A favourite South African beer, which is, found on many a beer connoisseur’s table, is being brewed in Belgium with the assistance of lubricant-free polymer bearings that will not contaminate the beer. These enable brewers to leave the process uninterrupted by maintenance that may otherwise spoil the chances of brewing the perfect beer.
The Chimay brewery is close to the heart of many beer drinkers and is known for its traditional Trappist beer. In recent times, the brewer has come to rely on maintenance-free spherical bearings from igus in its bottling plant. By replacing rusty, seized ball bearings with lubrication-free igubal H3 bearing inserts, the brewery has been able to increase efficiency and reduce maintenance and plant downtime.
It is one of 12 breweries in the world that produces Trappist beer made by monks. Interestingly, the majority of their profits are intended for social projects. Brewed at Notre-Dame de Scourmont Abbey in the Belgian province of Hainaut, Chimay produced around 18,5 megalitres of beer in 2018. The high production requirements posed special challenges for the bottling plants, especially due to frequent failures and the seizing of conventional metallic ball bearings. The replacement of a defective ball bearing could take up to one and a half days, which unfortunately led to production losses.
As part of a project to optimise the filling lines, Chimay turned to international polymer manufacturer, igus to find a permanent solution to this problem. After an extensive series of tests and optimisations, the igubal H3 bearing proved to be the optimal choice, and since the changeover in September 2022, these bearings have shown very little wear.
The igubal H3 bearings offer many advantages that significantly improve the brewery’s production process. They are made of tribologically optimised high-performance plastics. This makes them lubrication-free, maintenance-free and corrosion resistant. Even at speeds of 200 rpm, the bearing material is working well within design limits. The igubal bearing inserts are much easier to install and replace than metal ball bearings, which drastically reduces maintenance times.
An important point to note for local bottlers is that there is no longer any wear-related shaft damage, which extends the service life of the entire system. Another advantage is the high resistance of the igubal H3 bearing inserts to chemicals. Despite regular cleaning processes, they show no signs of damage. Due to these characteristics, the line achieves an impressive speed of 55 000 bottles per hour. Chimay has already ordered 150 additional bearing inserts to replace the remaining ball bearings. “With the igubal H3 bearings, we have been able to solve the most important problem on our conveyor systems and significantly extend the service life of our systems,” says Vivien De Schryver, maintenance technician at Chimay.
Innomotics powers largest heat pump system in the Netherlands
Motion Control & Drives
Innomotics, a global leader in the provision of electric motors and large drive systems, has played a pivotal role in the realisation of the largest heat pump system in the Netherlands. It is located at the municipal wastewater treatment plant in Utrecht.
Read more...Problem solving under pressure Axiom Hydraulics
Motion Control & Drives
The greatest strength of Axiom Hydraulics lies in the company’s ability to solve complex problems and adapt systems to meet unique challenges. This capability stems from two key factors: the diverse experience of its team members, which spans decades across multiple disciplines, and their unwavering dedication to their clients.
Read more...New AI advisor for robot selection igus
Motion Control & Drives
igus’ new AI chatbot has been added to the online platform RBTX.com. The interactive consultant is designed to enable companies with little previous experience and technological expertise to quickly and reliably put together low-cost automation solutions to becoming more competitive.
Read more...The world’s most powerful worm
Motion Control & Drives
Geothermal energy from the natural heat of the Earth is an inexhaustible resource, yet the growth of the global geothermal power sector lags behind other renewable energies. Now Swiss startup, Borobotics is hoping to speed this up with its innovative new electric-powered geothermal drilling robot, which can be used to fast-track and lower the cost of heat pump installations in confined spaces.
Read more...Building resilience in extreme environments ACTOM Electrical Machines
Motion Control & Drives
The petrochemical and oil and gas sectors operate in unforgiving environments. In this high-stakes industry, operational efficiency is vital, and unplanned downtime can have severe consequences. To thrive in this demanding landscape, a proactive and sophisticated approach to maintenance is no longer an option, but a necessity.
Read more...Collaborative robots pioneer automation revolution
Motion Control & Drives
Collaborative robots (cobots) are a versatile, cost-effective robot form factor that is demonstrating value across many industry verticals. According to a new report from ABI Research, revenue from cobots will increase from $970 million in 2023 to $7,2 billion by 2030.
Read more...SKF shines at Mining Indaba SKF South Africa
Motion Control & Drives
This year marked SKF’s second consecutive participation at Mining Indaba, where the global bearing and seal manufacturing giant spotlighted its premium quality, future-smart, environmentally sustainable mining and industrial products, technologies and services.
Read more...Reducing the risk of sewage spills
Motion Control & Drives
The UK government has announced plans to impose tougher penalties on water companies in England and Wales that fail to prevent sewage discharges into rivers and seas. David Strain, technical director at the automation systems specialist, Technidrive explains how solutions like variable speed drives and smart monitoring systems can help water companies reduce the risk of sewage spills and ensure compliance.
Read more...High-performance electric wire rope hoists
Motion Control & Drives
Becker Mining South Africa’s Kito RX electric wire rope hoists, launched in Africa two years ago, play a critical role in many industries.
Read more...Complete solutions for the die casting industry
Motion Control & Drives
Die casting is a manufacturing process that involves injecting molten metal into a mould to produce complex, high-precision components. FUCHS Lubricants South Africa addresses the evolving demands of the die casting sector through continuous product innovation and development.
printer friendly version