Lourens Pretorius, SKF Circular Economy Centre Manager, talks about the contribution that Authorised SKF Distributor, Bearings 2000 is making to the circular economy using SKF’s Bearing Remanufacturing services in Jet Park, Gauteng.
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Throughout 2023 to date, SKF Authorised Distributor, Bearings 2000, has supported SKF’s Remanufacturing Services with a strong focus on remanufacturing, mainly Spherical Roller Bearings (SRB) used in food & beverage applications. In addition, larger sized Spherical Roller Bearings (SRB) and Deep Groove Ball Bearings (DGBB) for the Pulp & Paper industry were also processed.
For the duration of 2023, this collaborative effort resulted in the reuse of 5 354 kg of high-quality bearing steel, contributing to a total energy saving of 42 080 kWh. This outcome translates into avoiding a total a 19 120 kg of CO2 emissions, which is estimated based on the avoided energy use in SKF’s and suppliers’ production phases and on SKF Group data for 2022. This has been achieved without any compromise to the quality of the remanufactured bearing compared to a new equivalent.
“Wynand Jurg, regional business development lead at Bearings 2000 and partner to SKF, is driving the Reman Project with the objectives of maximising and accelerating our joint contributions to the circular economy. More importantly, he is instrumental in assisting customers to achieve their economic and environmental goals,” says Lourens Pretorius, SKF Circular Economy Centre Manager. “Beyond making an indelible contribution to the circular economy, SKF’s Bearing Remanufacturing solutions have proven instrumental in delivering benefits to many customers operating in a variety of industries. Objectives achieved!”
Bearing remanufacture plays a paramount role in the global drive to decarbonise and promote environmental sustainability, because the process of remanufacturing a bearing – compared to manufacturing a new bearing – eliminates the use of raw materials and reduces energy consumption and CO2 emissions. SKF’s Remanufacturing Centre, located at the bearing and rotating technology specialist’s head office in Jet Park, Gauteng, aligns with the global organisation’s commitment to be an active contributor to the circular economy through the development of cutting-edge products, advanced technology and professional service solutions. “Our specialist Remanufacturing Services is a three-way win, adding value for customers, for the environment and for SKF,” says Lourens. “Additionally, owing to our remanufacturing lead times of between five to ten working days, depending on volume and current orders, we can deliver remanufactured bearings back to the customer in a very short time frame. This is particularly impressive if you compare it to the delivery period for an overseas order. The waiting period for certain large size bearings can be up to several months. For our customers, our short delivery times mean minimum downtime and maximum productivity and production.”
“We applaud Bearings 2000 and extend our sincere thanks for their sustained support of our Bearing Remanufacturing Services. We will continue to bolster our collaborative efforts in a bid to sustainably achieve our environmental and circular economy goals to the ultimate benefit of our valued customers and our fragile planet,” concludes Lourens.