The sealing of bearings is designed to maintain good lubrication conditions and a normal working environment for self-aligning roller bearings, allowing them to fully utilize their performance and extend their service life. Rolling bearings must have appropriate seals to prevent the leakage of lubricants and the ingress of dust, moisture, or other contaminants.
The sealing of SKF bearings can be divided into two types: integral seals and external seals. An integral seal refers to a bearing that is manufactured with built-in sealing capabilities. For example, a bearing with a seal, this type of seal occupies very little space, is easy to install and remove, and is relatively inexpensive.
An external seal refers to various sealing devices that are integrated into the installation end cover or other internal parts. When selecting external seals for self-aligning roller bearings, the following main factors should be considered: the type of bearing lubricant, the working environment of the bearing, the available space, the advantages of the shaft support structure, the allowable angular misalignment, the circumferential speed of the sealing surface, the operating temperature of the bearing, and the manufacturing cost.
When installing self-aligning roller bearings, if adjustments are not carefully made, improper adjustments can lead to increased load, friction, and vibration. These issues can accelerate fatigue and reduce the service life of mechanical components such as SKF bearings, potentially damaging their performance. Additionally, increased vibration and friction can significantly increase energy consumption and the risk of premature failure.
Thickeners are also related to lubricants. The water resistance of lubricating greases is determined by the thickener. In principle, different brands of grease should not be mixed, even if they have the same thickener, due to the different additives affecting each other. Before installing bearings, they should be thoroughly cleaned with gasoline or kerosene and then coated with clean, high-quality, or high-speed, high-temperature grease. Sealed bearings do not require cleaning with fuel.
During operation, the basic external monitoring of self-aligning roller bearings often involves measuring conditions such as temperature, vibration, and noise. Regular inspections can help identify potential problems early, preventing unexpected machine shutdowns and ensuring the implementation of production plans, thereby enhancing the productivity and efficiency of the factory.
During operation, correct re-lubrication of the bearings is necessary to optimize their performance. The lubrication methods for SKF bearings include grease lubrication and oil lubrication. To ensure the optimal performance of self-aligning roller bearings, the appropriate lubrication method should be selected based on the specific conditions. If only lubrication is considered, oil lubrication is dominant. Grease lubrication can simplify the structure around the bearing with specialized knowledge.
