Food Manufacturer Asks "If Your Bearings Are As Good As You Say They Are..."

GRAPHALLOY® was presented with a challenge from one of the largest food manufacturers in the country. Their frozen food division, specializing in frozen pizza, was experiencing difficulties with the operation of their bakery ovens. The conventional oil-lubricated bearings being used in the ovens were lasting only one week. The customer was replacing 16 to 20 burned-out bearings every seven days for over one year.

As a prime supplier to the school lunch program, this food manufacturer was producing pizza in high volume. They were baking two shifts per day plus a third shift for cleaning, seven days a week. To maintain this level of production, the bakery was using two continuous belt-type ovens with an operating temperature of 525° F (275° C).

The bakery had problems keeping the belt tracking straight as it rolled through the long ovens. On several occasions, the belts and entire sections of the oven were damaged when the belts veered off the track. The customer devised a system of cam follower roller guides to keep the belts on track. The cam followers were mounted on an adjustable bracket with slotted holes to keep the rollers in contact with the belt.

Despite these efforts, the bearings continued to fail. This customer eventually contacted us through our website (www.graphalloy.com) with an email that began, "If your bearings are as good as you say they are...". Sensing their frustration, the local sales representative for Graphite Metallizing met with the customer to evaluate their problem and recommend a solution. Within a few weeks, GRAPHALLOY 1217-24-120.3 cam followers were installed. More than four months later, these cam followers were not showing any signs of wear.

Once again, GRAPHALLOY has exceeded expectations.

In addition to bakery ovens, GRAPHALLOY bearings may be used in dryers, grills, bottling plants and packaging equipment - anywhere grease and oil might fail. GRAPHALLOY bearings also withstand steam cleaning operations without any loss of performance.

Self Lubricating Bushings Offer Dependable Performance

Graphite Metallizing Corp. announces the 117 Series of GRAPHALLOY® bushings which deliver dependable performance in high temperature applications. GRAPHALLOY, a graphite/metal alloy, is formed from molten metal, graphite and carbon. It is a uniform, solid, self-lubricating bushing and bearing material. The 117 Series excels in bakery ovens, heat treat furnaces, glass plants, potato chip and bagel factories, dampers, stokers and wherever grease, oil and plastic bushings fail or prove troublesome.

In addition, the 117 Series of GRAPHALLOY bushings provides a convenient, pre-engineered solution for plant maintenance and new equipment design requirements. The 117 Series is available in two primary grades for high temperatures, both with FDA acceptance as well as for low temperatures.

All GRAPHALLOY products work where oil-based lubricants oxidize or where plastics fail. Many grades are suitable for temperatures to 750°F in air, and special grades provide reliable service up to 1000°F and higher in non-oxidizing atmospheres.

Specialy Materials Help Improve Pump Reliability and Save Energy

GRAPHALLOY® allows for reduction of clearances

Efficiency degradation in pumps can be related to three areas. Worn clearances between the wear rings of the impeller and the casing can increase leakage and drop the volumetric efficiency of the pump. Rough, rusty and damaged internals increase friction, reducing hydraulic efficiency. Finally, rubs, galling, friction in the mechanical seals and bearings, can result in the reduction of mechanical efficiency.

Together, these three pumping problems reduce the available flow, lower pressure and/or require more power consumption. These three issues also make a pump less reliable. Pump efficiency and reliability are often intertwined.

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GRAPHALLOY® at Rotating Equipment Reliability Seminar

Graphite Metalllzing Corporation will be exhibiting at the Rotating Equipment Reliability & Vibration Analysis Seminar on February 8, 2011. This event is sponsored by the Triplex Chapter of the Vibration Institute and will be held at the MCM Elegante Hotel in Beaumont, Texas.

GRAPHALLOY® at International Exhibitions

Graphite Metallizing Corporation will be sponsoring a booth at the following international exhibit:

Middle East Turbine Symposium (METS)
February 13 -16, 2011
Doha, Qatar
Booth #520

Graphite Metallizing Corporation just returned from the SEPEM Industries exhibition in Douai, France.