SKF introduces relubrication-free bearing unit for industrial air handling units

The new SKF ConCentra roller bearing units can be combined with the already available SKF Concentra ball bearing units to provide the complete fan shaft support solution; totally relubrication free. This extends bearing and machine service life, reduces maintenance time and costs, and reduces grease consumption. Additionally they decrease electrical consumption by reducing friction and vibration.

In traditional industrial air handling equipment bearings, failures are often caused by under- or over-greasing the bearings, using the wrong grease, or by the ingress of contaminants into the bearing. The patented SKF ConCentra ball and roller units are pre-greased and do not need to be lubricated before or after they have been installed. The bearing units also feature integral seals that provide additional protection from contaminants.

SKF ConCentra bearing units incorporate a number of additional design features that contribute to enhanced productivity and service life. Ready to mount, they can be typically installed 20-30 minutes faster than sleeve mounted bearings in a split housing.

Unique locking technology

An innovative locking system provides a true concentric fit on the shaft that is tight, accurate and highly reliable, even under the most difficult operating conditions.

This helps with general bearing/machine performance, but also makes dismounting very quick and easy because there is no surface corrosion between the bearing inner ring and the shaft.

Surface corrosion can occur with some alternative bearing unit designs and it takes much more time to dislodge those bearings from the shaft and clean away the corrosion, before remounting.

The locking technology is based on a thin-walled, multi-tapered sleeve, where the profile on one side resembles the teeth of a saw. A corresponding profile is machined into the underside of the bearing inner ring. The tightening of the 3 screws causes these two saw teeth to mesh together and reduces the equivalent inner ring bore diameter the more the screws are turned. The locking function is fully achieved when the required torque has been applied to each screw.

The predetermined torque can be achieved by a ’smart’ Allen key provided with the unit, that indicates when the torque is reached, or a professional torque wrench.

Durable

The units are designed for outstanding durability and can accommodate shaft deflections and misalignment. Protection from external damage is provided by SKF’s cast-iron plummer block bearing housing, which is designed to accommodate condition monitoring applications.