Are Your Bearings Protected Against Moisture?

Are bearings often out of order? Your bearings may have corroded. When buying bearings, many are only interested in their performance, brand and frequency of service intervals, but they forget that there is also an environment in which the bearing should work. Very often, it is the environment that affects the bearings in your equipment and significantly shortens the life.

Many bearings are exposed to moisture, but not all bearings are suitable for continuous contact with water, acids, reactive gases and other potentially hazardous substances. Even a high-quality imported bearing requires proper application and taking into account many factors of the environment in which it will operate.

Performance, service life and uninterrupted operation directly depend on the correct selection of the bearing that will be installed in your unit. Specialists selecting bearings must consider the operating environment of the bearing, loads, contamination, and more. Bearing in mind many factors, you can choose bearings that are ideal for the food industry, chemical production and other environments where corrosion is possible.

The materials, seals, and lubricants used to make the bearings play an important role in deciding whether to install the bearings. The standard metals used in conventional bearings are poorly resistant to rust, which contaminates the bearing, increases wear and vibration. You should not think that if the bearing is constantly in operation and is greased plentifully, then no corrosion threatens it. The smallest particles of crumbling metal can get on the raceways and rolling bodies, which will lead to damage and rapid wear, and a large amount of lubricant will only collect additional dirt.

Materials such as stainless steel and ceramics are more resistant to corrosion, but only an accurate consideration of all application factors will allow you to choose a bearing for your equipment.