and lubricants that provides high performance and reliability under all types of demanding operating conditions: super-clean, vacuum, non-magnetic, corrosive, high/low temperature, nuclear and high speed.
SPACEAT bearings meet the widest range of technical requirements with a programme of high performance materials, surface finishes and specially developed lubricants, including solid types.
Depending upon the application, SPACEAT bearings can be manufactured from Martensitic and Austenitic stainless steels for corrosive environments, ceramics, or a combination of both.
Hybrid SPACEAT types can have any combination of ceramic inner/outer rings or balls, however, the range also includes all ceramic bearings for use in highly corrosive and high temperature environments.
Not all applications require the levels of protection provided by ceramics, so a range of surface coatings offering graduated protection has also been developed.
In addition to hard chrome plating, the SPACEAT bearings can be coated with Cold Flourine, in a low cost treatment that provides good resistance to most acids, and Nickel Alloy, which offers high resistance at moderate cost.
Another range of bearings introduced to cope with the rigours of Food Processing environments is the RHP Silver-Lube series.
These are corrosion resistant, mounted bearing units, which help users achieve hygiene improvements while reducing downtime and maintenance costs.
Silver-Lube series bearings are manufactured from stainless steel - a modified 440C type.
They are designed specially for use in industries where hygiene considerations and corrosion and chemical resistance are important.
Typical industries include: food processing such as dairies, bottling and brewing, pharmaceuticals, fisheries and chemical processing.
Completing the list of recent food industry product introductions by NSK is the newly developed and unique K1 Lubricating Unit technology.
This technology is revolutionising the performance of machines, in terms of reliability, maintenance free intervals and operation in environments exposed to contamination such as water.
The K1 Lubricating UnitsT have been developed for use on NSK's linear guides and ballscrews, which provide guiding, support and actuation functions on all types of food processing machines.
Manufactured from a 'porous synthetic resin' (known as Molded Oil), which is oil impregnated to eliminate the need for re-lubrication, the K1 Lubricating UnitsT are particularly effective in environments where oil related pollution must be prevented.
The food industry with its strict hygiene regulations is a good example - as are semi-conductor and medical equipment manufacture.
In all these industry sectors pollution can be avoided, and sufficient lubrication provided, by using the K1 Lubricating UnitT in conjunction with minimal grease.
Another problem which the K1 Lubricating UnitT addresses effectively is loss of lubricant due to washdowns.
Machines used in food production and pharmaceuticals, which would normally suffer in this respect, can be assured of longer service life simply by specifying NSK K1 Lubricating UnitsT in combination with a suitable pre-packed grease.
Partnership To Produce Production Solutions Today and In The Future The Aqua-BearingTM, the SPACEAT and RHP Silver-Lube series and the K1 Lubricating UnitT are all examples of how NSK is providing solutions by understanding the operating problems in an industry, in this case Food Processing.
However, NSK is only too aware that production pressures mean that the nature of problems changes over time.
NSK is committed to a policy which signals these changes and equips users with product solutions that ensure the ultimate safety, the ultimate reliability and the ultimate efficiency in their production processes. Request a free brochure from NSK UK ...
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