New thin section contact series ball bearings feature four-point
contact or conrad styles from Quality Bearings & Components (QBC)

Quality Bearings & Components (QBC) are offering a new line of thin section four point contact series of ball bearings. This dynamic new series also comes in the innovative Conrad style that features Conrad radial contact points and the angular contact style that utilizes angular contact single bearings which are both reliable and cost-effective. This new line is available in 52100 chrome steel with a snap-over cage feature. They are rated ABEC 1 and may be ordered in stainless steel as well. Quotes plus online orders are available at the new QBC eStore. These quality designs ensure reduced friction, quiet operating ability and increased durability.

QBC has in stock: miniature bearings, plastic bearings, rod end bearings, spherical bearings, pillow blocks, sintered bronze bushings, radial ball bearings, thrust bearings & washers, sleeve bearings, needle bearings, inner races, roller clutches, guide wheels & rail systems, linear ball bearings, inner and outer ring spacers and shafting. QBC stocks both inch and metric sizes. Our eStore allows you to check price and availability, place an order or request a quote anytime. QBC also provides custom-made bearings and shafting to the customer print. We also offer on-site relubing of bearings in a certified class 1000 clean room.

Detailed technical specifications are contained in catalogue B620, available free upon request from Quality Bearings & Components. This catalog can be viewed now, in PDF format, and downloaded by section on website: www.qbcbearings.com or via mail request at: 125 Railroad Avenue, Garden City Park, NY 11040-5016.

Natural rubber suspension mounts from AAC
are designed for suspending from 56 to 112 Lbs

Natural rubber suspension mounts from Advanced Antivibration Components (AAC) are designed to isolate suspended products that weigh from 56 lbs. up to 112 lbs. A popular use for these vibration isolators involves their use in suspending piping in heating, ventilating and air conditioning - HVAC applications.
 
There are 4 mounts identified as the V10Z72MTG Series, which are constructed with a carbon steel housing. The isolator is made from natural rubber. The maximum deflection of these units is 6 mm (.24 in.). Their natural frequency ranges from 7 to 12 Hz. Other AAC rubber suspension mounts are designed to support weights up to 220 lbs. They are best suited for hanging small machines such as fans, distribution pipes and ducts from ceilings. At the AAC eStore you can check price and availability, place an online order, download 3-D models, or request a quote at anytime.

 Additional technical specifications are contained in Catalogue V110 available free upon request from Advanced Antivibration Components (AAC), 2101 Jericho Turnpike, Box 5416, New Hyde Park, New York USA 11042-5416. Phone: 516-328-3662, Fax: 516-328-3365.

For further information, view website:  http://vibrationmounts.com/NewProducts/Rubber_Suspend.htm   Refer to page 56

Austrian technical students gain work experience in Sheffield

There has been something of a continental flavour about Sheffield heavy engineering firm DavyMarkham lately, with two young Austrian students and a German postgraduate all enjoying periods of work and language experience at the Prince of Wales Road works. Michael Berger and Michael Struber, 19 year olds from HTL Hallein in Salzburg, spent some time honing their engineering skills alongside   DavyMarkham's home-grown apprentices. They are pictured with the company's Apprentice Training Supervisor, Peter Kerfoot, shortly before returning to Austria.

A little earlier, postgraduate Marco Roselius left for his home in Germany after spending a year as Marketing Assistant with DavyMarkham, gaining valuable experience while completing his MSc in Human Resources Management with Sheffield Hallam University. During his time with the company, Marco helped set up a new marketing database and assisted with translations of talks with, and presentations to, German-speaking customers, helping on a number of new contract bids.

Interestingly, the two Michaels attend just the type of technical institution that DavyMarkham MD, Kevin Parkin, is advocating in this country, to train young talent for British manufacturers, and which he himself attended in Sheffield. Both Austrian teenagers are in the fourth year at Höhere Technische Lehranstalten (HTL) Hallein, a technology and crafts orientated higher college that specialises in disciplines like mechanical engineering, product and system design, cabinet making and stonemasonry. These HTLs are an important part of Austrian vocational education and are unique within Europe.

Michael Berger and Michael Struber study Industrial Engineering in HTL Hallein's upper technical school, covering subjects like CNC machining, milling, welding, applied mechanics and production engineering, as well as German, English, Mathematics and PE.

DavyMarkham's MD, Kevin Parkin, once had a similar grounding in engineering at Sheffield's former Central Technical School. Originally established to provide a technical knowledge base to support local manufacturing industries, the CTS placed an emphasis on the practical and academic aspects of engineering and construction, originally awarding its own diplomas before adopting nationally-recognised O and A levels.

"Rather than steering pupils toward 'soft' GCSE topics, it would be great if schools in this country reintroduced core technology and engineering skills to the curriculum, like the youngsters of my generation acquired from technical schools," says Kevin. "We could take a leaf out of Austria's book and introduce technology-focused colleges and encourage our youngsters to consider vocational apprenticeships, as a viable alternative to university." (The students are pictured above: left to right: Michael Berger, Peter Kerfoot and Michael Struber). For further information, e-mail: kevin.parkin@davymarkham.com

Intelligent gearbox monitoring system allows Corus engineers
to make key design modifications to reduce costly downtime

PRAXIS condition monitoring partnership between CNES and Schaeffler UK has enabled plant engineers at the beam mill in Lackenby, Teesside to oversee an internal redesign to the hot saws gearbox, which has ultimately saved the company more than £100,000.

In 2006, an FAG DTECT X1 online remote monitoring device was installed on the hot saws to determine the condition of the saws. The hot saws consist of two circular saws, one fixed and one moving, which cut through 'H' section beams of hot steel as they exit the beam mill. The online monitoring device soon highlighted problems that had previously gone unnoticed. As well as imbalances to the saw blades, it also detected bearing and lubrication problems within the gearbox. 

The DTECT X1 system has been monitoring this critical piece of machinery for more than 2 years now and has provided the plant engineers at Corus with valuable trending information on the condition of the gearbox. It soon became apparent that there were inherent design faults within the gearbox itself that were causing regular bearing failures.

"We have been experiencing failures on our gearboxes for a number of years now," says Steve Bowman, the Beam Mill's Manufacturing Engineer in charge of the Hot Saws and Finishing Equipment.  "By using the DTECT X1 system from Schaeffler, we've been able to pinpoint the exact source of these failures."

With the help of Paul Harrison from the PCM team, Bowman was able to single out bearing 'C' within the gearbox as the root cause of failure. "The readings we were getting from the DTECT X1 device showed us that there was an issue with bearing 'C'," continues Bowman. "The bearing was running hot right from the start, so we experimented with the bearing clearances and looked at the lubrication system. We noticed that bearing 'C' was suffering from oil starvation, so oil was diverted from bearing 'D'.  By doing this, the running temperature of the bearing improved substantially."

However, even though the bearings had been replaced and the lubrication system had been improved, the gearbox was still failing. Following discussions with a transmission consultant, it soon became clear that this bearing was right at the edge of its design capabilities.

Because the gearbox was prone to continual bearing failure, Bowman challenged the consultant to come up with a brand new internal design that would eliminate bearing failure. Using the data from DTECT X1, the existing gearbox has since been modified to include a new bearing arrangement and lubrication system. By keeping the same gearbox casing, Corus is now able to easily interchange the existing two gearboxes and avoid the cost of a new one, at around £110,000.

"What the DTECT X1 system allowed us to do was gain valuable experience and time," explains Bowman. "Not only did we know that there was a problem, but we also knew the degree of the problem. It now gives us the confidence to run the gearbox until the next planned outtage, knowing that we won't have a catastrophic gearbox failure on our hands and that we will have everything in place to make a planned change if required. With lost production costs due to unplanned downtime breaking into 4 figures per hour, this means I can now get a good nights' sleep," says Bowman.

The DTECT X1 device has allowed Corus engineers to improve their plant preventative maintenance regime.  With the information they have gathered in recent months, they have also been able to work with the saw blade manufacturers to ensure that the blades are balanced to a much higher degree than previously supplied.

For further information on Schaeffler's range of condition monitoring systems, view website: www.schaeffler.co.uk   Refer to page 27