Custom split roller bearings built for large shafts

Adrian Menzies, Sales and Marketing Director for Revolvo, states: "The cornerstone of our specialised SRB service is our willingness to work closely with equipment manufacturers and end users to solve specific application problems. This has led to the development of a number of innovative designs, such as thin-section, high-speed bearings for wire stranding machines, and highly robust and reliable water-cooled units for continuous casting applications in the steel industry. Some of these specialised designs have subsequently been incorporated into the standard SRB product range.

"When you consider that SRB has a grinding capacity in excess of 1.4 metres and a turning capacity greater than 1.8 metres, it is clear that we have the ability to produce bearings substantially larger than the standard range listed in our SRB catalogue or, indeed, our competitors' catalogues. We have underlined this capability recently by producing a number of split roller and solid bearings with bore sizes in excess of 900mm, ably demonstrating our ability in this sector.

Continuous casting application

"One of the most challenging operating environments for any bearing system is continuous casting plants in the steel industry. However, by working in conjunction with a number of OEMs and end-users, SRB has established a growing reputation in this field.

"Via our special service, we have introduced a number of design innovations to split roller bearings used in continuous casting plants. At the same time we have been able to maintain the size envelope, layout and fitting conditions stipulated by current applications. As a result, a bearing operational life that considerably exceeds one million tons of cast steel is not uncommon."

Pump drive shaft bearings

Another SRB success for its specialised service was the supply of the ten split roller bearings to a German aluminium processor, and the order was only gained only after exhaustive tests against competitive bearings. SRB was initially asked to supply a series of five split bearings for trial; these were installed on one side of a 13inch diameter pump drive shaft. The other side of the shaft was fitted with five competitor bearings, and the pump system was then run continuously for six months.

At the end of the testing period the SRB bearings were opened for inspection and declared 'as new' with no visible signs of wear, despite the continuous use and harsh operating conditions. The competitor's bearings, however, showed signs of both wear and scoring on the raceways after sharing identical operating conditions. The favourable comparison led to a further order for ten SRB bearings to refurbish a second pump on the site.

In addition to satisfying the aluminium processor, the quality of the SRB bearings also brought the company plaudits from the manufacturer of the drive pump to which the bearings are fitted. The pump manufacturer specialises in large-scale pumps, and was so impressed with the quality of the product and the service, that it has given official authorisation for the use of SRB bearings in its pump equipment, worldwide.