While many people understand the importance of bearings, few realize the need for bearing houses. Hygienic bearing houses can help prevent your bearings from rotting, fend off stiffness, and lengthen the product life span.
With that in mind, purchasing a long-lasting and heavy-duty hygienic bearing will also make cleaning easier and improve the sanitation of an entire processing factory. But for those that do not know, what are bearing houses? And how do they do all of this?
What are Bearing Houses?
In the most general sense, bearing houses act similar to a shoe for bearings. They come in many different shapes and sizes and provide a dense layer of protection from bacteria and wear and tear that may lead to equipment malfunctions. They are useful when it comes to mounting bearings and shafts of machinery.
Knowing what type of bearing you need will depend largely upon the machinery it is used for.
Types of Bearing Houses and Lubrication
There are a few types of bearing houses. These include split plummer block, non-split plummer block, flanged, take-up, and two-bearing.
These bearing houses all provide different uses. For example, take-ups are used for maintaining tension for equipment that has a conveyer belt. While flanged bearing houses are great for stabilizing applications without a parallel frame.
In addition to these categories, each bearing will need to fit its specific role. Some are better at handling heavy loads, and some are better at keeping machinery sanitary.
Certain bearing houses may require lubricant. The most common form of lubricant is grease. The application of lubricant is not always straight forward. They can be applied through an automated lubrication system or done manually on a set schedule. Keep in mind that it is not always easy to get in there and apply the lubrication at the correct spots.
Benefits of Bearing Houses
The two benefits of hygienic bearing houses are time and money. In terms of time, they make it so that cleaning the bearings and shafts of equipment needs to be done less often.
In terms of money, bearing houses protect machinery from contamination and demanding environments. By keeping products sanitary and working effectively, businesses will face fewer headwinds related to equipment maintenance or health concerns.
What Industries Should Use Bearing Houses?
Bearing houses can be USDA-certified and designed according to 3-A design principles and EHEDG best practices. This makes them especially useful for those working in the pharmaceutical or the food industries.
These two industries often require heavy-duty bearing housing. Whether it is due to extreme temperatures, or constant wear and tear from vibrations, the bearings from machinery can easily become damaged. Therefore, industrial bearing houses will fortify equipment from challenging environments.
Which Bearing Houses Are Worth the Investment?
Now that you know a little bit more about bearing houses, you may be wondering which ones are worth the investment. We would suggest a business to find hygienic bearing houses that are also grease-free. These two features will keep your machinery sanitary and save a business from dealing with the complicated lubrication process.
Make sure the bearing house can withstand the load it will be stabilizing and the environment they will be placed in. Moreover, making sure the bearing housing is easy to clean before you buy it will save you a lot of headaches.
Understanding which bearing houses are worth it will depend on what you are using them for. However, it should go without saying that bearing houses are a wise investment that can save you from costly repairs.
