Design innovations look to push boundaries

As with any motion product used in automated systems or heavy-duty production machinery, failure is not an option. “To maximise the uptime of your motion system, it’s important to keep two common causes of bearing downtime in mind: misalignment and inadequate lubrication,” points out IKO. “Here’s how these conditions can bring your bearings to a halt.” it adds.

Misalignment

“When a bearing is mounted improperly, misalignment creates impact loads that produce wear and friction between the bearing’s outer ring and side plate that can lead to a breakdown.”

Inadequate lubrication

“While oils and greases go a long way toward protecting rolling contact surfaces, removing a cam follower from a machine or accessing a hard-to-reach area for relubrication can be expensive and time-consuming. These factors can defer maintenance and create unnecessary risk of failure.”

You can avoid these issues with the right cam follower, states the company. “For example, our CR…BSE cam follower — part of our Inch Series — is designed to solve common causes of bearing failure and ensure a long operating lifetime. CR…BSE cam followers deliver reliable performance, thanks to two IKO innovations.”

A ThrustDisk seal

“This special seal slides into the outer ring’s contact areas and handles axial loads caused by misalignment. It also resists heat and contamination to improve bearing longevity.”

C-Lube

“CR…BSE bearings are lubricated with a thermosetting solid-type lubricant that fills the inner space of the bearing. This lubricant helps provide long-term, maintenance-free operation by eliminating routine re-lubrication maintenance and improving performance reliability.”

Because the ThrustDisk seal addresses axial loads caused by improper mounting, these cam followers can accommodate higher loads, IKO adds. “And the combination of ThrustDisk technology, along with C-Lube, ensures reliable performance and long life. In addition to its failure-prevention features, the CR…BSE offers a low coefficient of friction, good rotational performance and easy mounting. Stud diameters range from 0.19 to 0.375 inches.”

Peace of mind

When your demanding industrial application needs a reliable and long-lasting cam follower, you can’t risk failure or downtime due to misalignment or a time-consuming maintenance schedule. “It pays to select a cam follower that can receive axial loads, keep contaminants out and prevent heat from damaging the unit — all while taking the guesswork out of maintenance. Our CR…BSE line of cam followers with both ThrustDisk seals and C-Lube technology checks all these boxes, providing you with the peace of mind that your cam follower will perform reliably in critical applications.”