A local premier bakery brand asked B2K to inspect an issue concerning their dough divider and recurring bearing failures.

This was a problematic scenario as these units are extremely critical in production, and each failure was costing the bakery approximately 16 hours of downtime.

Upon initial inspection of the bearings that drive these units, it was evident that contamination, followed by moisture from the wet raw material (dough), represented the most serious concerns. After the first analysis, we considered installing a more efficient sealing arrangement on the machine itself, but this was later deemed unfeasible owing to constraints surrounding the space in question. 

B2K subsequently offered the bakery SKF bearings with Solid Oil (pictured above) as a possible replacement and solution for these units.  These bearings have an oil-saturated, polymer material that virtually fills all of the free space in the bearing allowing for longer lubricant life and improved performance in wet environments.

Proven success scenarios within the Food and Beverage Industry were presented to the client upon which an agreement was reached to trial these units. 

A machine was earmarked for this trial and B2K supplied and assisted with the fits, tolerance, and mounting of these units.

Having operated successfully now for a period of 3 months, the units have exceeded their previous optimal running time of 1 month. 

According to the data and support of SKF, we project these units to extend the service life from 4-6 weeks to more than 2 years. With a comprehensive return on investment (ROI) report in progress, we can already prove substantial savings for the bakery.

At B2K, we prioritize our customer’s needs in the rotating process, as evidenced by the successful outcomes of this case study. For further information about SKF’s bearings with solid oil, click here.