Bearing failure in large machines results in expensive repairs and costly downtime.

However a little known and hidden enemy of the bearing, often overlooked, is that of magnetic currents. Also known as Eddy currents, these currents are generated by residual magnetic fields in the stator and rotor components of a machine.

Eddy currents pose a serious problem in rotating machinery and the larger the machine and the higher it’s rotating speed, the stronger these currents become.

The resulting eddy currents can cause extreme damage to both sleeve and rolling element bearings. In some extreme cases even causing the bearings to weld together.

The Renold Hi-Tec Coupling range of rubber in compression couplings protects the bearings of large rotating machines from eddy current damage.

The high rubber content of the coupling combines with the no metal to metal content of the two coupling halves, which effectively insulates the motor from the driven machine. This ensures that damaging shaft currents are not allowed to flow from the motor to the bearings of the driven machine and effectively safe guards against a costly repair and catastrophic failures.

Machines that are most affected by eddy current damage to their bearings are: fans, compressors, turbines and pumps. However any rotating machine with bearings can suffer from this phenomenon.