Ship Crane Bearings

Ship crane bearings play an important role in ship loading equipment. They are responsible for reducing the friction coefficient during movement. It is therefore necessary to check and maintain the condition of the bearings. If a bearing is worn, it must be replaced immediately. Otherwise, the machine will be damaged.

The inspection process for ship crane bearings includes a visual inspection and a test of the bearing. A grease sample from the bearing housing can be used to determine the wear rate. For a more accurate analysis, a measurement of relative movement between the inner and outer bearing race is taken. This measurement should be recorded with accuracy of 0.1mm. Once the measurement is complete, the results should be trended and analyzed.

The main purpose of double-row ball bearings is to improve load capacity and reliability. They are also designed to endure large collapse moments. Generally, the life span of a ball bearing is about 12 to 15 years. However, the fatigue stress can lead to cracking in high-stress areas. To increase the life of a ball bearing, an automatic lubrication system can be installed. This system can lubricate every point on the machinery, while the crane is in operation, which greatly reduces wear and tear.

Aside from the slewing ring, other components in the crane include a cable winch, air conditioning units, filter systems, and hydraulic systems. These components are added to the crane in stages. There are four major types of ship crane bearings: rolling, ball, slewing, and sliding. Each type has its own unique features and advantages.

Generally, a double-row ball bearing is more suitable for the working conditions of a ship crane. In addition, it can compensate for processing errors in connection parts. Moreover, it has a strong resistance to unevenness of the bottom plate.

The slewing bearing is the most commonly used part of a crane. It is the most expensive part of the crane because of the large weight that is placed on it. Therefore, it is essential to have a high quality slewing bearing that is free from wear and corrosion.

SKF began supplying slewing bearings to MacGregor Cranes in 1997. Today, the company's cranes are based on the ALUM-A-VATOR design, which has been fulfilling industry standards for 40 years. All the bearings manufactured by SKF are certified by the classification society.

In addition to the basic slewing ring, SKF supplies MacGregor Cranes with a variety of different plain bearings. Among these are iglide(r) P. Iglide(r) P is a low-cost, environmentally friendly alternative to metal bearings. It is also resistant to dirt, chemicals, and UV rays. Besides being durable, it has a high load capacity and low coefficients of friction.

SKF also provides an automated, relubricable thrust bearing for material handling applications. These bearings are available with shank diameters up to 10" and can be fitted with a grease fitting inside the weather shield.

Relubricable thrust bearings are widely used in the shipping ports and primary metals. Their coated steel weather shield acts as a limited sealing device. The stainless steel wire clamp on the inner ring makes replacement easy.