Bearing down on contamination
BEARING reliability is a crucial component of productivity and uptime in expensive machinery and plant throughout industries such as mining, manufacturing, bulk handling and primary production. If a bearing fails, production can grind to a halt. Bearing failures can be caused by a number of factors, including: Fatigue, which can occur naturally over time, but also occurs prematurely if the incorrect bearing is chosen for the task. Incorrect installation or mounting, which can lead to significantly higher wear and tear and ultimately premature failure. Examples include misalignment, incorrect fits – too loose or too tight, out-of-roundness in shafts or housings. About 25% of bearing failures occur because of incorrect mounting. Lubrication problems, which can occur if too little, too much or…