Applied technology Mechanical components

Hinges for tool lockers

Heavy duty hinges from Camlock have been specified by a Southern European defence ministry for Faun UK’s Trackway tool lockers. The Trackway portable roadway

products are aluminium, rapidly deployable and used in defence applications for temporary airfields, helipads, tank tracks, rapid runway repairs, etc. These are mounted onto a dispenser vehicle, which can deploy 32m of portable roadway in just six minutes. The tools used in these operations are stored in the lockers featuring the heavy duty hinges.

Camlock Systems T: 01323 410996 Enter 228

Bearings help to keep the church bells ringing

Bearings from SKF have been used by bell hanging company, Whites of Appleton, since the 1920s. At full swing, a church bell can

exert a force equivalent to four times its static weight, therefore the way in which it is mounted is crucial – both for when it is hanging idle for a long time but also because they regularly oscillate through 380˚. Brian White from Whites

explains: “At the horizontal position of the swing, the bear- ings will experience a force equivalent to 2.5 times the static weight of the bell. At bottom dead centre this rises to four times the static weight, so once we know the weight of the

bell, we know which bearing to go for.” Depending on the

application, the com- pany opts for one of seven different vari- ants in SKF’s self- aligning ball bearings range. The bearings, which are supplied with tapered bores and adapter sleeves for easy mounting and dismounting, are suited to applications that exhibit misalign- ment either in the shaft housing or bearing seat. These offer low fric- tion, low operating temperatures, reduced vibration levels, lower noise and low lubrication needs.

Bearing replacement reduces refinery downtime costs

At one UK refinery, a recurring bearing problem was resulting in unacceptable downtime. The centrifugal pump, which was critical to the operation, was fail- ing around three times a year. The problem centred on a

cylindrical roller bearing which was failing following the transi- tion from belt drive to direct drive on the pump. To overcome this, the com-

pany turned to NSK which has introduced many new bearings which, it explains, have pro- vided improved efficiency, reliability and life in centrifugal pump operations. During an investigation, engi-

neers from NSK studied the inner raceways of the failed

bearings and calcu- lated the radial loads that were exerted on these under both forms of drive: belt and direct drive. The

engineers

concluded that the change from belt drive to direct drive had drastically reduced the radial load on the cylindrical roller bearing. This reduction in applied load was causing the bearing rollers to skid on the inner raceway, causing progres- sive damage that resulted in the bearings failing prematurely. For the solution, NSK suggested replacing the cylindrical roller

Some applications, however, require SKF Explorer spher- ical roller bearings made of patented Xbite steel which offers increased hardness. The bearings are

housed in standard SNL plummer block housings. For this applica-

tion, the bearings and housings support the bell via two gudgeon pins that extend from either end of the headstock.

SKF T: 01582 496433 www.skf.co.uk

Enter 229

roll for testing

A bearing-less rotating cylinder clutch has been developed for use on an advanced multi-axis rolling road for testing trucks and buses. This was developed by Matrix, working with its customer Sun Test Systems BV. The rolling road was for a major

bearing with a lower friction deep groove ball bearing. Following the introduction of

the new solution, there has not been a single failure.

NSK T: 01636 643031

Enter 230 www.nskeurope.com

Protecting the engines on Dakar Rally vehicles

Specially sealed bearings from The Schaeffler Group are being used on the vehicles competing in the forthcoming Dakar Rally 2010. These compact throttle valve needle roller bearings will be protect- ing the engine, withstanding the pressure peaks that originate from the fuel consumption chamber. According to the company, these bearings are

key components in modern turbocharged engines, and play a vital role in exhaust gas recirculation, helping to improve engine efficiency and reduce fuel consumption. Airtight in the event of excess pressure and

vacuum conditions, the bearings have a seal on both sides that offers extreme resistance to high operat- ing temperatures. The use of corrosion resistant materials means the bearings are resistant to fuel, mineral oil, grease and acidic ‘blow-by’ condensate. They are also capable of operating in temperatures from -40 to +150˚C without additional sealing.

The Schaeffler Group T: 0121 313 5870

Enter 231 www.schaeffler.co.uk

26

truck manufacturer and was demanding due to the high torque, high speed operation of the road. The clutch therefore had to be flexible enough to handle many different vehicles and test sequences. The clutch was being used to engage and disengage a roller drive to allow vehicles to drive on and off the rolling road, and to enable the rollers to be held fast during vehicle loading and unloading. A number of solutions were

suggested, including a pressure applied tooth clutch, but this lead to premature bearing failure; and the idea of equipping the clutch with an enlarged sealed bearing. The customer then suggested a non-bearing version. So, the design and production

engineers at Matrix’s Brechin, Scotland,

technical centre,

designed and manufactured a rotating cylinder, spring applied clutch. This was then integrated into the rolling road and met all the demands placed upon it for high torque, high speed and longer operating life.

Matrix International T: 01356 602062

Enter 232 www.matrix-international.com

MECHANICAL COMPONENTS SUPPLEMENT – MARCH 2010 Design Solutions

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