Higher Reliability and Efficiency: Reconditioning of Schaeffler Railway Bearings

Higher Reliability and Efficiency: Reconditioning of Schaeffler¡¯s Railway Bearings Axlebox bearings count among the most important components in rail vehicles. They are expected to operate reliably and trouble-free for millions of miles. So naturally maintenance is of the utmost importance and therefore precisely regulated by legislation as well as by the rail vehicle operators. But in this segment, too, there is a noticeable trend towards cost reduction and performance increase, the main goal being the extension of maintenance intervals. Thus far, European railway companies have mostly carried out maintenance work themselves. Now more and more are outsourcing it to the bearing manufacturers. This is attributable to continual bearing refinement, demanding special expertise also in terms of maintenance. Moreover, bearing companies such as Schaeffler Group Industrial with its brands INA and FAG offer innovative overall concepts that maximize the bearing life. Via its subsidiary FAG Industrial Services (F¡¯IS), Schaeffler Group Industrial offers rail vehicle operators the safe and professional disassembly, cleaning and maintenance of railway bearings ¨C no matter what manufacturer. At the Reconditioning Center in Schweinfurt, F¡¯IS specialists inspect each single bearing to find out whether it is suitable for reconditioning. To this end, the bearing is examined for external damage, marked to ensure retraceability and cleaned under high pressure in a special washing facility. Then the outer and inner rings, rolling elements and additional parts undergo thorough visual inspection. Defective parts are replaced by new ones. With FAG-branded TAROL units, they also check and readjust the axial clearance. In addition, the specialists measure the radial runout of the outer and inner rings in order to ensure absolutely smooth operation. When it comes to regreasing the bearings, the reconditioning team also counts on supreme quality. After all, approx. 40 percent of all rolling bearing damage can be tracked down to insufficient grease volume or the use of unsuitable lubricant. The F¡¯IS experts therefore rely exclusively on Schaeffler¡¯s officially approved Arcanol bearing greases. These have been developed to stringent quality specifications and testing procedures in cooperation with leading lubricant manufacturers. F¡¯IS also offers its expertise to external customers. On one hand, experienced fitters service the bearings in situ, and undertake mounting and dismounting for the customer. On the other hand, F¡¯IS also offers training courses such as ¡°Rolling bearing maintenance for rail vehicle maintenance personnel¡±. Here the rolling bearing experts from Schaeffler¡¯s Railway product line as well as experienced setting supervisors provide information about the latest developments in bearing technology and give tips and advice on the subjects of mounting/dismounting and cleaning/regreasing as well as damage diagnosis.