The Situation
A site processing meat products was having repeated issues with the bearing units in their overhead cranes. Bearing failures caused the cranes to be taken offline, affecting throughput. Due to difficulty in accessing the bearings at height, maintaining and replacing them posed a time-consuming and challenging task for engineers to complete safely.
The Solution
The Engineering Supervisor on site contacted their local HAYLEY DEXIS branch in King’s Lynn for advice. Following a site visit, it was determined that SENTINEL Series bearings from NTN would be an ideal alternative to the bearings currently installed within the overhead cranes. The new NTN SENTINEL Series stainless steel bearings would be lubricated for life with NSF H1-Certified solid grease. An order was placed with HAYLEY DEXIS, and this was facilitated with next-day delivery from stock held in the UK.
"COSTLY BEARING FAILURES ARE NOW A THING OF THE PAST FOR THE CUSTOMER."
The Result
A total of four cranes across the facility now have the NTN SENTINEL Series bearing units installed and have had no further issues. It is estimated that this has prevented annual unplanned downtime on the production line, to the value of £84,000. As the bearings are now lasting longer, a cost-saving has also been secured for the customer. Maintenance Engineers no longer have to carry-out maintenance on the hard-to-reach bearings as a result of them being lubricated for life and sealed against high-pressure washdowns. This has reduced maintenance burden with the associated costs that come with this, as well as improving the safety and well-being of the workforce. The NSF H1-certified grease that the new bearings are lubricated with has ensured compliance with food safety regulations, in the event that any minor grease leakages occur.