The introduction of food line (blue line) bearing units by SKF South Africa, in collaboration with its Authorised Distributor, Bearing Services (BSA) Polokwane, has reduced downtime and increased plant reliability for export-approved Spif Chicken.
SKF Blue Range of food line bearings and bearing caps are ideal for conveyor applications where bearings are exposed to extreme contamination.
Regional manager at BSA Polokwane, Andre Jansen van Vuuren, explains that extreme contamination by chicken waste is a common challenge faced by the chicken processing industry. “Subsequent frequent high pressure wash-downs cause water contamination within the bearings, reducing lubrication life.
“Owing to premature bearing failures and concerns around chemical and water ingress, Spif Chicken was compelled to replace bearing units with new bearings every three months. In addition to facing regular downtime with accompanying time constraints and cost implications, our customer also had to put a detailed maintenance process in place,” says Van Vuuren.
The blue line range of bearings has been specially developed by SKF for conveyor applications in food and beverage plants where bearings are exposed to extreme contamination, making regular wash-downs and food safety the order of the day. Jansen van Vuuren says that the re-lubrication-free blue line bearing boasts a unique seal, which makes use of multiple channels that direct water away from the sealing lip during wash-downs; the water exits the seal under gravity when the bearing is stationary. “The optional end covers and back seals prevent high pressure spray from directly hitting the bearing seals during wash-downs, consequently further reducing the possibility of water ingress into the bearing.”
He adds that the back seal, which is seated on the shaft, provides an additional barrier to prevent contaminants from the chicken processing line reaching the enclosed bearing. Furthermore, the smooth housing surface eliminates crevices where soiling can occur, further facilitating the wash-down process.
SKF received the order from Spif Chicken for the supply of four blue line bearing units in March 2020. The bearings, which were supplied as completely sealed units with end covers and back seals, were ex EDC (European Distribution Centre) and delivery was arranged via air freight. The bearings arrived just prior to South Africa’s national COVID-19 Level 5 lock down, which was implemented at midnight on 26 March. Jansen van Vuuren points out that these bearings are easy to install, requiring no customer training and Spif Chicken successfully completed the bearing installation under BSA Polokwane’s supervision.
As an essential service provider, Spif Chicken’s plant remained operational during the lock down period. “The blue line bearings have successfully passed their initial trial period and I am extremely pleased to report that, eight months on, the units are still running smoothly, showing no signs of premature failure.
“Alongside minimised plant stoppages and increased uptime and plant reliability, Spif Chicken is now able to implement wash-down procedures with complete confidence, freeing up time to focus on production. We are, therefore, considering expanding our bearing solution to other
