Correct bearing mounting cuts costs on cement roller press

The correct mounting and dismounting of rolling element bearings can save time and dramatically increase the life of bearings, as well as maximise the availability of critical plant and machinery by avoiding costly breakdowns.

The key is to ensure that the appropriate tools and equipment for the mounting and dismounting of the bearings are on hand for the engineer at the installation or assembly stage. Appropriate tools may include thermal mounting and dismounting tools (i.e. heating plates), induction-heating devices, mounting paste and heating rings, as well as feeler gauges, hydraulic extractors, hydraulic nuts and hand pump sets. Using the correct tools ensures that bearings are mounted and removed easily and quickly without causing damage to the bearings or surrounding equipment and in a safe and reliable manner.

Portland Valderrivas, Spain
Grupo Cementos Portland Valderrivas is the largest group of cement manufacturers in Spain and one of the world leaders in the industry. In 12 out of 17 regions in Spain, product diversification is helping the Group to obtain a large share of the Spanish cement market. The annual production capacity of the El Alto cement plant, for example, is approximately 2.25 million tonnes of grey clinker; 230,000 tonnes of white clinker; 2.8 million tonnes of grey cement; and 280,000 tonnes of white cement. There are two production lines at the plant for grey cement and one line for white cement.

Portland Valderrivas had contracted one of the leading engineering service providers to the cement and mineral processing industry. Four bearings in the company’s roller press had to be replaced, as these had reached the end of their maximum service lives. The press is critical to the cement production process. The grinding process must produce a very fine clinker in order to guarantee a high quality final product. If the press does not operate correctly, the clinker produced does not meet these requirements. Portland Valderrivas therefore contracted Schaeffler to carry out the mounting of the new bearings and to show the engineering service provider’s fitters exactly how to do this.

The four new bearings provided by Schaeffler were spherical roller bearings with tapered bores. The bearings each weighed 1650kg and measured 630mm x 1090mm x 336mm.

Due to the large size of the bearings and the importance of the press to the production process, correct bearing mounting was of vital importance, not only to the quality of the finished product, but also to plant availability. Schaeffler supported the engineering service provider in planning and coordinating the mounting operation. During the mounting procedure, service experts from Schaeffler conducted on-site training for the fitters. The four new bearings were mounted using a hydraulic mounting tool. Adjacent components and bearing seats were handled with care and were checked to see if they could be reused.

Customer Benefits
Correct bearing mounting is essential in ensuring a high level of machine availability and maximising bearing service life. Due to the joint efforts of Schaeffler and the engineering service provider, the risk of a bearing failure, which would have resulted in 2 days’ unplanned downtime, was reduced significantly. Furthermore, the transfer of knowledge from Schaeffler to the fitters enabled the engineering service provider to correctly carry out similar bearing mounting tasks without assistance in the future.

Potential Savings
The costs of providing professional standard bearing mounting services are as follows:

Labour (10 fitters for 5 days):                                     €16,000
Crane hire:                                                                            €5,000
Four spherical roller bearings with tapered bores:             €114,000
Mounting assistance:                                                    €3,000
Total Costs:                                                                         €138,000

Production loss due to unplanned downtime (48 hours): €240,000

Online bearing mounting guide
In order to help companies correctly mount and dismount rolling bearings, Schaeffler has launched an online, interactive information guide. The Schaeffler Mounting Toolbox is a web-based information guide on how to professionally install rolling bearings and the tools required to do this. As well as learning about which tools and fitting aids are required, users can also view short educational videos that demonstrate how these tools should be used in practise.

On entering the website users are presented with a ‘Virtual Plant’ home screen, which serves as the main user interface, allowing easy, fast navigation around the website and easy access to the information provided. The objective is to make users feel that they are actually in a factory, looking over the shoulder of a Schaeffler professionally-qualified mounting service technician, who is demonstrating how to correctly mount the bearings.

The website provides details of mounting tools and accessories, and demonstrates the benefits of correctly mounted rolling bearings, which include longer operating life for the bearing, reduced unplanned downtime, and higher machine availability. Moreover, correct alignment and lubrication can achieve improved energy efficiency of machines and equipment.

For more information on Schaeffler’s range of bearing mounting tools and services, call the Marketing Department on 0121 313 5870. Alternatively, email info.uk@schaeffler.com
 

Monitran and DMS announce Diagnostic System Integrator partnership

Monitran - a world-leader in the development and manufacture of transducers for the measurement of vibration, proximity and displacement – and specialist engineering consultancy Drive Management Services (DMS) have formed a Diagnostic System Integrator (DSI) partnership.

The partnership offers customers a complete cradle-to-grave service, under which a single supplier provides quality products, installation, system configuration and full diagnostic support; all covered by a two-year warranty.

 Andy Anthony, Managing Director of Monitran, comments: “It has become the norm, particularly in the UK, for end-users to purchase sensors and monitoring systems themselves, without always appreciating how, where and why to position sensors to give optimum results. DMS on the other hand has the expertise to install total solutions that make best use of the sensors - and get meaningful results in order to provide ideal machine protection. We’re therefore delighted to have formed the Diagnostic System Integrator partnership with DMS.”

DMS has a proven track-record of providing condition monitoring equipment and services that include vibration analysis, ultrasound, thermal imaging and static motor testing. For example, DMS’s MachineGuard – a condition-based monitoring system designed to protect critical plant machinery by looking for changes in temperature, vibration levels and oil condition – is, along with DMS’s services, recognised as a practical and cost-effective Total Asset Management solution.

  Allan Findlow, Managing Director of DMS, adds: “We have a long-standing and excellent relationship with Monitran, and believe our DSI partnership – which is something of a diversion from the traditional supply chain model - will greatly benefit end-users.”

Vibration Monitoring - a key tool for maintenance engineers

Automation has become an essential tool for industry, delivering benefits that include increased productivity, consistent quality and cost reduction.  Yet automation also brings a new set of challenges, as more and more companies become increasingly dependent on physical rather manual assets.  In particular, machinery has to be constantly available – downtime costs money – which in turn places ever greater emphasis on the importance of effective maintenance.

In the current economic climate, with the challenges faced by manufacturers in 2011 – especially the pressures on operating costs - looking set to continue for the coming year, an effective maintenance strategy is critical.

An article to appear in a future issue of Insight – Non-Destructive Testing & Condition Monitoring will look at vibration monitoring as one of the key tools for plant and equipment maintenance.  It will focus on the sensor and detection technologies available, explain how these can best be used, and provide a guide for maintenance engineers to help them understand how to maximise machine uptime.

For example, in some circumstances where vibration is carefully monitored it is possible to extend operating life beyond recommended maintenance intervals, while in others a rapid increase in vibration must be taken seriously if a catastrophic failure is to be avoided.  The article will explain how to tell the difference between these different conditions and provide a set of guidelines that engineers can use in different applications.

To subscribe to Insight, visit:

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Winland Electronics Announces Receipt of Extension to Regain Compliance with NYSE Amex Continued Listing Standards

Winland Electronics, Inc. has announced that it received a letter from NYSE Regulation informing Winland that it made a reasonable demonstration of its ability to regain compliance with Section 1003(a)(ii) of the NYSE Amex LLC’s (the “Exchange”) Company Guide by May 29, 2013. Winland is currently not in compliance with the continued listing standards of the Exchange, however, the Exchange has given Winland an extension until May 29, 2013 to regain compliance with the continued listing standards. Winland’s listing on NYSE Amex Exchange is being continued pursuant to this extension.

See more at: http://eon.businesswire.com/news/eon/20120207006375/en

Mullaperiyar dam to get water build-up monitoring system

In an attempt to allay public concerns over the safety of the Mullaperiyar dam, the Kerala government has asked the department of science and technology to implement a real-time monitoring system for water build-up in the reservoir.
The attempt is to present a “factual and emotion-free” picture of the dam’s condition, government officials associated with the project said.
The system will consist of a network of cameras and water pressure sensors to predict levels of water build-up in the dam and provide at least a half-hour leeway for evacuation in case of a threat.
“This is the first time that such a system is being set up in the country to monitor water-build-up in dams,” said Nivedita Haran, additional chief secretary, Kerala. “We are trying to develop a system that can factually estimate the danger levels in the dam. It will be a system to assess danger levels emotionlessly.”
The Mullaperiyar reservoir, over the Periyar river in Kerala, provides water to several parts of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Both states have been locked in fractious disputes over the dam. Kerala contends the dam is old, has structural problems, and needs to be replaced with a new, stronger reservoir. Tamil Nadu refutes this as a ruse by Kerala to gain legal rights over the dam and potentially deny it its share of water.
While several expert committees—including one appointed by the Supreme Court—have over the years analysed the risks posed by the dam, it continues to evoke strong reactions in both states.

See more at: http://www.livemint.com/2012/02/06223757/Mullaperiyar-dam-to-get-water.html?atype=tp

Using Orbits for Condition Monitoring

Orbits have historically been used to measure relative shaft movement within a journal-type bearing. The shape of the orbit told the analyst how the shaft was behaving within the bearing as well as the probable cause of the movement. This was accomplished using proximity probes usually mounted through the bearings with a 90-degree separation and a tip clearance set to around 0.050 inches. With today’s modern analyzers, it is possible to also collect an orbit using case-mounted velocity probes or accelerometers to see how the machine housing is moving. Another way of putting it would be the orbit represents the absolute path in space that the machine housing moves through (see Figure 1).
 
Figure 1                                                             Figure 2
This is accomplished utilizing a two-channel instrument and collecting an orbit with the sensor of choice being a velocity probe or accelerometer. This is what’s referred to as a poor man’s operating deflection shape or ODS (see Figure 2).

See the rest of this article at: http://www.reliableplant.com/Read/28735/orbits-condition-monitoring

Oil-condition sensors can save miners money

Unexpected equipment failure and unplanned down-time significantly impacts on operational costs throughout the mining industry.

Over the last year Tan Delta has been working in partnership with a distributor and one of its [unnamed] customers to evaluate the benefits of fitting real time oil condition monitoring systems.

Tan Delta fitted its oil quality sensors to a variety of critical heavy mining equipment. The sensors monitored the real-time condition of the oil whilst the equipment was in operation and provided total clarity of the deterioration trend of the oil.

The system immediately alerted the operators to any oil wear or contamination and therefore enabled them to take action to prevent any consequential equipment failure, according to Chris Greenwood, managing director of Tan Delta.

“The operators were also provided with a constantly updated oil wear and condition trend line which enabled them to accurately predict the optimum time for servicing,” said Greenwood.

“The result was a measurable reduction in equipment failures, the associated costs and improved efficiency through the development of a dynamic servicing schedule,” the MD added.

Read more: http://www.theengineer.co.uk/channels/process-engineering/oil-condition-sensors-can-save-miners-money/1011606.article#ixzz1lJUBKr8F