In the steel industry, bearings can be found in a vast range of plant and equipment that is used in both upstream and downstream processes: from the storage yard for raw materials to the steelmaking, rolling and refining processes. All kinds of bearings are used in this plant and equipment.
The operational environment for these bearings is unique to steelmaking, comprising steel dust, water and heat. In addition, the bearings may have to cope with heavy loads and vibration shock, operational speeds ranging from extremely slow through to high, coupled with rapid acceleration and deceleration. This makes for a demanding operational environment that is not found in other applications.