Better Bearing Housing Seals Prevent Costly Machinery Failures

Abstract

Industry sources have reported that over 90 percent of all rolling element bearings will not reach their projected design life. Millions will fail prematurely each year from such causes as dirt and moisture contamination. The overwhelming majority of these failures could be prevented through the use of appropriately engineered, properly selected, and suitably installed bearing housing seals. Associated savings in labor, materials, and energy would accrue due to extended oil change intervals and a portion of the energy savings component in this equation would consist of lubricant manufacturing cost avoidance. A second, significant portion would be associated with the use of synthetic lubricants. It has been ascertained that utilization of synthetic lubes would become far more practical if oil drain intervals could be extended. This paper reviews the shortcomings of traditional bearing housing sealing methods and explains available, cost-effective aerospace-derived state-of-art solutions which have proven to meet the objectives of hermetically sealing bearing housings on the widest possible spectrum of rotating machinery in virtually every industry.