A press manufacturer with a proven reputation for supplying high quality transport and manipulation
systems for handling 10cm, 12cm and 15cm rectangular lithographic printing plates had a bearing
problem on their latest design machine.
The decision had been taken early in the design to go with a 15mm diameter Needle Roller Bearing, but the costs, lack of alignment and excessive mounting area associated with a custom machined
mounting block caused them multiple problems.
The company’s products, deliver, rotate, notch and feed the plates into the printing press. These plates
are produced from extremely soft aluminium and therefore must be handled with care and precision.
For this reason, their engineers pay great attention to bearing selection, as they are a key element in
creating the smooth shaft motion at both the shaft ends and at the intermittently located pulleys and drive
belts. This smooth motion is an essential element in delivering the plates to the press undamaged and
accurately located.
The patented Spyraflo Self-Aligning Needle Roller bearings, which have ±5º static self-alignment, proved
to be ideal. The ability of the bearings to effortlessly accommodate variances in shaft orientation and mounting surfaces proved invaluable, resulting in combined cost savings with enhanced performance.
The bearings are distributed in the UK and Eire by Micromech.