Maintenance

If you use machinery which involves the use of bearings, whether they are needle, ball or roller bearings, you will know that proper maintenance is needed in order to keep your application in full working order and to avoid costly downtime. Most applications that use bearings have a limited time before they fail or become problematic. Carrying out proper maintenance will ensure that your application runs efficiently and that bearings don’t fail prematurely. Proper maintenance starts with the installation and continues throughout the use of the equipment.

The first stage of bearing maintenance begins with the initial mounting of bearings in their casing or housings and the machinery. If bearings are not mounted correctly then it can lead to problems and shorten the length of their usefulness. How you mount a bearing will depend on the bearing type and the function they are to be used for. You should make sure that you are using the right techniques for the bearing you are fitting. Once you have the bearings mounted you should spend time checking the alignment. If the bearings are not correctly positioned then this can impact on their effectiveness. Bearings which are not aligned correctly could also cause damage to equipment and stop it operating properly. Their importance and the role bearings play in ensuring an application runs efficiently means special care should be taken when installing new bearings.

After the installation has been carried out you should find that everything runs smoothly and as expected. Depending on the bearing type, it may be necessary to lubricate the bearings from time to time so that they continue to function properly. It’s important to use the correct type of lubricant or grease depending on the type of application it will be used in. It is also important to get the right quantity of lubrication, as too much or too little could have a detrimental effect on the performance. Using the correct amount of the right lubricant can improve the working and running of the equipment. You should check the condition of bearings and equipment regularly to detect any signs of defects or problems.

Depending on the function of the bearing there are different pieces of equipment and monitors available which you can use to measure movement, vibration and temperature. Knowing what is happening inside can help provide a picture of how well everything is working and if anything needs to be replaced or improved. If you find that you do have to replace some of the bearings then you should take care when you remove them so that you don’t cause any damage to the equipment and machinery. There are a range of tools you can use to safely remove and dismount the bearings and the tool you use should be suitable for the type of bearings.

Remember that proper maintenance can help you to get the most out of your equipment and to maximise the efficiency. Maintenance should be taken seriously and care taken when it is carried out.