Bearing Installation with Bernd Seidenthal
Predictive maintenance is a huge part of the overall reliability of your assets. Most of the times, equipment fails because of the bearing or seal failure. Bearing failures are very common in the facilities and improper installation of a bearing is one of the biggest reasons it fails. If you don’t do it right with proper tools, you are going to damage the bearing and it is only a matter of when rather than how. Before installing a bearing, you need to have a clean space and all the necessary tools should be with you when you are installing it.
In this episode, we covered:
- Steps for bearing installation!
- The value of proper bearing installation!
- The tools you need!!
- And much more!
You also have to make sure that the storage of the bearing is still intact. Overheating is a huge issue that is usually observed while installing a bearing. There are multiple ways to make sure that the bearing is at the right temperature before installation. You can use an oven to make sure that it gets to the right temperature. Then, there’s hot oil method where you dip it in the oil and heat it till you get the right bearing temperature. You can also use hot plate where you need to have an even temperature for both sides of the plate before the bearing is ready to be installed. The last but not the least is the induction heater that comes in different sizes. It uses electrical current inducing where you have to monitor the temperature of the bearing till it reaches the right scale. You need to take proper safety measures in every case.
The most efficient of these is the induction heater as you can get the precise temperature that you need in less time. Temperature is the key here and it should always be between 220 and 230 but never above 250 degrees. Induction heater is also good for seal bearings as it doesn’t damage the seals while heating the bearing itself. Then you have to make sure that the shaft is clean and not damaged. Sometimes, the shaft is compromised when you are removing a bearing because you used brute force to remove it. You need to have the proper tools so that you will be able to remove the bearing without damaging the shaft or any other vital component of the machine. You should also make sure that you are installing the right bearing with right tolerances, at the right place and at the right temperature.
The person installing the bearing need to have just the basic training to install it properly. He should know how to operate the induction heater and he should take care of the simple thresholds that are vital. You should trend this in the facility so that there’s a cultural change going on for improvement in your procedures. The mindset of the personnel is very important here because they are the ones who will have to make these practices consistent with time. Proper bearing installation prevents a lot of failures and saves you time with tons of money in the end.
Eruditio Links:
Bernd Seidenthal Links:
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