Coal producer benefits from SRB solution

COAL FACE

COAL PRODUCER BENEFITS

from SRB solution

SKF was approached by a leading South African coal producer to quote on a traditional solid spherical roller bearing (SRB) to replace an obsolete unit on a bucker wheel feeder.

SKF managed to come up with a solution that would enhance worker safety and deliver substantial cost savings. The Cooper Split SRB solution is expected to enhance safety and reduce mean time to repair (MTTR) by 70% for the local coal producer.

“The customer faced two primary challenges with the traditional solid SRB, namely limited accessibility and prolonged downtime during maintenance,” explains Lisa Binzani, territory sales engineer: Central & Eastern Gauteng, SKF. “But of bigger concern was the fact that the nature of the application arrangement for the free end was posing a safety risk to maintenance personnel. Statistics have shown that up to 43% of accidents in the mining and cement industry occur during maintenance work or when personnel conduct checks on conveyors. We therefore recommended the SKF Cooper Split SRB, which offers safety and cost advantages over the solid SRB unit.”

Thanks to its special design, the Split SRB can be replaced easily in situ, requiring very few changes to the shaft alignment or driveline. As there is no need to dismount the drive coupling or the cantilevered drive to replace the bearing – thus avoiding realignment – MTTR is reduced by twothirds. In addition to enhancing the safety of maintenance personnel, in situ bearing replacement

in the trapped position on the SKF Cooper Split SRB also increases production uptime and shrinks maintenance costs.

Extended service life

Furthermore, the wire-cut inner and outer ring manufacturing technique and sealed versions of the SKF Cooper Split SRB extend service life or longer mean time between failures compared to other split bearings. Binzani also points out that increased machine availability and performance – and subsequent uptime – have a direct and positive influence on productivity and production levels. SKF Cooper leads the market in the field of splitbearing technology and is the only bearing manufacturer to offer split cylindrical, taper The SKF Cooper Split SRB was delivered to the coal and spherical roller plant at the start of Q3 2021 bearings in addition to the new sealed split SRBs. The SKF Cooper Split SRB is suitable for a wide range of applications, including conveyor pulleys, rope sheaves, bucket elevators, stackers/reclaimers, hoists and winches, horizontal grinding mill pinions, mixers and agitators, jack shafts and fans. “We highly recommend the conversion of traditional bearing units to the SKF Cooper Split SRB to any customer that requires bearings that can be easily replaced in situ with little disturbance to the shaft alignment or driveline,” concludes Binzani.