A big quantity of technical bearing facts and technique is offered by using most bearing producers. If you’re like me, you simply do not have the time, endurance, or interest, in wading via all of this statistics, with cost effectiveness being unsupported by means of the common need to outsource bearing maintenance, however yet do have an hobby in going for walks fee reduction to your tree stump grinder. Replacement bearings value over £one hundred each, and represent a large portion of typical gadget maintenance fees. This guide is supposed for individuals who desire to reduce value by means of growing bearing service existence. Bearing failure or premature bearing put on on stump grinders is especially due to insufficient renovation of smooth lubricant. I use a pneumatic grease dispenser driven by way of an air compressor at every days quit of stump grinding, with a grease top up, out within the subject, the use of a traditional hand held grease pump. I use a first-rate deal of grease but it’s far some distance cheaper than replacement bearings. When I re-grease bearings, I thoroughly purge out the tainted grease, till smooth grease exudes from the bearing. A excessive melting factor EP-2 grease is critical. I prefer a molybdenum disulphide (moly) enriched EP-2 complex grease because it is a heavy-obligation grease. So, to sum up this paragraph, there are 3 concepts of maximizing bearing existence insofar as lubricants are concerned:

pick out the best grease
follow the right grease properly e.G in the proper amount
re-grease regularly
A 2nd commonplace purpose for premature bearing put on on Stump Grinding is inadequate or wrong bearing adjustment ( for the ones machines with an adjustable bearing wear takeup) Now, I recognize how awkward having access to bearings for adjustment, may be on stump grinders. I made up some specialized tools out of allen keys, owing to their hard, excessive best steel content, as a piece round to the awkward access hassle I even have on my grinder. I absolutely ground away excess cloth with a bench grinder to form an allen key right into a right-angled punch. If you are secure doing this, please make certain to frequently cool the allen key in water. Do not let it flip blue in coloration. I come from an engineering heritage, and be given that many who may additionally study this, do now not. Many may also feel this to be relatively out in their depth. This is why I’m making this attempt to keep away from technicalities as an awful lot as feasible with emphasis on minimum salient points. I’m now not conversant with bearing get right of entry to configurations on all manufacturers of stump grinders, but I cannot over emphasis how, with a piece of initiative and resolution, the significance to triumph over a bearing get right of entry to problem is. It will save you cash.

The detection and evaluation of premature bearing failure is with the aid of its nature a technical concern related to specialised device e.G. Warmth sensors, vibration sensors, infrared sensors, oil and ultrasound evaluation gadget. All of this device generates a high-quality deal of facts, could be very pricey, and definitely impractical out inside the area. A non technical tree stump grinder who is dependent upon the continual operation of his stump grinding system will without problems be do away with through this example. The simplest, most practical and non technical manner to kind of screen bearing performance is to rest your hand on the pillow block bearing after jogging it for an affordable period of time, say as a minimum one hour. If you need to put off your hand due to the fact the bearing is too hot, this shows a worn bearing. Adjustment to take up excessive play inside the bearing be made in accordance with manufacturers commands. If the sound of a bearing “knock or rumble” is also heard, this commonly method it’s miles excessively worn and wishes substitute. For folks that my be fascinated, there are 4 ranges of bearing failure which I will touch on, as it does get involved and isn’t always in keeping with this scope and its goal.:

Stage 1. Vibration analysis detects the earliest sign of bearing failure. Signal facts appears within the ultrasonic frequency range band around 250 to 350 Kilo Hz.. At this factor there’s about 10-20 percent ultimate bearing lifestyles.
Stage 2. Bearing failure begins to “ring” at its natural frequency (500 – 2000 Hz) At this factor there may be five to ten% bearing lifestyles left.
Stage three. Bearing failure harmonics are obvious with defects within the internal and outer races. Temperature increase is now obvious with 1 to five% bearing life left
Stage four. High vibration is clear with random ultrasonic noise significantly elevated, temperature increases fast. One hour to at least one percent last life.
It is unlucky for all stump grinder operators, that by the point a bearing knocks, rumbles, or extraordinarily heats up, it’s miles shortly on its way to failure. There is no sensible manner for the average owner / operator to correctly choose the length of serviceable time final in a stump grinders bearing while out within the area.

From this standpoint, I am making an attempt to try to acquire a few useable statistics out inside the area, which may show to be a practical and inexpensive manner to monitor bearing serviceability. I might be installing thermocouples (heat sensors) to the bearings. If a strolling common temperature gradient can be mounted, it can prove beneficial to the ones stump grinders who are concerned with maximizing their machines bearing life, by means of without a doubt adjusting up their bearings, while its temperature upward push indicates time to do so. This will require a few attempt on the part of the ones involved. They too will need to fit thermocouples to their bearings to monitor temperature because the only cost-powerful, and realistic manner to recognize while to adjust up their bearings.

This effort might be totally negated if a strict and enough re-greasing application is not maintained. What will be the point of regular, timely, bearing changes, if the bearings often ran in a bed of infected grease. I think the reader will agree, is a complete waste of effort and time.