INDUSTRIAL FANS are at the heart of HVAC as well as dust and fume extraction systems, so they can often be defined as critical plant equipment with their influence on Health and Safety. Ensuring the reliability of the complete asset requires each of the sub-components to be designed and maintained to suit the application and operating conditions.
Based on extensive first-hand experience, SKF has developed a range of solutions for industrial fans and HVAC systems to help improve maintenance, operational cost-efficiency, and provide trouble-free operation.
ELECTRIC MOTORS
Motor manufacturers face increasing demands for reliable and high efficiency products to meet the needs of end-users. In small electric motors, the bearings will often be a sealed-for-life type deep groove ball bearing, while larger motor bearings will often require periodic lubrication depending on the grease life.
Where sealed bearings are used, the balance between sealing effectiveness and friction characteristics of the seal lip can play a significant role in the overall grease life, and in many cases the life of the bearing will be determined by the grease rather than the fatigue of the bearing raceways. SKF can offer a variety of greases for sealed bearings depending on the application requirements.
POWER TRANSMISSION
To transfer rotational power from one shaft to another it is important to use a suitable design, whether couplings for direct alignment or through a belt drive for offset shafts. Alignment of the shafts is critical for either connection type to maximise the drive efficiency and service life along with a correct drive design.
SKF offers a range of belt and coupling alignment tools to suit from basic to advanced alignment. The TKSA series of shaft alignment tools offers simplicity with a high degree of accuracy through a laser-emitting unit and a receiving unit, while the TKBA series of belt alignment tools attach easily and allows precise detection of misalignment.
FAN SHAFTS
Insert bearing units are commonly found in smaller air handling systems and provide an excellent simple solution.
Where higher fan speeds occur, grub screw locking and eccentric collar type bearings can result in an increased level of noise and vibration resulting from the loose\fit between the shaft and the bearing inner ring. SKF offer both a ConCentra shaft locking system and adapter sleeve mounting. These options provide a complete fit between the inner ring and shaft to avoid distortion under load and minimise potential fretting damage.
CONDITION MONITORING
Where applications are critical and often hard to reach, the use of basic online monitoring can provide confidence in the reliability of the fan and provide condition based monitoring. SKF Multilog IMx-8 provides a complete system for early fault detection. Improves the reliability, availability and performance of your rotating equipment with automatic advice for correcting existing or impending conditions.
This compact device offers eight analogue and two digital channels, with connectivity to mobile devices as well as laptops for easy configuration and monitoring. Machine intelligence from IMx-8 data will help you avoid unplanned downtime and schedule maintenance proactively, prolonging machine availability and minimising maintenance and repair costs. IMx-8 integrates easily with other IMx units. It can connect you with the SKF Cloud for storing and sharing data, enabling SKF Remote Diagnostic Services for expert reporting and recommendations.
