Factory focus Maintenance management


The cost-effective route to significant savings


Phil Burge, communication manager for SKF, explores the options of motor replacement and repair looking in detail at the latest bearing technology that is enabling considerable energy savings to be realised


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lthough industry is beginning to emerge from the global reces- sion, the effects are still being felt by many companies. As a result, the pressure remains on main- taining operating margins, with little scope to increase prices, forcing man- agers to explore other opportunities. The focus of attention is often drawn to taking cost out of a business. However, there is often little room for manoeuvre, as most manufacturers are already running lean operations, with alternatives being further restricted by the continuing rise in raw material and energy prices. For example, annual input price inflation rose 13.4 per cent in January 2011, with the cost of mate- rials and fuels purchased by UK manu- facturing industry increasing by 9.9 per cent in the same period.


Energy efficiency continues to sit at the top of the political agenda, with the introduction of ever tougher envi- ronmental and climate change legisla- tion, forcing all companies, especially those in the manufacturing sector, to cut their annual consumption of pri- mary energy by 20 per cent by 2020. Clearly something has to be done and manufacturers need to take action, both to control costs and comply with legislation. An obvious solution is to reduce consumption, thereby saving cost and boosting the bottom line.


The efficiency of electric motors is attracting more attention as this tech- nology is responsible for consuming more than two thirds of all electricity in general industry, thus representing a large cost saving potential. At first glimpse, the simplest course of action is to replace older motors with modern high efficiency equiva- lents. However, the latest motors usu- ally come with a significant price premium so this is not always a viable option, even in cases where the total cost of ownership suggests a replace- ment, as cash flow and capex budgets are still incredibly tight.


One solution is to replace the bear- ing units in existing motors with modern energy efficient equivalents. This can be done both during initial manufacture and subsequent overhaul; in each case, energy consumption can be cut by up to 50 per cent. This tech- nology makes it possible to reduce frictional losses by at least 30 per cent, even when compared with the most efficient traditional bearings, and by as much as 50 per cent or more, in com- parison with older product designs. For example, one leading consumer healthcare company was able to reduce frictional losses by 46 per cent when using the SKF energy efficiency deep groove ball bearings in cold water pump motors (22kW), running


One solution to cutting costs could be to replace bearing units in existing motors rather than replacing the entire motor


SKF T: 01582 496433 www.skf.com Enter 305


Modbus added to signal conditioning module M


onitran, a specialist in the development and manufacture of transducers for the measurement of vibration, displacement and proximity, has added Modbus to its g-mac accelerometer signal conditioning module. Adding the industry standard Modbus protocol enables the g-mac to be networked and to communicate vibration levels to computers and other networked devices, playing a crucial role in machine protection and process monitoring. Andy Anthony, Monitran’s operations director, comments: “With vibration levels typically providing the earliest indication of wear in bearings and gears, for example, accelerometers are playing an increasingly important role in condition-based predictive maintenance routines. Now that our g-mac signal conditioning unit includes Modbus it is even easier than before to communicate vibration levels over a network.” Monitran’s g-mac module is in a standard DIN format for rail mounting and can accept any standard two-wire accelerometer. In addition to the Modbus interface there are three analogue outputs. These are: acceleration (proportional to 4-20mA or 0-10VDC); an ISO 10816-3 overall root mean squared (RMS) velocity signal (also proportional to 4-20mA or 0-10VDC); and the raw, alternating current (AC) generated by the accelerometer. Monitran


T: 01494 816569 12 www.monitran.com Enter 306


at speeds of 2,990rpm. Ultimately, this translated to energy savings of 4,583kWh per year per motor. Energy efficient bearings also run more smoothly and at lower tempera- tures than standard bearings at equiva- lent loads and speeds, generating less heat, and extending grease life and relubrication intervals to allow main- tenance costs to be reduced further still. Also, bearing service life is extended significantly, and more than doubled in some cases, which in turn, can have a positive impact on the operating life of the average motor. Having been engineered and manu- factured to reduce frictional moment, energy efficient bearings combine a series of design enhancements in a number of crucial areas. For instance, they feature an optimised internal geometry and tough yet lightweight polyamide ball cages, which are less susceptible to deformation, as well as featuring specially developed low fric- tion lubricating greases, with each bearing being sealed for life to min- imise the need for maintenance. Just as importantly, these bearings can be exchanged during routine maintenance and are dimensionally interchangeable with equivalent ISO standard components, so there are no additional downtime costs.


Besides motors, energy efficient bearings can also deliver significant savings when used in other pieces of industrial equipment, including con- veyors, fans, pumps and gearboxes, while advanced tapered roller bear- ings have been developed to increase efficiency in automotive applications. Reducing energy consumption is a top priority for many companies to counter the effects of growing energy bills and increasing environmental responsibility. Thanks to develop- ments in bearing technology and the introduction of energy efficient solu- tions, plant managers are now able to realise dramatic energy savings and increased productivity and reliability, leading to enhanced business perfor- mance at a time when it matters most.


JULY/AUGUST 2011 Factory Equipment


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