LUBRICATION AND PILLOW BLOCK BEARINGS

Posted - August 4, 2017

Nothing is quite as humble as pillow block bearings. Yet, small and apparently insignificant as they may be, we, at BK Industrial Solutions know how important a role they play. Countless machinery owes their ability to function to this small piece of metal or other material. In fact, in Texas, our customers know by choosing the right type of bearing – one suitable for the task and its environment – that the bearing can operate reliably for many years.

Lubrication

The purpose of any bearing, housed or not, is to reduce the amount of friction between connected or interacting components. The right bearings also reduce the amount of wear-and-tear on the equipment. This, in turn, increases the longevity and operational capabilities of the machinery which requires some form of lubrication.

Bearings utilize lubrication to aid them in their tasks of friction reduction. Pillow block bearings may use any of the three generic types to grease the parts. These are:

  1. Greases
  2. Oils
  3. Solid films

Maintenance personnel can lubricate the bearings properly and manually. They will need the help of a fitting or a pump mounted on the actual pillow house to ensure the lubricating agent reaches its destination. This can be tricky and may also be time-consuming with certain machines under specific circumstances.

To avoid this, some Texas companies utilize another option – self-lubricating bearings. In this instance, fabricators fill the bearings with oil or another lubricating substance. The most common method of doing so is to construct the bearings of material that contains the oil. This includes various metals such as bronze, as well as a graphite-metal alloy.

Pillow Block Bearings

If you require pillow block bearings for an application contact our team of professionals at BK Industrial Solutions in Texas, Louisiana, and the nearby regions. We will work with you, offering suggestions and providing options. Together, we will help you find the best solution.