MECHANICAL COMPONENTSBearings, Slides & ActuatorsMaximising motorsfor energy efficiencyHigh efficiency motors can bring significant savings but if budgetswon’t stretch to motor replacement, energy efficient bearingsoffer a powerful cost-saving alternative, says Phil BurgeIn the current economic climate, the pressure tomaintain a healthy operating margin is great butattempting to protect this margin by increasing pricesis risky. An alternative option is to look at your currentpractices and identify potential changes that could help toreduce your costs. The problem here is that it issometimes difficult to see how any cost reduction can beachieved, particularly when many raw material prices arerunning high and the demands of increasingenvironmental legislation continually add to the cost base.However, there are options that can help you cut a majorcost in any plant, and that cost is, of course, energy.The majority of commentators estimate that factoryenergy expenditure accounts for at least 50% of the totalrunning costs. Correspondingly, any savings made herecan make a marked effect on the balance sheet.One strong option that can have a positive, long-termeffect on the business is to replace older motors withmodern, high efficiency equivalents. However, this is notalways feasible; when budgets are tight, even proven,long-term cost-saving options such as the installation ofenergy efficient motors may be tricky and cash flowproblems may rule out the possibility altogether. So, if wehave had to rule out motor replacement, how do we effectan energy saving?Switching components offers a more affordable optionand a powerful one, too. Energy efficient bearings canmake a massive contribution to profitability, cutting energywastage by up to 50% and also extending the lifespan ofyour existingmotors.Today’s leading energy efficient bearingsenable components to rotate more easily withminimum friction and heat, dramaticallyreducing wear and enhancing performance.For example, E2, a range of energyefficient deep groove ball bearingsfrom SKF, features a host of technicalinnovations that reduce friction.The internal geometry of thebearings has been optimised viathe use of advanced modellingtools, which, in tandem with anew, fit-for-purpose polymer bearingcage, has brought a markedimprovement in operating efficiency.The very best of today’s energy efficientbearings offer the potential to minimise frictional losses tosuch a degree that operating temperatures can be loweredEnergy efficient bearings can make amassive contribution to profitability,cutting energy wastage by up to 50%and also extending the lifespan ofyour existing motorsby as much as 30°C, resulting in an improved lubricantviscosity that extends the operating life of moving parts. Inaddition, these innovative energy efficient bearings canlast twice as long as their conventional alternatives,cutting the cost of purchasing as well as running theequipment at your plant. Such developments as thesehave proved that energy efficiency can beachieved even without the expense ofreplacing plant motors, boostingperformance and productivity to thebenefit of operators while alsosatisfying environmental pressuresto consume less energy.Another positive point to bear inmind is that replacing your existingbearings with energy efficientalternatives does not requireadditional downtime; they can beexchanged during routinemaintenance. For example, SKF E2deep groove ball bearings aredimensionally interchangeable with standardequivalents and available in a range of sizes, enabling thechange to be made during planned downtime.Without generating the considerable cost of replacingmotors, energy efficient bearings can make a difference inall applications, and where energy savings are concerned,it’s not only a one-off benefit; any saving you make isbeing made day-by day and year on year. To give anexample of how this might be calculated in practice, takea typical electric motor, which can generally be fitted withenergy efficient bearings in sizes of up to 37kW. If the bestof the current crop of E2 bearings are used in a single37kW motor, running continuously at 3,000rpm, that willmake an energy saving of 270kW per year, and keep morethan 150kg of CO2 out of the atmosphere. The benefitsare even greater on a larger scale: SKF helped a leadingconsumer healthcare company to reduce frictional lossesby 46% by providing energy efficiency deep groove ballbearings in cold water pump motors (22kW) running atspeeds of 2,990 rpm. Ultimately, this translated to energysavings of 4,583kWh per year per motor.Energy is becoming an increasingly preciouscommodity, both financially and environmentally, andreducing consumption by plant and <strong>machine</strong>ry across allsectors brings benefits to everyone. The development ofenergy-saving technologies is, thankfully, a growth areaand the recent innovations in energy efficient bearingsrepresent not only a positive step in the right direction butalso a significant opportunity for companies throughoutindustry to minimise the environmental impact of theiroperations and cut energy costs.www.skf.co.ukPhil Burge is communication manager for SKF20INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY • April 2012
PARTNERSHIP BASED ON TRUST –AND TRUST BASED ON QUALITY.Total Quality by NSK: HPS TM spherical roller bearings.NSK’s compact HPS TM spherical roller bearings set new standardsfor precision and performance. This new generation of bearingsextends maintenance intervals considerably and reducesequipment downtime at high speeds and in extreme conditionswith wide temperature variations, wet and dusty environments.More about NSK at www.nskeurope.com or call us on +44 (0) 1636 605123NSK UK Ltd · Northern Road, Newark, Nottinghamshire, NG24 2JF · Telephone +44 (0) 1636 605123 · info-uk@nsk.com
Change language