A company was experiencing a short service lifetime from the bearings used in the casting of gas turbine blades. NSK undertook an Application Review of the existing design which included an inspection of the failed bearings. An extremely caustic solution combined with high loads and misalignment was causing lubrication and seizure problems. An alternative wheel design was proposed using a cylindrical roller bearing, with improvements in sealing and lubrication. This resulted in significantly improved performance and doubled lifetime.
Before | Cost p.a. | NSK Solution | Cost p.a. | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Cost of 1 set of assemblies = € 4.462 |
€ 133.860 | Cost of 1 set of assemblies = €7.089 Cost of 1 bearing / seal kit = €1.487 |
€ 39.111 | |
Cost of labour to renew 1 set of assemblies = € 297 |
€ 8.910 | Cost of labour to renew 1 set of assemblies = € 297 | € 3.564 | |
Bearing life 6 weeks | Bearing life 12 - 14 weeks | |||
Total costs per year à 10 changes (x 3 rotators) = € 142.770 | Total cost per year for 1 change (x 3 rotators) = € 42.675 |
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Total Costs | € 142 770 | € 42 675 |
Reference:SS-E-2011