Ultimate load bearing for quarry conveyor systems

On a quarry site, a well-engineered conveyor system can boost productivity by automating much of the transportation process and creating efficiencies that otherwise would not be possible at the ground level.

But engineering a quarrying conveyor system is not a straightforward process. Designing a conveying system for a quarry site requires specialised knowledge to assemble the right parts and components into a working system that will run smoothly once switched on.

According to Motion Australia’s Tony Tormey, a disproportionate number of breakdowns on conveyor systems are due to a bearing’s failure.

“Bearing service life is a critical consideration for quarry conveyor systems because a bearings failure can mean a catastrophic halt in production and maintenance costs in the five figures,” Tormey said.

As category manager for industrial bearings solutions at Motion Australia, Tormey works closely with quarrying customers to deliver bearings solutions that can perform on heavy industrial applications such as conveyor systems used for transporting quarry materials on site.

“The rolling elements on a quarrying conveyor are subject to a large volume of heavy loaded materials and strong vibrations running around the clock during production hours. This is why selecting the right bearings for a quarrying conveyor system is critical to the success of an operation.”

Sharing in his passion for bearings solutions, Tormey has the benefit of working closely with NTN, which has a joint venture with CBC, one of Motion Australia’s businesses.

NTN and CBC have enjoyed more than 50 years of successful partnership in the bearings industry. Together, the two businesses have more than a century of combined technical and engineering know-how they can draw on for designing and developing bearings solutions for heavy industrial applications.

For this reason, many quarry operators turn to NTN and Motion Australia for assistance in developing tailored bearings solutions for their site.

Most recently, Tormey has been directing customers towards the new NTN ULTAGE range of bearings for quarrying conveyor applications, which he says are picking up speed in the quarrying segment due to the performance and longevity.

“The NTN ULTAGE were designed to be the next generation of standard high-performance bearings for the most demanding applications in heavy industry,” Tormey said.

Constructed from premium grade steel with a special heat treatment processing, the NTN ULTAGE bearings can support heavy loads, higher operating speeds and maintain stability up to temperatures of 200 degrees Celsius. The result is higher load ratings, greater tolerance to vibrations, reduced operating temperatures and up to three times longer service life when compared to conventional bearings.

Available in a variety of sizes and types, the NTN ULTAGE range is versatile and flexible in offering specialised and industry-specific bearings solutions.

For quarrying conveyors, Tormey recommends the NTN Sealed Spherical Roller Bearings, which incorporate unique design lip seals that remain steadfast under misalignment and pressure for preventing any ingress of contaminants or moisture. Additionally, the bearings are pre-lubricated with long-life grease that requires no cleaning or re-greasing after the bearings are fitted.

The NTN ULTAGE Sealed Spherical Roller Bearing’s compact design means less complex housing sealing is used to achieve better results. The internal design consists of a pressed steel cage and a streamlined curvature design that was adopted from the NTN EA series bearings. The EA design is well-recognised in the industry for its lighter and more compact design and topping the industry’s highest load ratings.

NTN and Motion Australia are invested in the design and development of engineered bearings solutions that can be tailored for quarrying sites to speed production and streamline automation.

Why Maddie the Miner recommends using NTN ULTAGE Sealed Spherical Roller Bearings on quarrying applications

• Industry leading, dynamic load rating
• Testing shows over three times extended bearing life
• Optimised internal geometry that distributes bearing stress
• Heat treated steel construction capable of handling 200°C
• 20 per cent higher speed capacity
• Available in the 223xx series with a cylindrical or tapered bore
• Available with bore diameters of between 40mm and 170mm
• Available on request for the other series and bore dimensions
• Manufactured according to specification EF800