Seals & Bearings

E-A-P International Limited have been stockists and specialist worldwide distributors of Eriks seals for over 38 years, and we now bring you our updated seventh edition of the very popular O-Ring Handbook.The O-Ring is now without question the worlds most versatile seal due to its simple shape,low space requirement, and its availability in a vast selection of sizes and compounds to meet every requirement.

This Handbook is intended as a guide to assist in the selection of an O-Ring for both dynamic and static applications, and for the choice of the correct compound for a given application.Recommendations are given for groove dimensions, installation procedures, sealing against vacuum and the use of Back-up Rings. Reference is also included on the use of Quad Rings as an alternative to an O-Ring in certain applications.

Many industrial automation projects – particularly handling tasks within production, machining, handling, assembly, inspection and packaging processes – require machine and linear guidance elements that often need to fit into restricted design spaces.

Schaeffler’s new MKUVS32-KGT linear actuator is a very compact linear actuator with ball screw drive that solves these types of issues. Machine builders and design engineers will find the unit particularly useful as it is suitable for a wide range of applications, where secure, rapid, precise and repeatable positioning and movement of light-to-moderate loads is required.

A team of five staff, including Plant Director Roger Evans, accepted the award on behalf of Schaeffler (UK) at the awards ceremony held at the City Hall in Cardiff on 10th November.

The Wales Quality Award is an annual competition based on the EFQM European Excellence Model. The awards are open to all companies based in Wales, including manufacturers, service providers, financial organisations, educational establishments, hospitals and local authorities.

The assessment process has grown to become one of the most popular awards process in Europe. Winning a Wales Quality Award is a genuine accolade for any business. Indeed, many companies who have taken part in the process, do so year on year, and use the Awards process as a fundamental part of their company’s planning process to drive business improvement.

When Triumph Motorcycles required a new seal within a three month lead time they turned to Pioneer Weston International, a division of ERIKS UK to develop and supply the seal.

The design and purchasing teams at Triumph Motorcycles needed help when extreme pre-production testing of prototypes of a new model revealed that enhanced sealing for the gearbox output shaft would improve performance and reliability.

Faced with the challenge of sourcing the custom designed and manufactured seal on a short time scale,  the engineers at Triumph Motorcycles turned to an organisation which not only had proven expertise in seals, but also an excellent reputation for providing a fast response

For more than 30 years, R. A. Rodriguez worldwide has been providing full engineering support to aircraft companies.  Indeed its aircraft products are fitted to a large number of military and civil aircraft in the Western World including many spacecraft.  They are also used in many other leading edge technologies such as optical sighting systems and laser range finding.

R. A. Rodriguez also supply a wide range of aerospace bearings from a number of leading manufacturers including Thin Section bearings, spherical joint bearings and airframe control bearings.

Quality Bearings & Components (QBC) announces a new line of 303 stainless steel solid precision ground shafting. Identified as the BBSHAF... Series, these shafts are stocked in 3 diameters, .1247", .1872", and .2497".

They are available in lengths ranging from 1" to 36". They feature 1/64" x 45o chamfer at both ends and straightness of .0004 per inch. Quotes plus online orders are available at our new QBC eStore.

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. 

By replacing standard solid bearings with split cylindrical or spherical roller bearings, process manufacturers can reduce repair and overhaul costs on complex drive units for heavy machinery, including steel rolling mills and extruders.

For process manufacturing companies, replacing worn or damaged bearings on drive units for heavy machinery is both time consuming and costly. Repair and overhaul of components soaks up valuable time and resources, often resulting in costly production downtime, while the equipment or machinery is offline being repaired. The harsh operating environment can also mean more regular maintenance being required on machinery.

In the steel industry, for example, split bearings can replace sliding bearings to support the heavy universal joint drive shafts on large rolling mills. For a typical rolling mill, the work rolls are driven by universal joint drive shafts. After every rolling cycle, the height of the rolls is adjusted. The drive shafts have to follow this adjusting movement and so are fitted with universal joints. Due to this height adjustment, the shaft length also varies, which must be compensated for in a coupling sleeve.

A practical example involves a recent project at a wastewater treatment plant in Cleveland that needed realistic cold alignment targets for a 3600 rpm compressor.

This machine had a long history of coupling and bearing failures. Over a two-year period several attempts were made to calculate the thermal growth on the motor and compressor supports. The original equipment manufacturer's (OEM) technical manual gave a vertical thermal offset value of +0.04 in. (+40 mils). There were no recommendations for a target vertical angularity. Horizontal alignment changes were not mentioned.

There was some confusion with the OEM targets as provided. Maintenance personnel did not know if this value represented what the rim dial indicator should read when the cold alignment was completed (with a dial indicator mounted on the stationary shaft and indicating the motor coupling). Dial indicators indicate the total indicated runout (TIR) each time the shaft is rotated 180 deg. Half of the TIR represents the actual centerline offset; therefore the target should actually be +20 mils vertical offset.