Photo: SKF. 
Photo: SKF
The SKF cooper split sealed spherical roller bearing earned a 2020 Manufacturer Excellence Award for innovation in product design from the Bearing Specialists Association (BSA).
The open and sealed versions of SKF roller bearings are designed for easy replacement with little disturbance to the shaft alignment or driveline, and eliminate the need to remove attached equipment.
This solution reduces mean time to repair downtime by up to 70 per cent. The sealed version has a machined seal within the bearing for contamination protection, reducing environmental impact by lowering grease consumption. It is also suited for harsh application environments.
“More than 40 per cent of accidents in the mining and cement industry occur while workers are examining or maintaining conveyors,” said Will Hidell, vice president of sales, aftermarket and channel management, SKF USA. “By eliminating the need to dismount drive couplings or cantilevered drives during maintenance and replacement, our bearings help create even safer conditions for our customers’ personnel.”
This award recognizes companies for innovation and excellence in product design or technology. BSA distributor members reviewed and ranked manufacturer’s innovation submissions, and three submissions were recognized for their outstanding service to the end-use customer.
This is the third BSA Manufacturer Excellence Award for SKF. It won in 2019 for the pulse vibration sensor and mobile app, and in 2017 for the multilog on-line system.
