Self-aligning Bearings Boost Machine Reliability

A manufacturer of prepress machines and systems faced widespread flange-bearing failure that had to be corrected before the company could introduce its redesigned equipment line. The company turned to Spyraflo, a provider of innovative bearing solutions that eliminated the issue with its self-aligning Ready Mount needle roller bearing in a steel flange. This avoided the need for costly precision mounting blocks, while increasing product reliability and customer satisfaction. The manufacturer had a proven reputation for supplying lithographers, flexographers and newspaper publishers with high-quality conveyors and inline punches on which they rely. Its transport printing plates 90, 120 and 150cm wide, then manipulate or 'rotate' them as much as 180 degrees before they are fed into a press. The inline punches, each plate exits at a 90 degree angle, with precision notches for hanging on a press. The plate stackers can load up to 250 plates onto a trolley untouched by human hands, so they can be transported together instead of individually. Although staff easily kept pace with printer's demands for increased speed and precision, the same could not be said for the flange-mounted bearings on their machines. Their equipment used multiple flange bearings on shafts, critical for creating the smooth rolling movement needed at each end of the shaft, as well as each pulley that drives belts and o-ring pulleys throughout their machines. But print customers pointed out they work 24/7 for 365 days a year nonstop, so they cannot afford to be constantly stopping and replacing parts. When the company began plans to introduce a new product line they received feedback from customers reporting flange bearings were seizing after only six to nine months of use. They were told that bearings were 'eating' the shafts. This meant replacing anywhere from 12 flange bearings on the Inline punches to more than 36 on the conveyor model. In addition the existing flange-bearing supplier could not fill orders for replacement parts on time. The delivery was a complete disaster and would have meant keeping six months of stock in inventory just to be able to fill orders on time. This also put the next generation of products in jeopardy, as every conveyor became faster and precision greater. It was time to look for another supplier that could not only meet the specification but grow along with them by stocking inventory on a three-month rolling forecast ensuring that there was never had a stock rupture. Initially a flange bearing with special precision mounting blocks was thought to be the answer but Spyraflo recommended a simpler and less-costly solution, its self-aligning Ready Mount, incorporating INA needle roller bearings and mounted in a steel flange. The needle roller bearing was ideal for the type of shaft and application as the flange bearing's self-aligning feature adapts to variances in the shaft orientation avoiding the need for a more expensive solution or special mounting blocks. There are clear benefits of self alignment bearings that allow +/-5deg self-alignment and so a pivoting capability in any direction. Advantages include fast installation and elimination of precision bearing mounting blocks, easier OEM machine assembly, enhanced machine performance and life. They also provide smooth shaft operation requiring minimal start-up torque and therefore the use of smaller motor drives. The impact of this change is that now the self-aligning flange bearing design is about 30% faster to install than those requiring precision mounting blocks and it's very cost-competitive. Furthermore, as the needle roller bearings were incorporated there has not been a single service call.