Premature bearing failures are often caused by incorrect lubrication and contamination. Cleaning lubrication oil and bringing it to the optimum temperature helps to reduce the risk of failure.

A plug-and-play unit that cools and filters lubricant as it circulates helps to extend machine service life, reduces the need for maintenance and increases the intervals between oil replacements, helping to reduce consumption and the cost of oil disposal.

SKF’s Oil Conditioning Unit (OCU) helps to improve lubricant performance and prolong bearing lifetime. The unit includes a filtration feature that removes contaminants and can be set for coarse to ultra-fine filtration.

“All this helps to reduce bearing failures and ensure reliable operations. And it can give a five-fold extension to oil service life,” says SKF product manager Tommi Pitkaaho.

The OCU range includes several options, such as stainless-steel models for demanding environments and add-on sensors to allow for oil condition monitoring. The unit can be used with complementary products, such as SKF’s RecondOil DST oil treatment which filters out nanoparticles, to further enhance machine performance.

The OCU is widely used in machinery such as gearboxes, fans and other large bearing housings. Typical applications are in use in heavy industries such as pulp and paper, steel, and mining, and in machinery such as drives and pumps, conveyors and rotating kilns.

The system can be connected to existing hydraulic and lubrication reservoirs when extra oil recovery is needed. It is typically aimed at original-equipment manufacturers and aftermarket users whose equipment runs at an oil temperature of 10 °C to 80 °C and ambient temperatures of -10 °C to 40 °C.