TFL bearings help cement producer save $32,000 annually
Clinker Cooler Fan
The client is a mid-sized cement producer in India, known in the regional market for its consistent product quality. The bottleneck in their production line is the high-power exhaust fan for the rotary kiln clinker cooling system.
The fan’s critical role is: To force large volumes of ambient air into the grate cooler, rapidly cooling the 1400°C clinker coming from the rotary kiln. The fan’s stable operation directly determines the crystalline structure of the clinker, affecting the final cement’s strength and durability, making it a crucial component for ensuring cement quality.
Key Facts
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Aggressive Clinker Dust Contamination
The clinker cooling process generates a massive amount of high-hardness, highly abrasive fine dust that permeates the entire fan area. Standard bearing seals wear out quickly under the constant bombardment of dust particles. Fine dust then penetrates the bearing interior, mixing with the grease to form a "grinding paste." This abrasive mixture causes continuous wear on the raceways and rolling elements, leading to scratches and spalling. The bearings typically failed within 4-5 months due to excessive wear, causing severe vibration and abnormal noise. The plant was forced into unplanned shutdowns for replacements, interrupting the entire clinker production line each time.
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High-Temperature Conduction & Lubrication Failure
The sustained heat causes the base oil in standard grease to evaporate quickly. The grease thickens, eventually drying out and hardening, losing all its lubricating properties. The breakdown of the lubricating film leads to metal-to-metal contact inside the bearing, causing a spike in friction and runaway temperatures. Bearing temperature alarms were frequently triggered. The maintenance team’s only temporary solution was to increase the re-greasing frequency, which often made the problem worse due to over-lubrication. The final result was often bearing seizure or catastrophic failure, leading to major production stoppages.
The TFL Solution
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Enhanced Triple Labyrinth Sealing System:
Instead of standard rubber seals, we engineered an integrated "labyrinth + contact" composite seal. The outer layer is a non-contact metal labyrinth ring that deflects the majority of the dust. The inner layer is a three-lip contact seal made of wear- and heat-resistant Hydrogenated Nitrile Butadiene Rubber (HNBR), which effectively blocks the finest dust particles from entering. -
Core Elements: Silicon Nitride (Si3N4) Ceramic Balls:
The steel rolling elements were replaced with extremely hard, lightweight silicon nitride ceramic balls. This mature technology provides two key benefits: first, the ceramic balls are much harder than clinker dust, so any particles that might get inside are either crushed or embedded into the softer steel raceway, preventing damage to the balls themselves. Second, the lower friction coefficient between ceramic and steel reduces heat generation, enhancing reliability under marginal lubrication conditions.
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High-Temperature Adaptive Design:
The bearing rings are manufactured using a special high-temperature tempering process for better dimensional stability. The bearing is pre-filled with a complex calcium sulfonate base grease, which offers excellent oxidation resistance and thermal stability, ensuring a reliable lubricating film even at sustained high temperatures.
Product Features
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Superior Dust Protection: A multi-layered defense (labyrinth + triple-lip seal) acts like a fortress, keeping dust out.
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Extreme Wear Resistance: The ceramic balls are harder than the abrasive dust, making them tough enough for harsh conditions.
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High-Temperature Stability: Special grease keeps working when it gets hot, continuously protecting the bearing.
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Low Maintenance Requirement: The long-life lubrication and sealing design significantly reduce the hassle and risk of frequent re-greasing.
Application effects
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Before: The maintenance supervisor’s first task each day was to listen for grinding noises from the fan, a sure sign that another emergency shutdown was imminent. Records showed the average bearing life never exceeded 5 months. Every replacement was a battle with dust and heat, and the crew dreaded the job.
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Now: Since installing the TFL enhanced hybrid ceramic bearings, the fan runs noticeably smoother and quieter. During a recent planned inspection, the team found the grease inside was still clean, with almost no signs of dust contamination. The same set of bearings has been running reliably for over 15 months, with all vibration and temperature readings staying well within the optimal range. The bearing replacement interval has been extended from 4 months to over 15 months, and unplanned downtime has been cut by more than 70%.
Cost-Savings Breakdown
| SREDUCED SPARE PARTS COSTS | $6,000 |
| SAVED DOWNTIME LOSSES | $24,000 |
| OWER LABOR COSTS | $2,000 |
| ANNUALIZED COST SAVINGS | $32,000 |
About TFL BEARINGS
Why is TFL BEARINGS frequently chosen as the specified bearing brand bymajor international companies?
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