First, see if this sounds familiar
Your equipment has been running for a while, and you notice the gearbox getting noisier than before. The bearing housing feels hot to the touch. You open it up and find small pits on the bearing raceways. You replace it with a new one, but after some time, the same thing happens again.
Many people immediately assume it’s a quality issue — and try different brands, only to get the same result. At that point, it’s worth asking: Is the bearing selection itself the problem?
Where does the problem actually lie?
If your line runs highly filled compounds, the extruder generates significant axial thrust during processing. A standard thrust bearing configuration simply isn’t designed to withstand that kind of continuous pounding. It’s like using a passenger car for off-road racing every day — the car isn’t bad; it’s just the wrong tool for the job.
How to solve it
For high-backpressure applications, Kunka gearboxes feature optimized bearing configurations and assembly techniques specifically designed to handle high-load operating conditions.
In addition, regular maintenance is critical:
· Use ISO VG 320 EP gear oil during summer months
· Schedule the first oil change at 500 operating hours (earlier than standard)
· Thereafter, change oil every 6 months or every 3,000 operating hours, whichever comes first
A final suggestion
If you’ve replaced bearings multiple times and they still don’t last, don’t just keep blaming quality. Share your actual operating conditions with us — we’ll help you determine whether the configuration needs adjustment.