SKF extend Type E bearing service life
Robust seal raises new mounted tapered roller bearing performance and extends product life
SKF say they have vastly extended the performance, and product life, of their new mounted tapered roller bearing by pairing it with a superior seal, allowing it to survive in contaminated environments for more than 600 hours – 10 times longer than any competitor product.
The mounted tapered roller bearing, also known as a Type E bearing, incorporates SKF’s CR seal, which extends service life by virtually eliminating ingress of contamination, even under harsh conditions.
‘In mud-slurry tests, our seal withstood more than 600 hours with zero contamination ingress,’ said Eric Brubaker, director of product management at SKF North America. ‘Rival products saw ingress at 50 hours or earlier.’
The mounted tapered roller bearing is used when an increased thrust load is needed with limited axial movement, making it appropriate for demanding industries such as quarrying, aggregates and cement.
Potential applications include material-handling equipment, such as belt feeders and screw conveyors, and process machinery including grinders, shredders, and mixers.
These units typically break down for one reason: seal failure. But by improving seal performance, they can be designed to last much longer – extending uptime and increasing reliability.
Whilst customers running these types of machines usually accept that contamination ingress will inevitably lead to premature failure, by combining their bearing and sealing expertise into a single unit, SKF say they have managed to overcome this.
‘The seal performance of this unit surpasses that of our competitors by more than 10 times,’ said Mr Brubaker.
CR seals offer several lines of defence against contamination. The use of hydrogenated nitrile rubber (HNBR) resists both wear and high temperatures, while a full rubber outside diameter improves static sealing within the housing.
Moreover, multiple sealing lips exclude all types of contamination, including dirt, mud, water, sand, and powder. The seal also allows the bearing to be relubricated without risking damage to the sealing lips.
