Problem Solvers

Conveyor Idler Bearing Isolator Increases Reliability And Safety While Reducing Downtime And Power Consumption

Inpro/Seal Company has announced its new Belt Conveyor Idler/Roller Bearing Isolator. The result of direct customer request, input and feedback, continuous R&D and extensive field testing and trials, this product was designed to increase productivity, save energy and increase safety in coal mining, ore mining, aggregate and related applications that use belt conveyors in bulk material handling applications. Before the advent of the Belt Conveyor Idler/Roller Bearing Isolator, users had to deal with outdated sealing methods, in particular elastomeric seals to protect idler bearings. Small, spring loaded, contact seal, elastomerics are tiny plastic devices that make contact and rub on the exterior of the idler roll while operating. Elastomeric seals are widely used because they are cheap and because there has not been anything better available–until now. As a contact seal is prone to failure and needs constant maintenance, the entire bearing protection system is somewhat precarious. And when an elastomeric seal quits working, undesirable things happen, much of it without warning.

A huge industry problem
Belt conveyors are in service, around the world, working 24/7 to “trough the belt” or transport bulk materials in coal mining, ore mining, aggregate, hard quarry and related applications including; concrete, asphalt, fertilizer, salt, recycling, wood, pulp and paper, electric utility, grain, construction, agricultural, steel and general industrial. These belts are typically supported by three conveyor rollers, or idlers, positioned at intervals as close as three linear feet. One roller is horizontal and other two are positioned on either side, at an angle necessary to carry the burden. Depending on the specific application, they operate above and under ground and may extend for many miles over mountainous terrain, roads and streams. There may be as many as 10,500 bearings and bearing protection devices on the conveyor rollers per mile of run. In the mining industry it is estimated that each mine has 3-4 miles of conveyor with idlers strung out the entire length of the belt. When an idler fails, it is most likely the result of bearing damage caused by contaminants (dust or moisture) entering the bearing environment. Chances are the plastic has failed by wearing out and has grooved the shaft or has burned to a crisp at the point of contact. Once an elastomeric seal fails, contaminants are drawn into the housing, where they condense and contaminate the lubricant and cause the bearings to fail. The end result is a seized roll, belt damage or worse. The idler can burst open, and if it does, metal-on-metal contact can cause a fire. To counter this, most mining operations employ greasers that work around the clock trying to keep idler bearings lubricated in an effort to make contact seals work. But, because lip seals carry a 100% failure rate, eventually users will have to deal with catastrophic belt failure no matter what they try.

A welcome solution
Inpro’s Belt Conveyor Idler Roller Bearing Isolator is custom-engineered to suit individual applications. It is easy to install because it conforms to existing clearances, housings and bearing patterns. It can be retrofitted to any existing manufacturer’s top side and return frame assemblies in any belt width or troughing angle for any brand of conveyor. It is available in any idler configuration, including: CEMA B, C,D and will fit any idler type including: transition, impact, troughed, training, return belt, flat carrier, impact, rubber cushion return, self aligning, self aligning return, offset center roll, picking and feeding, unequal length troughed, wire rope, wire rope return, low profile, “V” return idler, variable trough, rubber disc, ceramic,
two, three and five roll garland, live shaft and side guide conveyor idlers.

Inpro/Seal Company
Rock Island, IL

Free Conversion Chart For Food Processing Lubricants

TOTAL Lubricants USA, Inc.–formerly Keystone Lubricants–now offers a handy slide chart that helps the user match the correct Nevastane® H1 food-grade lubricant to the specific application. Typical uses shown include gears and bearings of all types, pressure cookers, chains and conveyors, can-closing machines, wet machinery lube, system cleaning oil, hydraulic systems, air line lubricants and air compressors. On the reverse is another slide chart that shows viscosity specification comparisons. It includes the ISO grade, Kinematic viscosity, Saybolt viscosity at various temperatures and SAE grade, along with AGMA lubricant numbers for EP lubricants, synthetic oils and gear lubricant specs. Nevastane H1 lubricants are widely used within the food processing and other food related industries. They are part of a TOTAL product line that contains dozens of greases and fluid lubricants to serve applications including metalworking, marine, food machinery, hydraulics, power transmission and textile equipment. Packaging includes boxes, cartridges, pints, gallons, pails, kegs, drums, totes and SafeGard® spray containers.

TOTAL Lubricants
USA, Inc. Linden, NJ

Magnetic Oil Filtration Technology

According to its manufacturer, the Halex Coil can enhance the performance of an existing oil filter. The key to its effectiveness is the powerful rare-earth neodymium magnet with which it is constructed. The magnetic field draws particles that are too small for the filter to catch, resulting in cleaner oil.Moreover, the Halex Coil easily attaches to the outside of an existing oil filter. Filters are engineered to maintain flow while lubrication is passed through small holes. Smaller holes mean finer contaminates are trapped. The coil is a filter that performs better than its micron rating without changing flow-rate and without intruding on internal systems. It’s simply a different way to trap more, as it traps 40-90% of iron that would otherwise pass through the existing filter medium. By bonding and “piggybacking,” it traps 20-60% of nonferrous contaminates. This can help extend equipment life and service intervals, improve element efficiency and fuel economy and reduce downtime, emissions, soot and wear.

Halex Development Corp.
Madbury, NH

New Twist In Oil Handling Makes Life Easier For Lubrication Pros

The FlowGuard™ drum topper is Des-Case’s newest filtration unit for the oil handling market. This small, portable filtration station acts as an off-line filter for critical equipment by removing dirt and moisture from hydraulic and gear lubricants. Because most new fluids directly out of the drum may contain contaminants, the FlowGuard’s main purpose is to filter new drum oil.Mounted directly on top of a drum, it is a handy device for filling small totes. The unit’s incorporated pump features various flow capacities to filter hydraulic and gear lubricants. Offering various flow capacities, the unit features a heavy-duty aluminum frame, dual filters providing two-stage filtration, Clear PVC with steel wire reinforced hoses to allow visual confirmation of product flow, differential filter gauges that indicate filter condition and a compact design for easy storage and maintenance. The manufacturer’s value-added approach even lets users create their specific drum toppers entirely on the Des-Case’s Website.

Des-Case Corporation 
White House, TN

Lubricants To Improve Sootblower Performance

DuPont Performance Lubricants has introduced the DuPont™ Krytox® SB series of greases, a new formulation specifically designed to improve sootblower performance in power plant boilers. Sootblowers, which are cleaning devices used to remove deposits of soot, ash and debris from surfaces such as boiler tubes and walls, play an essential role in the operation of a power plant. They help maintain boiler production capacity, ensuring maximum energy recovery and minimizing environmental stack excursions. However, sootblower carriages need constant monitoring and repair. Though not always recognized as such, breakdowns of these devices have a tangible effect on the financial performance of a power plant.According to DuPont, the unique properties of its Krytox SB greases (patent pending) can help extend the life of a sootblower, leading to improved boiler operating efficiency, as well as a savings of both time and dollars resulting from reduced maintenance activities related to upkeep and equipment replacement. The company notes that these greases have been proven to lubricate and protect key sootblower carriage components such as seals, bearings and gears without breaking down, despite an environment where temperatures can reach as high as 500 F. In addition to superior wear performance, these products feature a state-of-the-art anticorrosion package that prevents corrosion of stored elements and corrosion of elements in the box during operation.

DuPont Performance Lubricants
Wilmington, DE

Fast, Easy-to-Use Disposable Funnels

Trico’s Industrial Fast Funnels are the simple, convenient and clean way to pour.Intended for one-time use, each funnel remains clean and compact until separated from the header and opened. Made of coated, heavy grade paper stock, they can be used with virtually any liquid or powder and are designed to fit a wide variety of orifices as small as 3/4” in diameter. Since a new funnel is always ready for use, particle contamination and fluid cross-contamination are virtually eliminated.

• Improves safety and efficiency by preventing spills on your floors and equipment.
• Easy to use–simply tear the top funnel from the header, pop open and pour.
• Easily stores away in any toolbox, cabinet, pocket, etc.
• Conveniently packaged in handy three-packs.

Trico Corporation
Pewaukee, WI

Specialty Greases For Textile Applications

Klûber, a worldwide manufacturer of specialty lubricants, is pleased to offer ISOFLEX® LDS 18 Special A and ISOFLEX® NBU 15 for use in the textile industry. Both products are designed to withstand high speeds and offer corrosion protection and resistance to oxidation, ageing and water. ISOFLEX LDS 18 Special A is a dynamically light, long-term and low-noise grease for plain and rolling bearings that operate at low temperatures and/or high speeds. The parts that benefit from this grease’s properties include grinding spindles, machine tool spindles, spindle bearings, textile spindles and bearings in OE-spinning turbines. ISOFLEX LDS 18 Special A consists of ester oil, mineral oil and lithium soap and is biodegradable. ISOFLEX NBU 15 is a high-speed grease with good pressure absorption capacity that is suitable for highspeed plain and rolling bearings. This includes spindle bearings in textile machines, threaded spindles and ball screws subject to high loads. ISOFLEX NBU 15 provides good wear protection and is also resistant to ambient media. It consists of ester oil, synthetic hydrocarbon oil, mineral oil and barium complex soap.

Klûber Lubrication
Londonderry, NY

Dry Ice Cleaning Of Machinery Without Disassembling Or Moving It

Kärcher Industrial Products has introduced a dry ice blaster, a highly effective and mess-free method for in-place cleaning of machinery. The new IB 15/80 Dry Ice Blaster uses compressed air to propel tiny dry ice pellets at supersonic speeds so they flash freeze and then lift grime, paint, rust, reins, mold, asphalt and other contaminants from a broad range of surfaces. Moreover, the pellets quickly dissipate into the air so there’s no messy wastewater, solvents, sand or other media to dispose of, only the soiled contaminant that is easily swept up or vacuumed. Dry ice blasting is growing in popularity because it completely eliminates the need to disassemble or move machinery before it’s cleaned. The labor savings is significant, reducing to a few hours what used to take days to do. Furthermore, dry ice blasting cleans in crevices that can’t be reached by hand or via other cleaning methods. This technology also is extremely environmentally friendly. The CO2 pellets are non-toxic and non-hazardous, making them safe for the environment, equipment, the workplace and, especially, employees. The IB 15/80 operates on 120V electricity (5 amps) and uses a blasting pressure of 44 to 230 PSI. Compressed air requirements range from 150 to 300 CFM.

Kärcher Industrial Products 
A division of C-Tech Industries
Camas, WA

Aerosol Food Grade Oil And Grease

To complement its line of synthetic food grade lubricants, Ultrachem has introduced Omnilube® FGM 2 and Omnilube® FGH1046 in new 12 -oz. aerosol spray cans. These products meet all requirements of the USDA and FDA H-1 regulations, 21 CFR 178.3570, conform to the requirements of NSF and are Kosher approved. They offer extended lubrication cycles, reduce wear and friction and operate over a wide temperature range. The complete Omnilube® line of oils for H-1 incidental food contact is available for compressor, hydraulic, gear and multipurpose applications.

Omnilube FGH 1046 Multi-Purpose Oil–Omnilube FGH 1046 is suitable for bearings, oven chains, canning applications, and valves in all segments of the food industry including baking, beverages, dairies, meat and poultry, pharmaceuticals or wherever a premium quality synthetic food grade oil is required.

Omnilube FGM 2 Grease–Omnilube FGM 2 multi-purpose NLGI#2 PAO based calcium complex sulfonate grease offers outstanding performance in a wide variety of applications, including use in wheel bearings and as chassis lubrication. Benefits of this product include excellent heat and moisture resistance, a wide temperature range, high film strength and, according to the manufacterer, unusually superior water wash resistance, as well as resistance to alkalis and food acids and reduced friction and wear.

Ultrachem, Inc.
New Castle, DE

Split Inner Ring Bearing Sets Meet Demanding Vertical Pump Applications

MRC® 97000 Series angular contact ball bearing sets feature a split inner ring design allowing for an optimum ball complement and the capability to accommodate thrust in either direction. With two bearings acting in tandem to share primary thrust load, these sets can handle the especially heavy loads encountered in vertical pump applications. This two-bearing arrangement can match the performance of traditional three-bearing sets, while requiring fewer components and minimal space in an assembly. Sets consist of bearings with 29º contact angles (97000U2 Series) or 40º contact angles (97000U2P Series). Both incorporate an MRC 9000 split inner ring bearing matched in tandem with a single MRC 7000 or 7000P bearing with the same contact angle. Thrust capacity is shared by two bearings in one direction and by one bearing in the reverse direction. These bearing sets are available in metric bore sizes ranging from 65mm to 150mm (2.5 in. to 5.9 in.); engineered to ABEC-1 precision tolerances; and feature extremely durable machined bronze cages.MRC further can develop made-to-order (MTO) warranted products through a dedicated MTO program established to meet customized application demands.

MRC Bearings
Kulpsville, PA

New Space-Saving Bulk Fluid Storage & Dispensing System

Davtone, Inc., manufacturer of the patented Tote-A-Lube® bulk fluid storage and dispensing system, has launched a new product line for extreme space saving applications. The Wall Stackers™ system utilizes the same patented technology of the original Tote-A-Lube stackable polyethylene storage and dispensing system that allows the filling of the bottom container while stacked. Designed for bulk lubricants, the system’s unique gravity feed system has found international acceptance in the chemical, commercial industrial and agricultural fluid sectors as well. The tanks are available in three sizes: 32, 71 and 115 gallons. All three sizes can be mixed or matched together for stacking.With a foot print of only 36” x 19”wide, the system provides for storage of almost 230 gallons of a single product or up to six different fluids in less than 6 square feet of space.

Tote-A-Lube
A division of Davtone, Inc.
Motley, MN

Controlled Lubrication For 24VDC Machinery

PLI’s new MEMOLUB® 24VDCEPS model lubricator is especially designed for applications that operate with a 24VDC power supply. It is ideal for lubricating a wide variety of robots, conveyors and OEM applications where machinery is intermittently or infrequently used. It provides the control needed to ensure proper lubrication during periods of equipment operation while avoiding over- lubrication when the equipment is off. The unit can be direct-mounted for singlepoint applications or remote-mounted using pipe or flexible tubing. In addition, lubrication from 2 to 12 lube points is possible with a MEMOLUB ® Multi-Point Lubrication System. According to the manufacturer, the product operates under its own program control. When an external 24VDC voltage is supplied to the lubricator, the unit will cycle once and then follow one of the 52 output settings that the user preprograms using the MEMO system. The unique MEMO system allows the user to set how often the lubricator cycles and the volume of lubricant dispensed per output cycle. The MEMOLUB 24VDC-EPS is available in three sizes: the Standard (Model 120), the Mega (Model 240), and the Giga (Model 480). It’s reusable with available replacement lube cartridges that usually can be changed out in less than 60 seconds.

PLI, LLC 
Racine, WS

In-Plant Lube Transport Simplified

Getting oils out into the plant and into equipment is made simple with new portable totes from Y2K Fluid Power. Incorporating a heavy duty steel frame and a containment tray, these easy-tomaneuver carts are available with:

• 32- or 71-gallon tank or two 32-gallon tanks
• Pneumatic or hard rubber tires
• Electric or air powered pumps
• Fixed or variable flow rates
• Variety of filters
• Desiccant air breather kits
• Optional portable oil container rack for storing smaller amounts of oil
• Optional tool box (for elements, grease guns, oil sampling equipment)

These portable totes also can be built for collecting used oils from equipment.

Y2K Fluid Power 
Stacy, MN