Rexnord recently released a newly-designed, single-piece Centrik-Lok Collar (ER-K) for all 32 sizes of its Link-Belt ER Style Ball Bearings, which will now accommodate an even broader customer base and expand its use in hundreds of applications.

This smaller, versatile single-piece collar will fit into even more applications that utilize ER style bearings, allowing the product to be available to a larger market. With eight slots, it maintains the same, best-in-class clamping force the industry has come to expect from Rexnord Link-Belt Ball Bearings, while fitting more easily into additional processes and applications. Common applications requiring the Centrik-Lok Collar have included farming, road construction, lumber, printing, and general conveying applications.

“To our customers’ delight, the new, single-piece collar is completely interchangeable with the original, two-piece collar design on all ER bearings,” says Dan Gengler, ball bearing product specialist at Rexnord. “All ER bearings can be ordered with the single-piece design, and customers can simply replace the previous collar without a problem.”

The new single-piece Centrik-Lok Collar allows the collar’s outer diameter to be smaller by 0.55-0.85 inches and eliminate interference issues with installation. Except for the collar, the rest of the Rexnord ER-K bearing and its dimensions remain the same, including the unique eight-slot inner rings and the length through bore.

“Most importantly, we are not taking away or substituting something that Rexnord customers have been buying,” says Gengler. “Rather, we are adding an additional option for a wider range of customers and applications. We can still accommodate the two-piece collar if customers would like to continue ordering them. Aside from the new Rexnord ER-K bearings, all other mounted Centrik-Lok Ball Bearings will feature the two-piece design and will remain unchanged.”

Rexnord first introduced the original Centrik-Lok Collar in 2011, with a design that featured a unique eight-slot design and a two-piece locking collar. According to Gengler, this product not only allowed for easier installation, but with eight slots instead of six, ranks among the highest shaft clamping force in the industry. The positive reception this product received from the industry spurred the rollout of the Centrik-Lok Collar on all Rexnord Bearing products, including pillow block, flange ball blocks, and ER bearings.