Motion Control & Drives


Bearings for harsh conditions on steel mills

January 2024 Motion Control & Drives

When a steel mill was experiencing regular failures of the bearings on its pilger mill, the plant turned to the expertise and experience of NSK for a robust and economic solution. By recommending bearings with 200% more life than the units they replaced, NSK provided the mill with annual savings of €159 933.

To identify the root cause of the issue, NSK’s engineering team performed a technical application analysis, discovering that the main problems were severe operating conditions, exacerbated by high loads and inadequate lubrication. The engineers proposed a special spherical roller bearing, with optimised internal design that took advantage of the company’s proprietary Super Tough (STF) steel.

Durability in extreme operating environments is critical for steel mill bearings. The reliable, uninterrupted performance of rolling components that endure heavy loads and high heat, amid water and scale, is vital. NSK bearings made from STF steel offer outstanding toughness in harsh operating conditions, providing long service life and superior resistance against wear, seizure and heat.

A trial at the steel mill showed that the new bearings had double the operating life. Reductions in production downtime, maintenance labour, replacement bearings and other material replacements led to annual costs savings of €159 933 for the steel mill. NSK offers a complete product line for steel mill processes. NSK bearings can cope with heavy shock loads and vibration, and operating speeds that range from extremely slow to very high, coupled with rapid acceleration and deceleration.




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