Bearings for the Food and Beverage Industry
Food and drink production is one of the most successful of all UK manufacturing sectors and as the National Skills Council states it’s even bucked the general trend of a decline in manufacturing output with a 0.5% increase in June 2011 compared to the same month in 2010. That being said, there is a growing concern in the industry that increasing commodity prices could pose a threat to production so it’s vital to streamline processes and ensure that machines and equipment are working at optimum performance levels.
Bearings are widely used in the food and beverage industry and play a crucial role in the manufacturing process. As well as performing the basic function of enabling the elements of machinery to move seamlessly within factories, bearings also have to put up with some tough conditions.
As a result the leading bearing manufacturers have sought to develop specific bearings for this industry sector.
The challenges
Some of the challenges bearings have to deal with in the food and beverage industry include extreme temperatures (both high and low), operating at continuous high speeds, excessive moisture due to continuous cleaning, water, exposure to chemicals (acids and alkalis) whilst all the time adhering to stringent hygiene standards and regulations as they cannot be allowed to contaminate any part of the process.
As SKF, one of the leading global bearing manufacturers states, “All of these factors combine to make an impact on machinery and productivity. With continuous pressure to reduce prices and comply with strict health and safety, environmental regulations, and rising costs for energy and labour, the need is greater than ever to optimize equipment reliability to maximize uptime and productivity.”
These conditions mean that the bearings used need to be robust, rust resilient and also have a significantly longer service life than standard bearings.
The types of bearings used
Over the last ten years, a wide variety of specialty bearings have been developed by manufacturers such as SKF and NSK (amongst many others) specifically for the food industry to provide improved operating performance. These bearings typically incorporate some method of protecting against corrosion which is why stainless steel bearings are commonly used as they offer the best corrosion resistance in the wet and moist conditions encountered in this industry.
A variety of other bearings have also been developed such as the hybrid ball bearings from SKF and NSK which have an operating life in water which is five times longer than stainless steel bearings.
They can be completely immersed and still give satisfactory performance and they also have a self lubricating cage – eliminating the need for additional lubrication. Also moulded ball bearings have been developed which are environmentally friendly and offer high performance in water and dust contaminated applications to extend the bearing life and offer negligible lubricant leakage.
Lubrication also plays a crucial role in the functionality of the bearings. They are generally lubricated with food grade grease which tends to be both odour-free and tasteless and also resistant to daily wash-downs which are required for the food and beverage industry.
As with all other bearing types, it’s essential to assess the specific application before choosing the most appropriate bearings for the application.
If you’re looking for bearings to optimise your manufacturing process then be sure to speak to a bearing supplier or manufacturer who can assist you in making the correct choice.