GRAPHALLOY® Bearings From Frequent Failures to Four Years of Reliability in Snack Food Fryers

 In their continuous fryer systems, manufactured by Heat & Control®, this producer faced recurring failures with greased ball bearings. Bearings used on belts and paddles in the fryers experienced extreme conditions:

• Exposure to 400°F
• Continuous splashing with hot oil
• Full submersion in cooking oil for certain locations

Despite regular re-greasing, the bearings on the hold-down belt had to be replaced every 3 to 4 months. Maintenance was costly, and unplanned downtime was disruptive.

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High Expectations in High Temperatures

Modern Pumping Today
September 2013 

Many industrial applications have experienced success with GRAPHALLOY® in high temperatures. A mill reclaiming metals such as titanium feeds metal powders into a drum heated to 1500 degrees Fahrenheit (816 degrees Celsius). The drive shaft spinning the drum is supported by two Graphalloy Pillow Blocks. In addition, GRAPHALLOY Bushings are in the twelve wheels that support the drum as well as the worm gear. This application demonstrates the ability of the bushings to perform in extreme temperatures.

Also, a Midwestern steel mill was using these bushings for the horizontal rollers in their cooling beds. The bushings were thriving under severe heat and water spray conditions. Because of the success with the horizontal rollers, the mill wanted to consider GRAPHALLOY Flange Bearings for another application: the vertical guide rollers along the sides of the cooling beds used to keep the hot steel from running off the sides. Guide rollers remain static until a piece of hot steel slams up against them, at which time they are expected to turn instantly to guide the steel back onto the cooling bed. This mill had been using conventional greased rolling element bearings in the vertical guides that were lasting only a few months. Based on the success with the vertical rollers, the mill has since retro-fitted additional lines with GRAPHALLOY.

GRAPHALLOY can be the solution to the toughest bearing, bushing, thrust washer, cam follower, or pillow block bearing design problem. It is available in over one hundred grades with specific properties that meet a wide range of engineering solutions and specifications. FDA accepted grades of GRAPHALLOY are available for food contact equipment. NSF® International has certified two grades of material for use in municipal well pumps and water treatment plant applications.

In some applications, GRAPHALLOY bearings have operated for up to twenty years without maintenance. Standard designs are available but most products are custom designed to the unique requirements of the specific application. ISO 9001:2008 certified as well as NSF/ANSI 61 certified, the company serves a broad range of industries with standard and custom quality bearings, bushings, and related products.

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GRAPHALLOY Solves Problems in High Temperature Steel Mill Cooling Bed

A Midwestern steel mill was using GRAPHALLOY® bushings for the horizontal rollers in their cooling beds. The bushings were thriving under severe heat and water spray conditions. 

Because of this success, the mill was considering using GRAPHALLOY flange bearings for another application: the vertical guide rollers along the sides of the cooling beds that were used to keep the hot steel from running off the sides. 

These guide rollers remain static until a piece of hot steel slams up against them. At this moment, they are expected to turn instantly to guide the steel back onto the cooling bed. This mill had been using conventional greased rolling element bearings in the vertical guides that were lasting only a few months. GRAPHALLOY proved to be successful on the vertical rollers as well and the mill has since retro-fitted additional lines with GRAPHALLOY.