Small to midsize OEMs that now source rotating-equipment products and services through multiple vendors may want to consider using a dedicated, local distributor. Distributors have access to a broad product range and can readily supply related items such as bearings, electric motors, belts, and gearboxes. This simple tactic of consolidating your supply source will immediately provide tangible benefits, including one-stop shopping, a single point of accountability, and the preferred services that often come from a close OEM/distributor business relationship. Moreover, distributors can bring the expertise of their suppliers to your organization, including advanced engineering services, ranging from applications engineering, failure and design-life testing, CAD, and vibration/reliability specifications, as well as assembly and warranty information Case in point: A small OEM that builds rope sheaves used in paper-mill dryer sections had recently changed a bearing spec from two single-row, deep-groove ball bearings to a double-row, angular-contact ball bearing. The update looked great on paper, but end users were reporting a significantly shorter bearing service life. The OEM’s distributor brought in SKF to help solve the problem. SKF engineers reviewed the rope-sheave design with computer programs specifically made to analyze bearing operating temperature, loads, raceway positions, and failure modes. The resulting calculations…
