• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Bearing Tips

Ball Bearings, Roller Bearings, Thrust Bearings, Tapered Bearings

  • Bearing Basics
  • Ball Bearings
  • Roller Bearings
  • Thrust Bearings
    • Ball Thrust
    • Roller Thrust
    • Tapered Roller Bearings
  • Lubrication
  • Resources
    • Video
    • Podcasts
    • Suppliers
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
You are here: Home / Industry News / Polymer bearings for cost reduction

Polymer bearings for cost reduction

June 26, 2017 By Mike Santora

Genuine Vesconite Hilube bushingsStaffing costs related to greasing could drop if Vesconite polymer bearings, which require little or no lubrication, were introduced.

This is according to Vesconite Bearings technical consultant Eddie Swanepoel, who has performed a greasing staffing cost exercise for one of his South African clients.

Greasing costs add up as the number of greasing points multiplies, the frequency of required greasing increases, and the number of machines in a large plant or fleet increases, he says.

“This alone justifies the investment in Vesconite bushings,” states Swanepoel, who notes that the costing exercise may even be more persuasive in high-tech companies that have sophisticated lubrication equipment, higher paid staff or policies that have been developed to ensure that poor lubrication does not result in equipment breakdowns and plant downtime.

Sources have revealed that the costs included in Swanepoel’s calculations may have to be adjusted depending on the lubrication model employed at a given company.

The classic lubricant department model requires a lubrication technician, or dedicated staff member, to grease equipment. There is also the multi-skilled maintenance mechanic model, which has a mechanic lubricate machines while performing other tasks, and the operator model, in which machine operators lubricate equipment.

Depending on which model is being used, greasing labour costs may rise substantially, with labour costs based on seniority, country, job description and skills level.

Labour is also not the only cost associated with bushings that require lubrication, since there are the costs associated with equipment downtime if greasing is not performed or carried out incorrectly; the costs of lubrication equipment – including grease lines, zerks and manifolds; and, of course, the cost of the grease itself.

Vesconite Bearings
www.vesconite.com

 

Filed Under: Industry News, Lubrication Tagged With: vesconitebearings

Primary Sidebar

Search

RSS Featured White Papers

  • Polymers Outperform Metals In Precision Gearing
  • Crossed Roller Bearings Offer Many Benefits for Robotic Systems
  • Miniature Linear Bearings Offer Maximum Performance

Footer

Bearing Tips

Design World Network

Design World Online
The Robot Report
Coupling Tips
Motion Control Tips
Linear Motion Tips
Fastener Engineering
Wire and Cable Tips

Bearing Tips

Subscribe to our newsletter
Advertise with us
Contact us
About us

Copyright © 2025 · WTWH Media LLC and its licensors. All rights reserved.
The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of WTWH Media.

Privacy Policy