Many of our customers come to us when they need to replace parts in equipment they originally obtained from an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM). Oftentimes it is difficult to get replacement parts from the OEM because of price or because lead time can be excessive. We do our best each time to get them what they need faster – and in most cases at a lower cost – than if they had waited on their OEM. In order to offer the applicable parts, we need to provide interchange services, but we also need to know how you’re using the part. Sometimes the OEM has cut some corners for cost and truly your application requires something different. In this bearing interchange example, we discover just that: the customer needs to invest in a different bearing than the OEM was providing.
Success Story: Bearing Interchange from Double Row Ball to Spherical for Vibration Application
Problem
The customer needed bearings for their equipment on a vibrating conveyor and the OEM suggests getting all replacement parts from them. Unfortunately, they charge quite a lot for these double row ball bearings, and the customer is having to change them out every 3 months.
Solution
The first thing we noticed is that they should probably be using a different style of bearings for this application. For a vibrating conveyor, we suggest spherical roller bearings, not ball bearings. We wanted to make sure that we provided them with replacement bearings that fit, so we sent out the OEM bearings to our partner, Timken, who identified the specs we would use in getting them Solid Block Steel Housed Roller Bearings. Not only are these spherical bearings, but they’re also cast steel and have secondary sealing caps, the product is very robust. Because of this, we could offer the customer bearings that would last much longer for just a little bit less per part than the OEM’s offering.
Savings Calculation
Original Solution (going through OEM): $131,456 per year
[16 double row ball bearings x 4 changes per year = $50,496
2 maintenance workers at $30 per hour x 1 hr x 4 shafts x 4 changes per year = $960
$5,000 per hour in production loss x 4 shafts x 4 changes = $80,000]
ErieTec Solution (Timken’s Solid Block bearings): $31,932 per year
[16 Solid Block spherical bearings x 1 change per year = $11,692
2 workers at $30 per hour x 1 hour x 4 shafts x 1 change per year= $240
$5,000 per hour in production loss x 4 shafts x 1 change = $20,000]
Net Savings: $99,524
ErieTec’s Solution Saved the Customer $99,524 Per Year
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