NSK Case Study

Application

Continuous Casting Machine:
Shaped Sections

Cost Savings: $150,086

An international steel manufacturer was experiencing regular failures on bearings in a continuous casting machine. The machine is used in the production of shaped sections and as a result the bearings have to accommodate extremely heavy loads. Wear and fatigue were resulting in premature bearing failure, with 3 failures to date. After an investigation of the application, NSK suggested a durability test with NSK’s SWR™ Spherical Roller Bearings. SWR bearings are made of specially developed bearing steel, which has much better wear resistance against fatigue.

Key Facts

Continuous Casting Machine
Wear and fatigue caused short bearing life
Heavy operation conditions
Longer bearing lifetime and reduced maintenance costs requested

Value Proposals

NSK engineers conducted an Application Review including a Bearing Condition Report
As a result, a trial utilizing Super Wear-Resistant (SWR) Spherical Roller Bearings was recommended
The SWR bearings achieved 60% longer life
Super wear-resistant
SWR Spherical
Roller Bearing

Product Features

Optimized, high-capacity internal design
Outer rings manufactured with proprietary SWR steel composition and heat-treatment process
With wear-resistant surface treated pressed steel and heavy-duty machined brass cages
Superior wear resistance – 3 times that of conventional bearing steel
Improved flaking life property – 5 times that of conventional bearing steel
Higher toughness of material core (prevention of crack damage) – 5 times that of conventional bearing steel
Improved bearing durability extends segment roll operation, reducing maintenance costs and preventing unplanned downtime
SWR Spherical
Roller Bearings

Cost-Savings Breakdown

  Before Cost NSK Solution Cost  
  Loss of production due to bearing failures $107,204 No production loss $0  
  Maintenance $42,882 No maintenance $0  
  Total Costs $150,086 Total Costs $0  
Before Cost
Loss of production due to bearing failures $107,204
Maintenance $42,882
Total Costs $150,086
NSK Solution Cost
No production loss
 
$0
No maintenance $0
Total Costs $0

Your Partner for Machine Optimization

Our AIP Added Value Program is based around a simple proposition: ‘improvement pays’. By working with you throughout the AIP Value Cycle, we will help you achieve improvements in machine reliability, productivity and performance, all of which carry a tangible and measurable cost benefit – and we have the tools to prove it! That’s what we mean by improvement pays.