By removing many of the steps and complications involved with solid bearing replacement, the split roller bearings increase uptime and profitability, according to Schaeffler Australia industrial sector and product manager Martin Grosvenor.

Split spherical roller bearings are principally used where the replacement of unsplit spherical roller bearings would require costly additional work, involving the removal of gears or couplings, the dismounting of drives or the dismantling of shaft power trains, he said.

FAG split spherical roller bearings – which are particularly useful on shafts supported at several points and locations that are difficult to access – are typically applied on bucket and belt conveying equipment, reclaimers, elevators, winches and sheaves, and ventilators, according to Grosvenor.

“Mounting downtime can be cut by about 50% compared with using solid bearings, removing time-consuming procedures such as mounting of drive components, mounting of shaft assembly in housings and connection of drive components,” he said.

“Maintenance downtime can be cut even further, to about 33% compared with solid bearings, by further cutting the number of steps involved from 10 to four, eliminating procedures such as disconnection of drive components, removal of shaft assemblies and removal of drive components from the shaft.”