Factors affecting the service life of metallurgical rolling mill bearings

Jan 02, 2024

Bearings are important running parts of metallurgical rolling mills. The quality and service life of the bearings directly affect the working performance of the rolling mill and even have a great impact on the company's costs. Therefore, it is crucial to choose suitable bearings with stable quality. So, what are the factors that affect the service life of bearings?

1. Working environment of bearings

The working environment of the bearing is an important factor affecting its service life. In metallurgical rolling mills, bearings must withstand harsh conditions such as high temperature, heavy load and high speed. These environmental factors will cause the friction inside the bearing to intensify, generate a large amount of heat, and increase the temperature of the bearing, which will lead to fatigue and wear of the bearing material and ultimately shorten the service life of the bearing. Therefore, to increase the service life of the bearing, effective heat dissipation measures need to be taken to reduce the operating temperature of the bearing. At the same time, it is also necessary to select bearing materials and structures suitable for the working environment of the metallurgical rolling mill.

2. Bearing installation and coordination

The installation and coordination of bearings also affect their service life. In metallurgical rolling mills, bearings must work with other mechanical components. Improper installation or poor coordination will damage or fail the bearings. For example, the installation angle, height, and method of the bearing will affect the bearing's rotation accuracy and load-bearing capacity, thereby affecting the service life of the bearing. Therefore, when installing and matching metallurgical rolling mill bearings, it is necessary to strictly follow the installation requirements and technical specifications to ensure the installation quality and matching accuracy.

3. Lubrication and cleaning of bearings

The lubrication and cleaning of bearings also affect their service life. In metallurgical rolling mills, bearings require lubricants to reduce friction and wear. If the lubricant is improperly selected or used, it will cause damage or failure to the bearings. At the same time, the cleanliness inside the bearing will also affect its service life. If there are impurities or pollutants inside the bearing, it will cause wear and fatigue. Therefore, selecting suitable lubricants and lubrication methods in metallurgical rolling mills is necessary to maintain cleanliness and good lubrication inside the bearings.

4. Bearing design and manufacturing

The design and manufacturing quality of bearings are also important factors affecting their service life. Many factors need to be considered in the design and manufacturing process of bearings, such as material selection, heat treatment process, manufacturing process and accuracy. If these factors are not solved properly, they can lead to manufacturing defects and performance issues in the bearing, which can shorten its service life. Therefore, to increase the service life of bearings, advanced design and manufacturing technologies must be adopted to ensure the quality and reliability of bearings.

The picture above is the spherical roller bearing 24126CCK designed and manufactured by FV (the spherical roller bearing is the most commonly used type of rolling mill bearing)

5. Bearing maintenance and care

The maintenance and upkeep of bearings also affect their service life. In metallurgical rolling mills, bearings must be inspected, lubricated, and maintained regularly to promptly detect and deal with problems and avoid the expansion and accumulation of small problems. At the same time, the bearings need to be adjusted and replaced appropriately according to the actual situation to ensure normal operation and service life. Therefore, to increase the service life of bearings, they must strengthen their maintenance and upkeep and establish a complete maintenance system and technical specifications.

To sum up, many factors affect the service life of metallurgical rolling mill bearings, including working environment, installation and coordination, lubrication and cleaning, design and manufacturing, and maintenance and upkeep. To improve the service life of bearings, starting from many aspects, strengthening management and maintenance work, establishing complete technical specifications and management systems, and ensuring metallurgical rolling mills' safe, stable, and highly efficient operation. At the same time, it is also necessary to continuously introduce new technologies, processes and materials, strengthen independent innovation and technological transformation, and improve the overall performance and technical level of metallurgical rolling mills.