Turning up the heat

NSK has developed a comprehensive package of measures to address the issues associated with operating bearings at high temperatures.

All deep groove ball bearings produced by NSK are manufactured using the company's own long life Z Steel material. This is produced by reducing the amount of non-metallic inclusions, oxide and other inclusions in the steel. The benefit is that bearings made from the steel have a significantly extended service life when compared to conventional vacuum degassed steel: up to 1.8 times longer. To reduce the potential for inner ring creep, NSK offers two grades of heat treated steel which improve the dimensional stability of the bearing when operating at elevated temperatures. X26, for operation up to 150 degrees C, and X28 for applications up to 200 degrees C. NSK has also developed Fluorine and Silicone rubber seals – or metal shields – all of which offer excellent performance up to 200 degrees C.