Tag : bearing

Small as they sometimes are, bearings are among the workhorses ofindustry. But without the right design or the use of the correctlubricant, they can fail prematurely, causing equipment tomalfunction or stop working altogether. “Getting bearingswith the correct design and construction is vital to the quality ofour products,” says Vernon Gulley, purchasing manager forAnspach (Palm Beach Gardens, FL, USA). The stakes are especiallyhigh in Anspach’s case, since it manufactures high-speedpower instruments used for surgical applications in medicalspecialties such as neurology, neurotology, otology, andorthopaedics.
To be sure that a bearing works as it is intended requires a closecollaboration with a knowledgeable supplier, Gulley says. For thatreason, Anspach has chosen to partner with Intercontinental BearingSupply Co. (IBSCO; Houston, TX, USA)—a company with almostthree decades of experience supplying bearings and specializedlubricants to a variety of industries. The firm keeps thousands ofbearings in stock, adding lubricant as it fills orders.
Keeping Stock of Requirements
According to IBSCO president Jack O’Donnell, thecompany’s engineers work closely with companies like Anspachto find the right bearings and appropriate lube for specificapplications. “For example, Anspach’s hand toolsoperate at a high speed and therefore have certain bearing and luberequirements,” he says. Because Anspach’s tools must besterilized by autoclaving after each procedure, a lubricant thatcan withstand extreme heat as well as the hand tools’high-speed operation must be used, O’Donnell adds.
The firm can also analyze bearing failures to determine whereadjustments to lubricants can solve the problem. IBSCO, forinstance, can mix lubricants to meet specific needs. Traceabilityis another important element in determining the cause of amalfunctioning bearing. By tracing a failing bearing back to astock number, necessary precautions can be taken in the future.“Traceability is important to everything we do, which appliesto bearings, lubricants, and packaging,” says Anspach’sGulley. “We try to have traceability all the way back to theraw material, if possible, which helps us avoid repeated problemsand also be more accountable.”
The Value of Partnership
To maintain its credentials in custom lubrication of bearings,IBSCO shares information on the subject with New Hampshire BallBearings Inc. (NHBB; Peterborough, NH, USA). An authorizedrelubrication center for that company, IBSCO is also one ofNHBB’s largest distributors, according to O’Donnell.“We’ve been working with NHBB for more than 25 yearsand have a very symbiotic relationship—trading informationback and forth,” he says. “That relationship has reallyhelped us keep ahead of the technology curve.”
The partnership between IBSCO and NHBB has proved beneficial forAnspach, as well. When in use, surgical tools sometimes can failwhen blood, bone, or tissue binds up in their bearings. To preventthat problem, O’Donnell’s engineers worked with Anspachand NHBB to incorporate a larger external seal into the tool,thereby maximizing bearing protection and, consequently, theservice life of the surgical tool.
An additional benefit of being a distributor for NHBB is theability to cut lead time for IBSCO customers. Whereas an order toNHBB’s factory would take up to 36 weeks lead time, thedistributor can cut that time by 60% or more if it stocks thebearings needed by the user.
IBSCO is also partnering with the US National Aeronautics and SpaceAdministration (NASA), which is also headquartered in Houston, TX.At present, O’Donnell says the firm is working withNASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, located in Pasadena, CA,USA, to provide the bearings for the next Mars Rover camera. Tohandle demanding applications such as these, IBSCO has invested ina Class 100 cleanroom facility, which is certified annually to ISO14644-1 and ISO 14644-2.