In South Africa’s Northern Cape province, a leading iron ore mine is unlocking significant gains in efficiency, safety and cost savings thanks to the SKF Cooper 03 Series Split Cylindrical Roller Bearings fitted on conveyor systems at the operation.
SKF South Africa Key Account Manager, Duncan Mngomezulu, explains that the mine had long struggled with bearing failures leading to prolonged conveyor stoppages whenever replacements were required. Limited access to pulley bearings led to drawn out, disruptive maintenance that further aggravated downtime. “These stoppages translated into costly production losses for the mine. At the same time, there was also mounting pressure to reduce maintenance costs and improve worker safety, making it clear that any solution would need to combine durability, accessibility and efficiency in equal measure.”
The success of any mining or industrial operation is defined by sustained, uninterrupted uptime. That is why, when it comes to installation, maintenance or repair work, a swift turnaround is critical, mitigating downtime and keeping the mine’s conveyor systems running at full production capacity. In the harsh iron ore environment, it quickly became clear that superior robustness and reliability were essential for the customer, far beyond what conventional solutions could deliver.
The SKF Cooper 03 Series Split Cylindrical Roller Bearings stood out immediately as the definitive solution. “This bearing is tailor made to overcome every challenge the mine was facing,” states Duncan. However, before we could recommend this solution, we first needed to determine whether the customer’s existing bearings could be successfully converted into split bearings. Following a detailed site visit by the SKF team, conversion opportunities were confirmed, paving the way for a practical and highly effective implementation.”
The innovative split design of SKF Cooper sealed split spherical roller bearings, paired with premium quality and precision craftsmanship, creates a powerful fusion, delivering swift turnarounds and minimal disruption due to rapid installation, seamless replacement and simplified repair and maintenance, advantages that conventional bearings simply cannot match.
Mngomezulu adds that the unique split design works hand in hand with a robust sealing system to allow fast, straightforward and safe on site replacement or repair even in hard to reach areas. “With minimal disruption to shaft alignment and sharply reduced maintenance time, requirements and costs, these bearings achieve mean time to repair (MTTR) reductions of up to an extraordinary 70%. That transformative advantage keeps machines running, productivity soaring and downtime firmly under control.”
By eliminating the need to dismount couplings or cantilevered drives, realignment is avoided, reducing worker exposure to hazards and streamlining maintenance. Mngomezulu emphasises that this safety benefit is critical in mining and cement sectors, where nearly half of accidents occur during conveyor maintenance and checks.
Built from world class materials and engineered for long service life, these bearings provide optimum performance, proven reliability, peak efficiency and extended lifecycle. They safeguard critical assets and keep operations moving sustainably, without compromise. These bearings thrive in the harshest industrial environments, performing with unwavering consistency across sectors such as mining, mineral processing, metals, material handling, cement, pulp and paper, power generation and food and beverage. Their versatility extends to a wide spectrum of demanding applications including conveyor pulleys, bucket elevators, escalators, mixers, agitators, and horizontal grinding mill pinions where reliability under pressure is absolutely non negotiable.
SKF Cooper sealed split spherical roller bearings once again rose to the challenge, delivering tangible value for the iron ore mine where it matters most. The split bearings provide industry leading reliability and remain unphased by the harsh iron ore mining conditions of South Africa’s Northern Cape. For the customer, this translates into a reduced Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) through greater reliability, significantly more uptime and improved maintainability across their critical conveyor systems compared to the mine’s previous setup. “The result is higher productivity coupled with improved safety during replacement activities, ensuring our customer reaps the full benefits of reduced operating costs, stronger production levels and safer operations,” highlights Mngomezulu.
SKF South Africa combined local technical expertise with the global application know how of SKF Cooper to provide the engineering evaluation and application support. This synergy added further value for the customer, ensuring tailored solutions backed by both regional insight and engineering excellence as well international expertise.
Mngomezulu extends his gratitude to Richard Law, Global Product Line and Sales Manager Supply Chain Ball Bearings & Light Industries, Cooper, and Julian Witting, Lead Senior Applications Engineer Supply Chain Ball Bearings & Light Industries, Cooper for their collaboration, technical support and commitment in developing the SKF Cooper Split 03 Series conveyor solution for the iron ore mine. “Their efforts ensured another successful project delivery and, most importantly, a satisfied SKF customer.”
Read more about the initiative here: http://www.skf.com
