A enormous sum of specialized bearing knowledge and procedure is provided by most bearing manufacturers. If you are like me, you basically do not have the time, tolerance, or interest, in wading by way of all of this details, with expense usefulness getting unsupported by the repeated need to outsource bearing routine maintenance, but however do have an desire in operating value reduction for your tree stump grinder. Replacement bearings expense above £100 every single, and signify a big part of overall machine routine maintenance expenses. This guidebook is intended for people who wish to lessen expense by escalating bearing provider existence. Bearing failure or untimely bearing use on stump grinders is mainly due to insufficient upkeep of cleanse lubricant. I use a pneumatic grease dispenser driven by an air compressor at each times conclude of stump grinding, with a grease prime up, out in the field, utilizing a standard hand-held grease pump. I use a wonderful deal of grease but it is considerably more affordable than replacement bearings. When I re-grease bearings, I thoroughly purge out the contaminated grease, right up until thoroughly clean grease exudes from the bearing. A higher melting level EP-2 grease is important. I prefer a molybdenum disulphide (moly) enriched EP-two complicated grease due to the fact it is a weighty-responsibility grease. So, to sum up this paragraph, there are 3 ideas of maximizing bearing lifestyle insofar as lubricants are concerned:

decide on the appropriate grease
apply the right grease appropriately e.g in the right quantity
re-grease regularly

A 2nd frequent cause for untimely bearing dress in on stump grinders is inadequate or incorrect bearing adjustment ( for those devices with an adjustable bearing use takeup) Now, I know how uncomfortable accessing bearings for adjustment, can be on stump grinders. I produced up some specialised tools out of allen keys, owing to their challenging, large top quality metal material, as a operate about to the awkward accessibility issue I have on my grinder. I merely ground absent excess substance with a bench grinder to condition an allen crucial into a appropriate-angled punch. If you are relaxed doing this, make sure you be positive to regularly cool the allen essential in drinking water. Do not allow it flip blue in colour. I arrive from an engineering qualifications, and acknowledge that a lot of who may read through this, do not. Numerous could truly feel this to be somewhat out of their depth. This is why I’m creating this energy to steer clear of technicalities as considerably as achievable with emphasis on minimum salient details. I’m not conversant with bearing obtain configurations on all brands of stump grinders, but I can not more than emphasis how, with a bit of initiative and willpower, the significance to defeat a bearing accessibility issue is. It will preserve you money.

The detection and evaluation of premature bearing failure is by its mother nature a technical matter involving specialised gear e.g. warmth sensors, vibration sensors, infrared sensors, oil and ultrasound investigation tools. All of this tools generates a great offer of info, is quite pricey, and totally impractical out in the subject. A non complex tree stump grinder who is dependent upon the continual procedure of his stump grinding machine will very easily be put off by this circumstance. The simplest, most practical and non technological way to about check bearing functionality is to rest your hand on the pillow block bearing right after managing it for a affordable size of time, say at the very least 1 hour. If fag bearing have to take away your hand due to the fact the bearing is as well very hot, this signifies a worn bearing. Adjustment to take up excessive play inside the bearing be produced in accordance with producers directions. If the audio of a bearing “knock or rumble” is also read, this typically indicates it is excessively worn and needs replacement. For those who my be interested, there are 4 stages of bearing failure which I will touch on, as it does get involved and is not in keeping with this scope and its goal.:

Phase 1. Vibration evaluation detects the earliest sign of bearing failure. Signal info seems in the ultrasonic frequency assortment band all around 250 to 350 Kilo Hz.. At this point there is about ten-twenty p.c remaining bearing daily life.
Stage 2. Bearing failure commences to “ring” at its natural frequency (500 – 2000 Hz) At this position there is 5 to 10% bearing existence still left.
Phase 3. bearing failure harmonics are evident with defects in the interior and outer races. Temperature enhance is now evident with one to five% bearing life still left
Stage 4. High vibration is distinct with random ultrasonic noise tremendously elevated, temperature raises speedily. One particular hour to one particular % remaining daily life.

It is unfortunate for all stump grinder operators, that by the time a bearing knocks, rumbles, or noticeably heats up, it is soon on its way to failure. There is no useful way for the regular proprietor / operator to precisely choose the size of serviceable time remaining in a stump grinders bearing whilst out in the area.

From this viewpoint, I am making an endeavor to try out to gather some useable knowledge out in the discipline, which may demonstrate to be a functional and inexpensive way to keep an eye on bearing serviceability. I will be setting up thermocouples (warmth sensors) to the bearings. If a working typical temperature gradient can be proven, it might show useful to people stump grinders who are anxious with maximizing their devices bearing lifestyle, by basically changing up their bearings, when its temperature increase suggests time to do so. This will demand some energy on the component of these fascinated. They way too will need to have to in shape thermocouples to their bearings to keep track of temperature as the only expense-efficient, and practical way to know when to adjust up their bearings.

This energy will be totally negated if a rigid and sufficient re-greasing system is not maintained. What would be the level of standard, well timed, bearing adjustments, if the bearings often ran in a mattress of contaminated grease. I believe the reader will agree, is a whole squander of time and work.