Application
Conveyors and automation equipment.

Customer
Major rolling element bearing manufacturer, as part of a European, collaborative, BRITE Project.

Product or Service Supplied
Research and consultancy

Problem
The service life of conveyor rollers is highly dependent on duty and the working environment. Failure is often due to seal failure and lubrication loss.

Objectives
To improve roller reliability.

Approach
Visits were made to mining and mineral handling sites to study the roller operating conditions, to get maintenance data and collect samples. Conveyor rollers from different companies were examined. Data were analysed and a test rig enabled flow conditions around the seal to be visualised, and in particular, the lubricant in the bearing and contaminant access.

Both dry (dusty) and wet (slurry) external environments were studied. Existing seal designs and a range of alternative/innovative seal designs and materials were tested. Alternative designs to improve seal life and reduce access of contaminant were proposed.

Outcome/Benefits
For the first time, quantified data on the failure of various conveyor rollers and their bearings had been systematically gathered from the field and analysed by an independent organisation. The results provided the bearing manufacturer with valuable insight into the mechanisms of failure and useful information and knowledge to improve future designs of bearing sealing system.

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