Wyko supply ten of the highest capacity SRB split roller bearings ever made

Citation

(2003), "Wyko supply ten of the highest capacity SRB split roller bearings ever made", Industrial Lubrication and Tribology, Vol. 55 No. 6. https://doi.org/10.1108/ilt.2003.01855fab.001

Wyko supply ten of the highest capacity SRB split roller bearings ever made

Wyko supply ten of the highest capacity SRB split roller bearings ever made

Keywords: Bearings, Manufacturing

Success in a gruelling 6 month test has led to an order for ten of the highest capacity split roller bearings ever produced by Wyko's specialist bearing company SRB. The ten giant bearings weigh in at over 2 tonnes each and are being used to support the drive shaft of a pump in an aluminium processing plant. The bespoke units are SRB Heavy Series and have been custom designed, manufactured and delivered in an impressive 14 weeks (Plates 1-3).

SRB is one of only a handful of companies that are capable of manufacturing split roller bearings large enough for this project. Wyko was initially asked to supply a series of five SRB bearings for trial; they were installed on one side of a 13 in. diameter pump drive shaft. The other side of the shaft was fitted with five competitor bearings and the pump system was then run continuously for 6 months.

Plate 1 Wyko highest capacity SRB split roller bearings

Plate 2 Wyko supply ten of the highest capacity SRB split roller bearings ever made

Plate 3 Wyko SRB split roller bearings

At the end of the testing period, the Wyko SRB bearings were opened for inspection and declared "as new" with no visible signs of wear, despite the continuous use and harsh operating conditions. The competitor's bearings however, showed signs of both wear and scoring on the races after sharing identical operating conditions. The favourable comparison led to an order for a further ten SRB bearings to refurbish a second pump on the site.

Despite the logistics involved in producing bearings of this size, all ten in this order were designed, manufactured and delivered to Europe in an amazing 14 weeks, something that Wyko SRB take for granted but in reality would be impossible, they claim, for any other supplier.

Nick Dent, SRB Product Manager, states that the success of the bearings is due to the design, materials and accuracy of manufacture. "The Heavy Series bearings incorporate profiled rollers that minimise edge loading under dynamic misalignment conditions, this prevents damage occurring to the raceways and ensures reliable long-term operation. A full compliment of bearings is also used without a cage to increase the load bearing capacity."

The Heavy Series cast iron supports are designed with larger cross sections to increase strength because in this application there was also an unusually high upward load of 60 tonnes on each bearing. For maximum strength and durability, the housings and supports of all SRB bearings are made from 250-grade cast iron.

The quality of the SRB bearings is also underlined by the manufacturing tolerances of the housings and supports. They are machined to give zero clearance when assembled, allowing any bearing and housing to be fitted into any support. This flexibility makes fitting the bearings easier and ultimately provides improved performance and longevity. Large split roller bearings from other manufacturers are often paired, causing added complication when fitting.

The level of accuracy to which the SRB bearings were manufactured was acknowledged both by the customer and the original manufacturer of the pump itself. The pump manufacturer specialises in large-scale pumps and were so impressed with the quality of the product and the service, that they have given official authorisation for the use of SRB bearings on their pump equipment worldwide.

Note on split SRB style bearings

The split bearing design allows practical and cost effective fitting and maintenance of bearings without the shaft or associated plant having to be moved or externally supported. They are effectively the only option for drive shafts in pumps of this size as well as other power transmission applications of a similar scale in mining, milling, processing and power generation operations.

For further information, contact: Sarah Evans, Marketing Department, WYKO Industrial Services, Amber Way, Halesowen, West Midlands, B62 8WG, UK. E-mail: marketing@wyko.co.uk