Bearing refurbishment for Alstom

28 April, 2016

“Logistically, it’s a very challenging overhaul programme,” states Timmings. “We are currently just over halfway through the project and the support from Schaeffler has been excellent. We’ve had no issues at all with any refurbished track rollers, both in terms of their quality and in the delivery of the units from Schweinfurt to our warehouse in Preston. The working relationship between Alstom and Schaeffler is very good and the whole process has been painless and trouble-free, which is important on large, critical overhaul programmes such as this one.”

High quality refurbishment

The double row yoke type track roller comprises of a crowned outer ring, a full complement cylindrical roller set, inner ring, thrust washer, Lamellar ring, Nilos ring and retaining ring. The unit is sealed, greased and protected against corrosion.

At Schweinfurt, the refurbishment process involves dismantling the track rollers and 100 per cent visually inspecting all individual components for any signs of wear or damage, which can include fatigue, cracks, corrosion and indentations caused by overrolled particles. All the parts are then cleaned to remove grease, adhesive and dirt. Any defective contact rings are replaced with new ones. Outer and inner bore diameters are checked according to dimensional requirements. The units are then re-assembled, sealed, greased, packaged and returned to Alstom’s warehouse in Preston.

Jeremy Spencer, rail sector manager at Schaeffler UK, comments: “For Alstom, the cost of having the track rollers refurbished by Schaeffler is lower than purchasing new replacement rollers. Due to the large volume of units involved in this programme, the overall cost is significantly lower. Furthermore, in terms of quality, a track roller refurbished by Schaeffler can be returned to the customer in an as-new condition. Refurbishment also has the additional advantage that it generates significantly lower CO2 emissions compared to the manufacture of new bearings, which means that the good environmental performance already achieved by the rail industry can be enhanced further.”

www.schaeffler.co.uk