About Bearing Training

Every bearing has a certain service life potential, but for various reasons not every bearing achieves it. Maximum service life can be achieved by paying close attention to important stages, such as mounting, dismounting, lubrication, alignment and basic condition monitoring. To understand the importance of each step, let us have a look at each stage. 

Mounting is a critical stage, as if the bearing is not mounted properly using the correct tools, the service life can suffer significantly. Individual applications may require specific mechanical, heat or hydraulic mounting methods for correct and efficient bearing mounting. In the bearing training, you will be introduced to these methods as well as the relevant tooling available. This knowledge will help increase the lifespan of your bearings across applications and decrease the time taken to mount the bearings, as the correct methodology is applied. This includes mechanical fitting tools, induction heaters and hydraulic equipment.

Lubrication is an essential step in reaching maximum bearing lifespan. It is important to apply the right grease, in the right quantity at the right intervals. Manual lubrication is common practice, however there are also auto-lubrication methods and systems which offer many advantages such as consistency and contamination-free supply. The training courses offered by Revco will introduce you to bearing greases, manual and automatic lubrication as well as lubrication accessories.

Once your bearing has been mounted in the relevant application, the next important step is the alignment. Misalignment can lead to additional load, friction, vibration and other stressors which fatigue the bearings and other mechanical components. These factors not only affect the lifespan of your bearing, but also increase energy consumption and raise the risk of premature failure. Revco’s training includes instruction on shaft and alignment tools, machinery shims and more. 

Basic condition monitoring such as temperature, sound, visual inspection, speed, electrical discharge and vibration measurement are all important to the efficient operation of your bearings. These inspections allow the detection of potential problems before they arise and allow the scheduling of machine maintenance to suit the production schedule of your plant. 

At some point your bearing will reach the end of its service life and require replacement. The bearing may not be used again but the correct dismounting methods are still extremely important as the incorrect dismounting can affect the service life of the replacement bearing. The use of proper dismounting tools, such as hydraulic, standard Jaw and mechanical pullers, prevents damage to other machine components which are re-used. Beyond sparing damage to shafts and housing, the correct methods reduce the risk of danger to maintenance personnel. 

These stages are all covered within the bearing training offered by Revco, from beginner’s level through to engineer’s level.