Food industry bearings cater for washdowns

A range of bearings and bearing units addresses problems of corrosion and premature bearing damage caused by frequent washdowns in the food and beverage processing industries.

To virtually eliminate the problems of corrosion and premature bearing damage caused by frequent washdowns, SKF has developed a complete assortment of bearings and bearing units for the food and beverage processing industries.

This industry is relatively unique in its requirements.

In some cases, the product is acidic, as is the case for citrus processors; in others, the product is abrasive (biscuits and similar bakery products).

In either case, machinery is exposed to frequent high-pressure washdowns with caustic antibacterial cleansing agents.

These frequent washdowns add water and cleaning solutions to the list of contaminants that cause rust and accelerate potential bearing failure.

The range of bearings and bearing housings from SKF has been specifically designed for fast, easy washdowns.

The housing's nonporous surface resists the accumulation of bacteria-forming food particles and the light grey colour of the housing makes visual inspection easy.

SKF offers a choice of stainless-steel bearings or new coated bearings.

The bearings are also equipped with a low friction multilip rubber seal that is bonded to a stainless-steel core.

The SKF multifunctional seal - first designed for agricultural applications - provides superior protection against washdowns and solid contaminants.

Both the stainless-steel and coated bearings are designed to be self-aligning - to provide longer bearing service life.

To accommodate misalignment, the concave bore of the housing is designed to accommodate the convex outside diameter of the bearing.

The bearings are also maintenance free.

Each bearing is filled with FDA-approved food quality grease that will adequately lubricate the bearing under normal operating conditions.

This grease can be used in applications where operating temperatures range from -45 to +120C.

The product line comprises two complementary designs - L and KC - in several housing shapes.

This extensive range is completed with open and closed end covers, available as accessories.

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