Conveyor bearings survive four times longer

Seaboard Farms switched to composite bearings to cut costs and maintenance requirements of its conveyors.

By -- Modern Materials Handling, 5/1/2000

Bearing service life for conveyors is now greatly extended and requires less maintenance at the poultry processing plant of Seaboard Farms in Elberton, Ga.

The new composite bearing units feature double-protection seals that extend life by a factor of four, cutting replacement costs and saving more than 10 hours/month of labor.

Even the most difficult applications at the facility get an average of 6-9 months extra life from the bearings, says schedule planner Wayne Jones.

"With standard bearing units, rust and lubricant washout were constant problems. These composite bearings have a much longer life in the same applications, and require no regreasing," says Jones.

Prior to mid-1998, the plant used standard ball or roller bearings with cast-iron or nickel-plated housings.

These were subjected not only to food contaminants but also to daily high-pressure washdowns with bleach, chemical sanitizers, and other caustic cleaning agents.

The result was rust within a few weeks and significant lubricant loss due to washout.

Plant technicians had to manually regrease standard bearings at least once a day. Within 2-3 months, the bearing unit usually failed and required replacement.

When bearing problems persisted, Seaboard Farms installed a pair of Marathon Series pillow blocks equipped with stainless steel insert bearings, on one conveyor line.

Unlike standard bearing units, these feature a plastic housing that resists corrosion from water, food acids, cleaning agents, and other food industry chemicals.

A two-part seal consists of an AISI 304 stainless steel flinger and an AISI 304 stainless steel insert seal.

A barrier is formed with these seal components that prevents contaminant entry and protects against lubricant loss due to high-pressure washdowns.

The unit's stainless steel insert bearing is lubricated for life with a USDA-approved food grade grease.

The initial set of bearing units proved highly successful in the conveyor application and over the next few months utilization of the Marathon Series greatly increased.

Units were installed featuring stainless steel insert bearings in a host of plant applications, including large conveyor lines and poultry breading equipment.

Due to the immense success of the units about 150 of these bearing units are now operational at the plant.

"Cosmetic appearance of equipment is also an important issue in food processing," says Jones.

"The unit's light-colored thermoplastic housing makes a favorable impression on visitors."
MRC Bearing Services
800-672-7000
www.mrcbearings.com