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A close view of the side wheels on a hay baler that uses prelubricated bearings from Garlock Bearings. |
Hay balers see a lot of dust and dirt that can work itself into lubricants and moving parts. So designers of this equipment must find ways of keeping lubrication to a minimum while still ensuring reliability. These were among the reasons that M & W Gear, an Alamo Group Co. based in Gibson City, Ill., used prelubricated bearings in wheels that collect hay from the ground.
The DX Series bearings from Garlock Bearings LLC in Thorofare, N.J., operate satisfactorily with only a trace of lubricant and will run for long periods drawing only upon the lubricant introduced on the initial assembly. They also exhibit extremely low friction during operation and resist wear. The greatly extended lubrication cycle of the bearings keeps maintenance to a minimum. These bearings are made from steel-backed material that can be resized, a useful property in the control of initial starting clearances and the correction of misalignment. The wall thickness of the bearings is held to close limits, so most applications need no machining.