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Bearing Housing Sealing Solution for the Mining Industry

Having conducted hundreds of conveyor pulley failure investigations, with the majority of failures attributed to contamination ingress, DASH Engineering have proven that traditional sealing methods and the industry standard – ‘Three Barrier Solution’ – are not effective in preventing dirt and water ingress into the bearing housing. Independent testing and numerous case studies have demonstrated that grease acts as a carrier for contamination rather than a barrier. Additionally, traditional sealing methods do not accommodate the misalignment and float that is required in conveyor pulley applications.

                                         

With the overwhelming majority of DASH Engineering failure reports recommending to ‘review sealing methods’, it became evident that there was no other effective method of keeping contamination out of the bearing housing, sparking the development of the SAPO® Seal.

…” savings will be comparable to AutoHaul” – Site-based Project Manager

The Self-Aligning Pressurised Oil (SAPO®) Seal is a patented, engineered sealing solution that will accommodate misalignment requirements without compromising on sealing effectiveness. Furthermore, SAPO® Seals are fully maintainable, monitorable and predictable providing peace of mind to the end user.

                                                                 

In order to effectively maintain positive sealing, the SAPO® Seal is designed to float with respect to the housing as well as remain parallel with the shaft. This unique design allows for articulation to the allowable misalignment limits of spherical roller bearings.

                                    

The SAPO® Seal does not rely on grease as a sealing medium. Positive pressure oil is used to ensure the oil seal lips remain lubricated and simultaneously captures fine dust particles. Regular oil sampling and flushing ensures seal performance is monitored and maintained throughout its life.

…” we need to make them all like this” – Fitter-Site Installation Team

Current plummer block sealing methods tend to damage shafts – often damaged beyond repair. SAPO® Seals eliminate this problem with a simple solution. The units are designed to run on wear sleeves to prevent abrasive damage to shafts.

                                                                      Photo 4: Before SAPO® Seals                                                                      

SAPO® Seals are fully maintainable, monitorable and predictable with state-of-the-art intra-bearing housing endoscopic monitoring via the SAPO® Scope. Maintenance personnel are able to visually monitor the housing cavity for contamination ingress and excessive bearing greasing whilst the machine is fully operational. This type of visual monitoring is truly unique in providing peace of mind and removes any doubt in regard to contamination ingress.

                           


SAPO® Seals can also be used to assist with pulley alignment during installation, reducing set-up time and risk, increasing safety and efficiency. A simple yet effective technique allows for on-the-go visual alignment guidance and final quality assurance checks to remove any doubt during pulley install.

…” most significant benefit will be that we finally have effective, multi-level monitoring of bearing condition as risk mitigation against unplanned failures” – Site Engineer

Key facts

The implementation of SAPO® Seals have enabled multiple critical pulleys to achieve upwards of two times the previous mean time between failure (MTBF) across Australia’s Pilbara iron ore operations. Case studies on high grade iron ore conveyor systems have resulted in:

  • increased production

  • elimination of unplanned downtime

  • cost savings in the order of tens of millions of dollars


2023-05-24