The Importance of Reliable Bearings for Conveyors in Production Plants
April 30, 2018When you think of a functional factory or production plant the first image that comes to your mind will likely feature a conveyor belt. Assembly lines for efficient production of products rely on conveyor belts in order to keep the process moving along. These long and winding belts are the heartbeat of a functional factory and in order for that heartbeat to keep going, they require high-quality components. At the core of the conveyor belt you will find a selection of reliable bearings. Bearings are, if nothing else, the most underrated tool in the engineering world. These nifty little pieces of metal essentially allow our production lines to operate as they should. Today, we are going to break down just how important these reliable bearings are and how you can make sure that your plant is equipped with the right bearings for the job.
The Importance of Reliable Bearings in Conveyor Belt Production
As we’ve highlighted above in our elaborate dream scenario, a typical production plant will be reliant upon the effectiveness of the central conveyor belt. The conveyor belt is a piece of equipment that is almost always going to be in motion while constantly pushing product from one area to the next. As a result of this constant movement, there need to be properly equipped bearings involved that can help to facilitate this transference of energy.
The creation of bearings can go back in time to the work of Leonardo Da Vinci but the core aspect of how they function is still the same today. Bearings operate by helping to facilitate energy transfer while engaging in almost constant motion. These two variables require the bearings to have a certain set of standards in a very specific set of categories:
1) High Fatigue Strength – Even though conveyor belts are not heavy operators themselves, the load that they carry can become burdensome over time. As such, you need to find bearings that are rated with a high fatigue strength so as to avoid any sort of breakdown to your system. A low threshold for strength means that cracks will develop on your bearings and put a halt to your entire operation. This is not ideal, obviously.
2) Proper Thermal Expansion – Thermal expansion causes material to expand when temperatures change. Being inside of a hot conveyor belt means that your bearings have to be rated to handle the heat and thus prevent expansion.
3) Proper Maintenance – Finally, proper maintenance on the conveyor belt from top to bottom is a requirement. The best bearings still need to be properly lubricated and maintained in order to facilitate their reliability.
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