SilverLube gets gold

There’s a real challenge for any bearing in a clean environment. The challenge is: what’s good for the product and the consumer is bad for the bearing. While any food, drink or drug needs to be produced under conditions of the strictest hygiene and spotless cleanliness, that can take litres of water and cleaning chemicals to maintain.

Often applied under high-pressure at washdown, these can penetrate poorly-sealed bearings, wash out the lubricating grease and create ideal conditions for corrosion to take hold.

Of course no-one’s suggesting you should compromise on cleanliness. But you definitely shouldn’t compromise on your bearings either.

More steel. More protection

The first thing you’ll notice about SilverLube bearings is their stainless steel construction. Clearly the most effective material to resist corrosion, it’s used for every conceivable SilverLube component where there’s a risk of exposure to water or chemicals.

So naturally the obvious suspects – bearing rings, cage, flingers, balls– are all manufactured from corrosion-resistant stainless steel. But also the less noticeable but equally at-risk parts, such as the seal core, grub screws, grease nipples and bolt hole liners, are made from the same material.

Then, for additional protection, the inserts sit inside a high-strength thermoplastic polyester resin housing, which simply can’t corrode. (Plastic end covers are also available.)

However wash-down water and chemicals can do more damage than just enabling corrosion to set in. Which is why the NSK SilverLube features even more protection against them.

Sealing the deal

If the stainless steel construction of SilverLube bearings hasn’t convinced you of their benefits, then their high standard of sealing will.

The heat-resistant silicone rubber seals used in the bearings provide effective protection against any penetration by water, chemicals and dirt. But they do more than simply offer another defence against the causes of corrosion.

Because they are resistant even to high-pressure washdown jets, they also prevent washout of the grease that fills and lubricates the bearings – helping to ensure a longer service life with less maintenance.

Smooth operator

The thermoplastic bearing housing is tough in itself and tough on bugs too. Designed with a smooth finish and no cavities, it’s free from potential ‘bug traps’ where bacteria or mould could hide from washdowns and start to thrive.

The housing is also paint-free, so there’s no danger of the finish flaking or chipping off and finding its way into the end product.

Filled with a USDA H1 food-grade grease, the NSK SilverLube bearing is available in four different geometries, suitable for high speeds and working temperatures from as low as -20°C up to as high as +90°C. So if your application involves dehydration, frying, roasting, baking, refrigeration or freezing, you can still rely on SilverLube to keep working faultlessly – and keep your production rolling.

Less maintenance. Longer life

While the corrosion-resistant construction and highly-effective sealing of the NSK SilverLube bearing help to reduce maintenance and downtime – and therefore increase productivity – the RHP LifeLube from NSK goes even further.

Another NSK innovation, the LifeLube bearing has all the features of SilverLube, plus even more effective sealing and lubrication properties, thanks to its Molded-Oil inserts.

Molded-Oil is an oil-impregnated polymer which creates a solid lubricant. This is used to completely fill the bearing cavity. As the bearing operates, the lubricant carrier slowly releases the oil to lubricate the bearing running surfaces. At the same time, it acts as a barrier to contamination from water and particulates.

These Molded-Oil inserts are maintenance-free for life, as no relubrication is ever required.

So if you want to keep cleanliness and productivity to a maximum, and maintenance and downtime to a minimum, RHP SilverLube and RHP LifeLube bearings from NSK give you a choice of solutions. And you can be sure that everyone’s a winner.

Check out the NSK SilverLube bearing range on our webshop or for more information on Bearing Solutions and to get in touch with one of our ERIKS Specialists, please contact your local ERIKS Service Centre, who will be happy to discuss your options.

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