Scrap standard and service life of tower crane slewing bearing

All machines will experience wear and tear after a long period of use. When the parts exceed the service life or are damaged beyond repair, they should be scrapped and replaced. The tower crane slewing bearing is prone to failure and damage in the long-term outdoor harsh environment and high-load operation, so to what extent does it meet the scrapping standard of the tower crane slewing bearing?

Scrap standard of tower crane slewing bearing

slewing bearing

1. Slewing bearing raceway ring and rolling element wear and scrap

The wear of raceway rings and rolling elements is one of the common forms of scrapped slewing bearings. When there is raceway pitting on the surface of the slewing bearing, surface metal peeling and overall wear, abnormal noise, rolling element jamming and excessive clearance between the raceway rings will occur in the tower crane during operation, resulting in vibration and local impact. With the development of the state, the slewing resistance will continue to increase and the slewing function will be lost.

2. The slewing bearing cage is damaged and scrapped

In order to avoid mutual friction between the rolling elements, the tower crane slewing bearing usually adds a spacer cage between the rolling elements. The material of the cage is generally copper, plastic, powder metallurgy or mild steel. During the working process of the bearing, the cage does not transmit the load, but it moves with the rolling elements. When the cage is damaged or broken, there will be a sharp and ear-piercing abnormal sound. As the broken body of the cage is pushed and rolled by the rotating rolling body, it will cause serious damage to the raceway ring and the rolling body. At this time, the slewing bearing meets the scrap standard and can be replaced.

3. The slewing bearing gear teeth are damaged and scrapped

The gear meshing methods of tower crane slewing bearing include external tooth meshing and internal tooth meshing. When the surface of the gear teeth is excessively worn, cracks and broken teeth occur. The tooth side clearance of the tower crane slewing bearing gear teeth increases, causing the slewing bearing to lose its function immediately when the tooth is broken, and it cannot be repaired. At this time, the scrapping standard of the tower crane slewing bearing is reached.

4. The connecting bolts of the slewing bearing are damaged and scrapped

Although the connecting bolt of the slewing bearing is not the bearing body, the failure of the bolt will also cause the slewing bearing to fail to work. The damage of connecting bolts in tower crane work is also a common phenomenon. When a slewing bearing connecting bolt loosens or breaks, it often brings about a chain reaction of loosening and breaking of other bolts. At this time, the slewing bearing also needs to be replaced.

5. The slewing bearing is scrapped due to corrosion and burn damage

Due to the complex working environment of the tower crane slewing bearing, the situation that the bearing may encounter is also unpredictable. If it is corroded by corrosive substances such as acid and alkali during operation, it will damage the internal components of the bearing and cause the bearing to be scrapped.

Service life of tower crane slewing bearing

Slewing Bearings

Under a certain load, the number of revolutions or hours that a bearing experiences before pitting occurs is called bearing life. The service life of tower crane slewing bearing is affected by rotational speed, radial load, basic rated load, equivalent compliance, speed coefficient, and fatigue life coefficient.

1. Calculation formula of bearing life

L10–When the bearing load is P, the basic rating life (106 revolutions)

C–Basic dynamic load rating N

ε–index

Ball bearing: ε=3

Roller bearing: ε=10/3

P–equivalent dynamic load (N)

The load on the bearing under actual conditions: A, R, converted into the load under the experimental conditions is called the equivalent dynamic load. For the bearing components, this load is variable. During the experimental study, the bearing life is 106 turns to The unit is more convenient (counter), but in actual production, the general life is expressed in hours, so it is necessary to convert L10×106=Lh×60n.

Slewing Bearings

2. Calculation method of tower crane slewing bearing life

(1) Knowing the bearing type, load and shaft speed, calculate Lh;

(2) Knowing the load, speed and life expectancy, calculate C, and select the bearing model.

Usually, the medium repair or overhaul limit of the machine is taken as the design life of the bearing, generally Lh’=5000, and the temperature coefficient ft should be introduced for the bearing working at high temperature

Ct=ftC

t≤120 125 150 200 300

ft 1 0.95 0.90 0.80 0.60

The above is the relevant content about the scrapping standard of the tower crane slewing bearing. The tower crane may affect its service life due to its complex use environment. At the same time, good maintenance and repair can also prolong the service life of the tower crane slewing bearing.

Tunnel Boring Slewing Bearing

Tunnel Boring Slewing Bearing

Driving reliability to cut tunnel completion times, slewing bearings for tunnel boring machines are built to withstand huge loads as cutter heads bore into solid rock or dificult soils. These heavy-duty, roller bearings are designed  to carry all cutter head loads and transfer  them to the rear. In addition, we use our sealing expertise to integrate proven designs for tunnel boring machine head applications that keep earth out of the main bearing and lubricants in it.

We offer solutions for a broad array of applications based on our wide variety of experience in major tunnel projects worldwide including.

“has the best bearing cages and was able to ind logistics solutions to meet our expectations in a very short time.”– Tunnel boring customer.

Slewing Driver Application

Slewing bearing comes in many sizes

Wind Turbine Bearings

Wind energy Turbines

Drawing on a wealth of wind turbine engineering knowledge, LDB has developed an innovative slewing bearing design with enhanced sealing capabilities and redesigned internal geometry to meet the challenges of the wind industry.

The LDB High Endurance Slewing Bearing offers increased resistance to harsh environmental conditions to improve reliability and performance and extend bearing service life.“With its advanced technical knowledge, LDB was a reliable development partner for my windmill slewing bearing solutions.”– Wind energy customer.

Wind turbines generate electricity under adverse and constantly changing conditions, both on and offshore. Efficient power generation from wind turbines demands high performance from every component – particularly the bearings used in the turbine drivetrain and gearbox.slewing bearing


LDB rolling bearings for these applications perform with robust resistance to seizure, wear, flaking and unique challenges such as white etching cracks (WEC) to deliver advanced product design solutions for a reliable and sustainable operating life.

Slewing Ring Bearings in Construction and Excavator and Roller Applications

Slewing Ring Bearings in Construction and Excavator and Roller Applications

LDB slewing bearings of the preloaded,cross-roller type are an ideal choice for excavators as they offer high reliability even when subject to heavy loads and tilting moments in severe operating

environments.

LDB also works closely with road roller to provide customised slewing bearing solutions designed to handle the high vibration levels needed for highspeed,high-quality compacting. Due to an integrated, reinforced sealing system,the bearings remain unaffected by the hot asphalt environment and are protected against water intrusion.

Is the surface roughness of the slewing bearing as small as possible? How to choose?

Is the surface roughness of the slewing bearing as small as possible? Surface roughness refers to the small spacing and the unevenness of small peaks and valleys that the machined surface has. The roughness of the bearing surface may affect the wear resistance, stability, fatigue strength, stability and other properties of the bearing. Generally speaking, the smaller the roughness of the bearing surface, the better, but it should be determined according to the equipment use requirements and process accuracy.

The surface roughness of the slewing bearing is not as small as possible

Slewing Bearings

Is the surface roughness of the slewing bearing as small as possible? It can be analyzed from the following aspects:

1. Physical properties of materials

The surface roughness of the bearing is often represented by Ra. Generally speaking, from the working principle, we hope that the smaller the surface roughness of the slewing bearing, the better. Generally, the higher the bearing tolerance accuracy level, the better the surface quality and the finer the workmanship. However, two surfaces that are too smooth are prone to gluing (exchange between the same or similar materials, which is similar to the “dyeing phenomenon” in our life, but it belongs to the exchange of metal substances here), while the surfaces that are too rough are prone to gluing. Under the action of force, the surface is prone to peeling off (that is, what we often call wear).

2. Processing cost

Theoretically, the smaller the value of the surface roughness of the slewing bearing, the better, the smaller the roughness, the smoother the surface and the more beautiful the appearance. However, the size of the roughness is determined by the machining process and other factors, such as the friction between the tool and the bearing surface, cutting, and high-frequency vibration in the process.

However, the smaller the surface roughness, the higher the processing cost. Whether the use cost of the part matches the consumption speed and the profit of the equipment production output value. These all need to be considered. Some spare parts do not have high requirements on the roughness of the bearing surface. Excessive pursuit of the surface roughness will affect the economy of processing.

Selection principle of surface roughness of slewing bearing

slewing bearing

1. Economic perspective:

From an economic point of view, on the basis of meeting the performance requirements of the slewing bearing, the lower the accuracy, the better. This allows for lower production costs.

2. Use function:

(1) The roughness value of the working surface is smaller than that of the non-working surface.

(2) The roughness value of the friction surface is smaller than that of the non-friction surface.

(3) The roughness value of the clearance fit is smaller than that of the interference fit.

(4) The roughness of the mating surface should be equivalent to its dimensional accuracy requirements. The smaller the size, the smaller the roughness value should be.

(5) The roughness value of the surface subjected to cyclic load and the inner fillet and concave part where stress concentration may occur should be small.

Is the surface roughness of the slewing bearing as small as possible? I believe everyone is clear. The actual selection of bearing accuracy and surface roughness needs to be determined according to actual needs. In the case of ensuring bearing performance, cost control is also very important.

Slewing Bearing Comes In Many Sizes

Slewing bearing comes in many sizes

LDB Slewing Bearing Manufacturer custom designed and manufactured a segmented, 3-row roller bearing almost 14 m in diameter. It weighed 70 tons.LDB Slewing Bearing Manufacturer also produces a range of smaller slewing bearings for special machinery,high-tech applications and more.

For more than a half century, LDB Slewing Bearing Manufacturer has been designing and manufacturing many types and sizes of high-performance slewing bearings to meet the speciic needs of customers worldwide. Combining decades of application knowledge and unmatched manufacturing expertise, LDB Slewing Bearing Manufacturer provides customised slewing bearings with outer diameters from 0,1 m to 14 m.

Unlike other providers of slewing bearings, LDB Slewing Bearing Manufacturer can offer fully tailored slewing bearing solutions with integrated advanced monitoring, lubrication and sealing systems for higher reliability and longer service life. Our breadth of engineering knowledge, global presence and design lexibility allow us to deliver the right solution for your project, no matter how large or complex.

High-performance slewing bearings

For a wide range of applications:

  • Wind turbines
  • Tunnel boring machines
  • Excavators
  • Forestry vehicles
  • Rail vehicles
  • Dockside and deck cranes
  • Mobile cranes
  • Water treatment equipment
  • Bottle illing systems
  • Metals
  • Material handling
  • Marine pods
  • Offshore buoys
  • Stacker reclaimers

Model parameters of externally toothed three-row cylindrical roller slewing bearings

Slewing bearing design types:

  • Double row ball bearings
  • 4point

Contact bearings

  • Crossed roller bearings
  • Wire race bearings
  • 3row

and double row cylindrical roller bearings

  • Cylindrical roller and ball bearings
  • Special bearings

Slewing Bearing Monitoring Services And Savings

Slewing bearing monitoring, services and savings

Reduce downtime with condition monitoring

LDB offers unmatched expertise and technology for monitoring your slewing bearing solutions and supporting your predictive maintenance needs. With a range of solutions as well as wireless solutions, we can help you monitor everything from contamination levels of grease and oil to vibration levels in critical locations around slewing bearings. We provide wear measurement, raceway crack detection using integrated ultrasonic probes and on-line bolt tension monitoring. Where a wired condition monitoring solution was not feasible in the past due to cost associated with initial infrastructure set-up, a variety of wireless solutions is also available nowadays.

Remanufacturing saves cost and time

LDB’s remanufacturing services can generate significant cost savings and save time when compared to purchasing a new bearing.

Our global sales and application engineering network is there to comply with your requests and assist when you face emergencies or require a bearing to be inspected and/or remanufactured.

Expert technical assistance To help you increase the service life of your slewing bearings, our specialist teams can plan and perform: mounting and dismounting, inspection in our workshops or on site, remanufacturing, checking slewing bearing seating flatness using a laser system and tensioning of bolts by using bolt tensioners, all to improve the quality, performance and reliability of your equipment and more.

The Power of Slewing Bearing Knowledge Engineering

Combining products, people, and applicationspecific knowledge, LDB delivers innovative solutions to equipment manufacturers and production facilities in every major industry worldwide.

Having expertise in multiple competence areas supports LDB Life Cycle Management, a proven approach to improv ing equipment reliability,optimizing operational and energy efficiency and reducing total cost of ownership.

These competence areas include bearings and units, seals, lubrication systems, mecha ronics,and a wide range of services, from 3-D computer modelling to cloud-based condition onitoringand asset management services.

LDB’s global footprint provides LDB customers with uniform quality standards and worldwide product availability. Our local presence provides direct access to the experience, knowledge and ingenuity of LDB people.

LDB improving reliability with Life Cycle Management

Improving reliability with Life Cycle Management
Install and commission Operate and monitor Maintain and repair Specification De sign and develop Manufacture
From specification and design to maintenance and repair, at LDB we use our Life Cycle Management approach to optimize both slewing bearing performance and service life while reducing total cost of ownership.
Specification Design and develop Manufacture and test Install and commission Operate and monitor Maintain and repair.

Specification
With in-house specialists across a wide range of critical areas such as seals, lubrication,
wear protection and more, LDB enables you to work with application engineers and designers to find the right solution, right from the start. We can support your project by combining all of this application knowledge to improve designs and enhance performance of your slewing bearing solutions.

Design and develop
With over 20 years of slewing bearing experience and unmatched engineering expertise, we can help you design and develop high-performance slewing bearings from 0,1 m to 18 m (> 8 m to 18 m are segmented). Our Engineering Consultancy Services (ECS) can provide advanced calculations and simulations utilizing high-tech computer programmes to optimize and verify designs. All of these advantages combine to improve operational performance of application machinery and reduce total cost of ownership.

Manufacture and test
we offer fast, local access to LDB technologies,services and support. Our extensive logistics network provides excellent availability of LDB’s slewing bearing solutions.
To be able to offer slewing bearing manufacturing and testing excellence, LDB has developed close relationships with certifying authorities. Upon request, these authorities can certify the design of your slewing bearing solutions and witness testing. While individual divisions have been approved for quality certification in accordance with ISO 9001 and other customer specific requirements.

Install and commission
LDB Life Cycle Management features a range of expert services, training and products to provide timely, accurate commissioning of new and replacement machinery. Our offers include flatness measuring and machining of slewing bearing seatings or resin grout installation for larger slewing bearings.

Operate and monitor
By collecting and analyzing the correct operating data, LDB can help you identify the need for machinery maintenance activities. We can help protect your slewing bearing solutions against unexpected failures and costly downtime with grease and oil analysis, wear surement,
vibration monitoring and ultrasonic inspection of the bearing’s structural integrity.

Maintain and repair
LDB maintenance and remanufacturing services include everything from inspection to complete restoration to the full working specifications of slewing bearings, by using adapted and controlled processes to extend the service life of the slewing bearing.

Slewing driver application

slewing bearing solutions and services

LDB slewing bearing solutions and services Optimize performance and service life

For more than 20 years, LDB has been designing and manufacturing many types and sizes of igh-performance slewing bearings to meet the specific needs of customers worldwide. Combining decadesof application knowledge, unmatched manufacturing expertise and our Life Cycle Management approach, LDB provides customized slewing bearings with outer diameters from 0,1 m to 18 m (>8 m to 18 m are segmented).

Unlike other providers of slewing bearings,LDB can offer fully tailored slewing bearing solutions with integrated advanced monitoring,lubrication and sealing systems for higher reliability and longer service life. Our wide range of expert slewing bearing services also help cut costs and optimize performance, while our global presence allows slewing bearing solutions and services to be delivered quickly around the world.

LDB Slewing bearing

LDB Slewing bearing is a kind of rotating rolling element bearing or sliding bearing, which usually supports heavy but slowly rotating or swinging load. It is usually a horizontal platform, such as the windward platform of traditional crane, slewing stacker or horizontal shaft windmill.

Slewing bearing
Compared with other rolling element bearings, the section of slewing bearing is thinner, and the diameter is usually one meter or more.
LDB slewing ring is usually made of gear teeth integrated with the inner ring or outer ring, which is used to drive the platform relative to the base.
As a professional slewing ring supplier, we provide high-performance small and large slewing rings.