Steel Production Machinery (Pilger Mill)

A plant producing seamless stainless steel tubes suffered continuous bearing failures on a Pilger mill, with a service life of about 1 month. NSK's technical analysis identified the root problem as excessive load and inadequate lubrication combined with heavy operating conditions. A special spherical roller bearing with optimised internal design using Super Tough (STF) steel was recommended; the trial showed the new bearings lasted up to 200% longer.

• Pilger mill application — 1 machine; approx. 1 month service life
• Numerous bearing failures due to heavy and demanding conditions
• NSK solution: Special Spherical Roller Bearings made of STF steel
• Up to 200% longer bearing life than the previous bearings
• Less maintenance time; no unexpected failures or unplanned downtime
• Production loss reduced from 52 stoppages a year to 21

Technical Features: TF Series (Super Tough Steel) Spherical Roller Bearings

• Innovative heat treatment technology
• Superior performance to standard bearing steel
• Up to 10 times longer operating life in contaminated lubrication
• Up to twice the operating life in clean lubrication
• Up to 4 times longer operating life at 160°C
• Wear rate less than one third
• 40% improvement in seizure resistance