Bearings in a tyre soaping station withstand solvents and alkalis for years

Individually manufactured plain bearings save downtime and maintenance costs

Profile

What was needed: a lubrication-free flange bearing for a tyre assembly line.
Manufacturing process: machined from bar stock
Requirements: durable, resistant to water and solvents
Industry: tyre production, car washes
Solution: iglidur W300 spherical ball, housing made of igumid G
Success for the customer: €2,440 savings on repair costs, €8,400 savings due to prevented machine breakdowns and savings in maintenance costs

In an average of approx. 7.5 seconds, the two fully automated tyre assembly lines of MC Syncro Supply GmbH mount a tyre on a rim. The plants usually run five days a week in a three-shift system, which adds up to about 120 hours per week. At the so-called tyre soaping station, the diameter of the tyre is determined from the inside, while the inner bead of the tyre is being moistened by brushing with soap. This runs into the brushes from above, the excess flows back into the storage tank via a trough. The conveyance of the tyre in and out of the tyre soaping station runs over toothed belts, which are clamped on two mounted brass shafts.

The problem: Machine downtime due to the absence of lubricants

Due to the soap, the grease was washed out over time even from encapsulated bearings. Especially for metallic bearings, lubrication with grease or oil is essential for a long service life and optimum performance of the bearings during operation.

As soon as the grease had washed out, the metal bearings blocked and the shaft continued to turn, which meant that it then wore out within a very short time. The damage: approx. six hours in repair time and the replacement of all defective components (two shafts, four bearings, two toothed belts) at a cost of €610. This repair had to be carried out twice a year on each machine. The costs for the repairs and the machine failure added up to several thousand euros.

Plain bearings made of iglidur bar stock save on lubrication and reduce costs

Different defects appeared in both tyre assembly lines, which could be attributed to wear. Therefore, quick solutions were needed. The first machine had the damage described above. The bearings were rusted to the core and the shafts in the bearing seat had already worn out. As the bearing seat had worn out, iglidur four-hole flange bearings were used on the inner part of the shafts. As a result, there was no need for a new shaft.

The second machine had no bearing damage yet, but was close to it. To prevent this, igus delivered a metre of iglidur bar stock. This was used to make bearings, so that the metal bearings were replaced with the new bar stock. The cost savings for repairs, spare parts, maintenance and the elimination of machine downtime now amount to several thousand euros per year.