- Tapered bearings require bimonthly inspections, winter gas ingress reduces bearing life

- The company plans to gradually apply the technology to larger models, and aims to unmannedize them to increase efficiency and reduce labor costs.

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(G-Valley News) Reporter Kim Garam Kim = RKK announced on the 23rd that it has succeeded in applying lubrication-free bearings that require tolerances up to 5/100 in the domestic market where tapered bearings are used through R&D for the past five years.

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Unlike tapered bearings, which are more commonly used, lubrication-free bearings do not require the application of copper to bearings running at high temperatures.

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Centrifugal dehydrators, which use centrifugal force to reduce the specific gravity difference of materials, rotate at high speeds and require bi-monthly inspections and careful observation of the copper coating and whether sludge gas enters the copper system and causes burnout to ensure proper operation even in high-temperature environments.

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Meanwhile, sewage and wastewater treatment plants are facilities where gas asphyxiation accidents and fires caused by explosions often occur, and according to the Ministry of Employment and Labor's May 30 announcement, 348 people were killed or injured out of 169 asphyxiation accidents in the last 10 years (2012-2021), and 165 people (47.41 TP3T) died.

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Asphyxiation is one of the most common fatalities among workers in confined spaces, and it requires frequent safety inspections and preventive maintenance.

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Lubrication-free bearings have a relatively low failure rate and can be used in centrifugal dehydrators for both organic and inorganic water, reducing safety concerns for water treatment operators, according to the industry.

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The most modernized of the sludge dehydrators is the Decanter centrifugeCurrently, two models of ARK's centrifugal dehydrators are equipped with lubrication-free bearings. Applications include sewage and wastewater treatment plants, water purification plants, chlorella cultures, and three-phase separation of palm oil.

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“Centrifugal dehydrators are more modernized industrial machines compared to filter presses and belt presses and can be operated with high efficiency,” said Hong Sang-heon, CEO of RK Hong. “As urbanization is almost complete in East Asia, including Korea, reducing sludge treatment costs and reducing the use of manpower to reduce accidents is not an option but a necessity. Let's move toward high efficiency that considers the environment and the safety of those who handle it.”.

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Meanwhile, RK, which announced the expansion of the industry's first oil-free bearing, operates three local factories and offices in Vietnam and is planning R&D for real-time measurement of sludge cake moisture content.

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Source: GValley (http://www.gvalley.co.kr)