Metal Challenge #17: Steel contamination due to leaking lubricant

Getting lubricant onto the material can make the end product impossible to process, so the material must be scrapped.

Optimize your sealing system to avoid leaking lubricant

If bearing lubricant leaks into the material, it might need to be scrapped. To prevent this, you must ensure you have the correct sealing system.

In a sealing assessment, an SKF expert reviews the sealing arrangement and design, identifies weak spots and recommends improvements. Depending on the status of the current sealing system, SKF might suggest changes to the design, specifications, maintenance or lubrication.

Our customers often get a sealing system assessment with optimization suggestions as part of a performance contract.

This is one example of an outcome from a sealing assessment:

Original design

  1. Water and scale are directed straight into the labyrinth gap. This gives a high risk of contamination ingress into the bearing arrangement.
  2. The radial seal’s lips are not lubricated, causing overheating and wear in service.

Revised design

  1. Water and scale are deflected instead of entering the gap directly. Contaminants can freely drain over the chock.
  2. A lubricating hole is added through the chock, the oil seal housing and the end cover so the radial seals can be lubricated after the chock is mounted to the roll neck.

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