Efficiency, power-loss reduction and enhanced performance are just a few examples of what the PT community wants from their gears and gear drives in 2019. Some companies are doubling down on service and assembly capabilities while other others are integrating components in an effort to increase flexibility and control.

Written by: Jerome Jennings, global product manager, SPX Cooling Technologies, Inc. Cooling towers can use several power transmission technologi...

Reliability and maintenance engineers can improve uptime and save money on both long-term maintenance and downtime costs by properly diagnosing and correcting bearing vibration issues when they exceed their acceptable limits. This requires inspecting the housing as well as the liner for wear, and replacing them as a pair when the housing is worn, so that wear-in between the mating surfaces can occur.

In case you missed them, following are three recent blog postings by our popular PTE bearings blogger - Norm Parker. We also felt that, should you not be a blog follower, this would be a good way to introduce you to Norm's bearings wisdom. Parker is currently the global senior specialist/roller bearings at Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA).

Design engineers across industries rely on pillow block bearings for a variety of tough and unconventional applications. Having access to data that backs housing strength performance claims is an integral part of choosing the right bearing to keep operations running optimally. What design considerations must be made when the application demands a pillow block installation on a non-horizontal orientation? What happens when bearing load is not applied through the base of the unit? Timken answers these questions with physical testing, advanced modeling and real-world experience to facilitate the selection of pillow block bearings for specific applications.

At a Midwestern producer of tubular steel products, measures taken to counteract the effects of impact on a quench tank roll made it difficult to remove and replace the conventional pillow block bearings that support the roll’s shaft.

Manufacturing employees have always kept their eyes on the robotic systems that continue to pop up in assembly lines and industrial workspaces. These metallic, low-maintenance robotic employees don’t waste time with smoke breaks or catching up on episodes of Lost. They tend to stick to the task at hand with little argument or attitude, giving human counterparts a bad name when they gripe about factory temperatures or lack of a decent dental plan.