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Bearing technology ups performance of food processing machines
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11/11/2005
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New bearing technology is helping to reduce downtime and the total cost of ownership of a vegetable peeling machine.
The manufacturer of the machines, Peter Cox Marketing, recently re-engineered its vegetable peeling systems by using NSK's 'Molded-Oil' bearing technology, and the result is a machine that has improved overall reliability and is easier to maintain.
Peter Cox, founder of the company that bears his name explained: "The reliability issue really centred on the operation of the rough-coated horizontal roller, which is the main element in our range of peelers. The roller is up to three metres long; it is electrically-driven and supported by rolling element bearings at both its drive and non-drive ends. This arrangement generally works well, however, in harsh operating environments, wear on the roller can result in misalignment, a condition that impairs the life of the bearings, often causing them to fail prematurely. The result is costly downtime, which is unacceptable in the pressurised food processing industry where peeler machines are used."
The problem of re-lubricating the drive end bearings needed solving and so Peter Cox approached NSK for help. The peeler machine's original proprietary lubrication system, which required regular attention from the machine operator, was replaced by NSK's Molded-Oil lubricated units.
The Molded-Oil bearings are filled with a plastic containing lubricating oil and are designed to enhance machine performance, especially in environments that contain dust and solve the problem of loss of lubricant due to water ingress.
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Author
Tom Shelley
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