Kill bacteria, not bearings

Food and beverage producers must take an uncompromising approach to hygiene, health and safety as a key foundation of business. To accomplish these goals, good solutions are needed to match expectations, while at the same time reducing maintenance and operating costs. SKF’s food line Y- bearing units have been specifically designed to do just that.

The food and beverage industry is a particularly challenging area for machinery as production areas cover nearly every type of environment such as high heat, extreme cold and humidity. Additionally, machinery is frequently exposed to abrasive and aggressive contaminants and chemicals from the process and strict cleaning regimes required by regulations. Frequent high- pressure wash down with caustic antibacterial cleansing agents can often be the root cause of bearing failure rather than raceway fatigue.

SKF Food Line stainless steel insert bearing units are purposefully designed for hygiene and fitted with SKF high performance 2RF seals are an effective and proven multi- barrier design that prevents contamination and retains the lubricant during high- pressure wash downs, keeping water and detergents out of seal contact areas.

The operation of these units in wet, abrasive or wash down environments offer maintenance-free operation resulting in saving time, money, improving sustainability and reducing environmental impact.

Lubricated for life from factory with a high- quality NSF approved SKF food- grade synthetic grease, it resists washouts even during frequent high- pressure wash downs and can be used in applications where operating temperatures range from –15 to +120°C.

The composite housings are a thermoplastic with steel coils embedded in the housing giving a radial breaking load far greater than the static load rating of the bearing, and possibly the highest fracture strength of any composite unit available.

A flat base enables the unit to meet flush with its mounting surface, eliminating gaps which otherwise are potential areas for bacteria to harbour and grow, while stainless steel bolt hole inserts provide added strength to each housing foot.

To comply with health and safety regulations, the composite material and stainless steel housed insert bearing units can be supplied with end covers providing additional protection against wash down with closed end covers tested to withstand a 10 MPa (100 bar) pressure wash as well as for complete security and operator safety against ends of rotating shafts. An optional drain hole is part of the end cover design.

The common practice in wash down environments of greasing bearing units frequently, often daily, is necessary primarily to purge water and contaminants out of the bearing which have entered through the seals. Since SKF Y- bearing units require no regreasing with the sealing system keeping contamination out, they also do not discharge used grease from the seals. This eliminates a major source of wastewater contamination, resulting in a cleaner plant environment and lower disposal costs for users and reduces the chance of both introducing contamination during greasing and damage to the seals from over pressurising the bearing units.

If a site has 100 bearings for example which are lubricated on a daily maintenance cycle on average two grams of lubricant per bearing purge and takes one minute per bearing, this equates to:

• 1.4 kg per weekly maintenance cycle.

• 73 kg of lubricant per year.

• 600+ maintenance hours per year.

The cost of maintaining a bearing can easily outweigh the initial purchase price.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT YOUR LOCAL SKF AUTHORISED DISTRIBUTOR OR EMAIL CUSTOMERSERVICE.NZ@SKF.COM