SKF re-furbishment service cuts rail operating costs and extends bearing life

Feb. 3, 2010 - PRLog -- The refurbishment of railway bearings is a specialised task that requires expertise and specialised equipment. The taper bearing units (TBUs) used on railway rolling stock are critical to the smooth running of any rail system. SKF’s bearing refurbishment for railway TBUs meets the stringent Network Rail and Railway Industry Group standards.

All TBUs are thoroughly cleaned using a water-based, environmentally-friendly cleaning process, and held as individual sets to avoid the possibility of components from one bearing being installed in another. All parts are visually dimensionally inspected. If any critical component is found to be faulty, then the complete bearing is rejected to maintain high standards required by the railway industry.

Critical components are checked for dimensional accuracy using purpose made fixtures and measuring gauges. This includes the bore, outside diameter, cage clearance and ovality in the bearings rings. Bearings are checked for axial clearance (end float) and, where necessary, an appropriately sized new spacer is fitted.

The correct grade of high quality grease is applied in the optimum quantity in three places: under each set of rollers and between the roller sets. Brand new SKF seals are fitted using the correct tools to avoid damage and every bearing is permanently marked with its refurbishment date and details, and stored in an SKF database against the TBU serial number, together with service details supplied by the customer. This is a requirement of the train owners.

15/01/2010

For further information please contact:

Phil Burge, Marketing Manager, SKF (U.K.) Limited, Sundon Park Road, Luton, Bedfordshire, LU3 3BL.  Tel: 01582 496433.  Fax: 01582 846812.  Email: phil.burge@skf.com.  Web: www.skf.co.uk.

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