New bearings make big difference at brick plant

Hanson Brick Ltd., with 25 facilities and annual sales of $370 million, is North America’s largest clay brick manufacturer for residential construction and institutional, commercial and industrial building projects

The British company uses bearings in some of the most torturous environments you can imagine, including at its Burlington, Ont., plant, formerly a Canada Brick facility. Typically, shale is crushed, ground and screened into a consistency that resembles sand. The ground shale is mixed and moistened, and additives and pigment-laden sand are combined.

The bearings, installed in conveyors at a grinding room, clay reclaimer and in a J.C. Steele & Sons Even Feeder, were under constant assault by the abrasive materials.

Under these conditions, the company’s bearings were lasting only two to 12 months. When one of the bearings failed and the usual supplier had no stock in Canada, Hanson Brick decided to try QM Bearings, selecting its Blue Brute housed spherical bearing units.

Within eight hours of receiving the order, the QM facility in Mississauga, Ont., assembled two bearings in 30 minutes and got them delivered to the brick plant. QM not only had the bearing Hanson Brick needed in stock, but it was configured with sealing and cover choices that were unavailable elsewhere.

This latter design makes a big difference when it came to durability. Instead of lasting only two to 12 months, the Blue Brute bearings lasted 3.5 years and more for Hanson.

Because of superior sealing, they last much longer, according to QM. When they eventually wear out, QM’s rebuild program can save the brick manufacturer about 20% compared to the cost of purchasing a new bearing.

“The people I’ve worked with at QM Bearings are very professional. Hanson Brick has standardized on QM’s Blue Brute bearings because we save three to four hours every time we replace a competing bearing with one of theirs and we haven’t had to replace a Blue Brute bearing yet,” says Bob Kolenski, maintenance manager for Hanson Brick.

Best of all, Kolenski adds, the cost is no more than for bearings from competing suppliers.MRO

Steve Carney is eastern Canada sales rep for QM Bearings in Mississauga, Ont. QM Bearings designs, manufactures and markets Blue Brute bearings, Quick-Flex couplings and conveyor sprockets. The company also has facilities in Delta and Prince George, B.C. For more information, use the reply number below.

Top 3 reasons why bearings fail

The number one reason why most bearings fail is contamination, according to the bearing experts at QM Bearings. After contamination, improper installation and lubrication are the next leading causes for short-lived bearings.

In most cases, contamination is caused by failure of the bearing seals. The good news is there’s something you can do to reduce the failure rate. Take a little time to familiarize yourself with the seal options offered by the manufacturer.

Think of seals as bearing insurance. Trying to save money on seal options not only shortens the life of a bearing so you don’t get your money’s worth, but it also increases your facility’s downtime.

“Each bearing application is different and needs a unique solution,” says Cory Shaw, vice-president and general manager at QM Bearings. “If you only have a couple of seal choices from a manufacturer, you have to ask yourself if you’re really getting the best solution for your application or just whatever the supplier has available.”

For example, QM Bearings offers 10 seal and cover choices for most of its Blue Brute bearings. These include double- and triple-lip seals made of nitrile, Viton or Teflon, as well as mechanical labyrinth seals. Open-end covers, closed-end covers and other options also are available.

“I’ve seen more problems caused by over-lubrication than not enough lubrication,” adds Mark Flaherty, Canada national sales manager at QM Bearings. “Most people are surprised by how little grease is really needed.”

“It’s such a common problem that we’ve added pressure relief valves on most of our bearings,” notes Larry Elder, Australia sales manager. “Or, customers can order self-purging seals, making it impossible to over-grease a bearing.”

With an understanding of why bearings fail, you’re in a better position to buy bearings to meet your needs and make the most of your budget.