Schaeffler’s SNS plummer block and BTAC Taconite seal combination is specially designed for heavily loaded applications in harsh conditions.



New generation FAG SNS Plummer Block Housings are being combined with BTAC Taconite bolt-on seals that provide reliable protection against dust and contamination that can lead to premature wear and downtime in raw material and mineral processing applications.

The BTAC Taconite seal – one of a series of design elements tailored to optimise the benefits of the SNS plummer block in different applications – contains a labyrinth seal, replaceable wear face and a V-ring seal. It is also bolted to the housing for security against contamination.

“For ease of maintenance and curtailment of downtime, the seal carrier features a split fixture, which allows the bearing and seal wear face to be visually inspected without having to remove the upper section of the housing,” says Manager, Industrial Projects and Services, Schaeffler Australia, Mr Martin Grosvenor. The critical benefits of this arrangement include time saving and avoidance of OH&S issues involved in heavy and laborious tasks.

The new seals with housing to suit can be specified OEM, dropped in as a replacement for SNS Housings with other seals, or dropped in as a replacement for SD housing designs. The SNS is a large-size bearing housing engineered to increase the service life of fitted spherical roller bearings by up to 50 percent compared to conventional plummer block housings. SNS housings may also be fitted with split spherical roller bearings to save time, optimise uptime and minimise OH&S maintenance issues.

The SNS Housing’s advantages – including increased strength and shock resistance due to the use of (EN-GJS-400) spheroidal graphite cast iron as standard – make the SNS and BTAC Taconite combination ideal for diverse applications where spherical roller bearings are widely used, including machinery operating in aggressive environments.

Seals designs for SNS plummer blocks applications include:

NTS labyrinth seals for high circumference speeds. NTS labyrinth seals are contact-free and therefore suitable for such speeds. Temperatures from -20 C to +200 C are permissible.

NTC Taconite seals for extreme protection. This seal type is a combination of a labyrinth seal and a V ring. The phosphate surface of the seal makes it suitable for use in extremely contaminated environments at temperatures of -40 C to 100C

BTAC Taconite seals, which were especially developed for use under harsh conditions in the extraction and processing of raw materials, where they provide optimum protection against dust and contamination.

NTSG split labyrinth seals, which simplify mounting and repair work on continuous shafts and in places that are difficult to access. When combined with split bearings, split seals eliminate the need for complex additional tasks, such as removing gears and clutches, dismounting drives and dismantling shaft lines.

Such benefits save time and money and produce an unbeatable Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) reduction, says Mr Grosvenor. Protection can be further extended by condition monitoring to prevent unplanned downtime, using FAG SmartCheck vibration diagnosis in real time and by grease monitoring using easily integrated FAG GreaseCheck.