CeramicSpeed SLT Cheese Manufacturing

Case Study

CeramicSpeed SLT in Cheese Manufacturing

In the coagulation process within cheese manufacturing, the media passes through a horizontal curing tank where scrapers constantly rotate to clean the side walls by driving all media to the bottom.

The bearings in this scraper mechanism posed huge challenges. The scraper shaft is vertically hanging from a top bearing in a geared drive and is supported by a single bearing in the bottom. The bearing in the bottom suffers from incoming media when the seals wear down which results in standard bearings lasting 12 weeks only or even less.

By replacing traditional bearings, with CeramicSpeed SLT bearings you achieve a remarkable increase in the bearing life, as well as a drop in bearing related maintenance costs. CeramicSpeed SLT is a polymer matrix saturated with lubrication oil. The matrix ensures that the oil is kept on the functional surfaces of the bearing even under very harsh conditions, while at the same time preventing moisture and foreign particles from entering the bearing.

After two years the CeramicSpeed SLT bearings with RS seals are still running. The customer has saved a lot of money on both maintenance and downtime costs by moving from a bearing life of 12 weeks to more than two years.

Technical Highlights

  • Suitable for heavy contamination
  • Temperature range 40-50ºC
  • Speed 250-300rpm
  • Light load